Re: another linux platform platform
On Thu, 2007-07-26 at 08:23 -0700, Tim Newsom wrote: They claim to have many of the features we have talked about on the list... however, I am wondering about the pending patent related to placing security in the bootloader for signature checking of a boot image. Does anyone know if this is available GPL or if they have somehow managed to get around all of that? They shouldn't get that patent, because there's plenty of prior art. This is an example of what gplv3 is intended to prevent. Essentially, what they're doing is locking their phone so that you *can't* boot openmoko on it, even though they're observing the letter of the gplv2 license. They can safely give you source code, and you can't use it. Tivo's been doing this for years. ___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: another linux platform platform
On Thu, July 26, 2007 4:23 pm, Tim Newsom wrote: I just noticed this: http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5539544742.html They claim to have many of the features we have talked about on the list... however, I am wondering about the pending patent related to placing security in the bootloader for signature checking of a boot image. Does anyone know if this is available GPL or if they have somehow managed to get around all of that? I doubt they can get a patent on on bootloader signature checking. Nokia have had that feature on their phones for a few years now. That is why they are so hard to unlock compared with other brands. Also, GPL3 forbids that kind of thing unless you give the end user a way to sign their own boot images. In a year or two it will be quite hard to build a Linux phone that does not include any GPL3 software, so this will not be useful in preventing unauthorized firmware. (Though it will still be helpful for virus protection and the like). -- David Pottage Error compiling committee.c To many arguments to function. ___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: another linux platform platform
Err... That was supposed to br linux phone platform... On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 8:35, Tim Newsom wrote: I just noticed this: http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5539544742.html They claim to have many of the features we have talked about on the list... however, I am wondering about the pending patent related to placing security in the bootloader for signature checking of a boot image. Does anyone know if this is available GPL or if they have somehow managed to get around all of that? -- -- Tim --Tim ___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: another linux platform platform
On Thursday 26 July 2007 17:23:02 Tim Newsom wrote: I just noticed this: http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5539544742.html They claim to have many of the features we have talked about on the list... however, I am wondering about the pending patent related to placing security in the bootloader for signature checking of a boot image. Does anyone know if this is available GPL or if they have somehow managed to get around all of that? i think the issue here is a kind of crossroads. at the one hand open source people want to thinker with as much as possible of a device. but at the other hand, every nation that have at least some form of working government wants some control over whats going on across the EM spectrum. therefor one need a way to verify that a device complies with the regulations. one way to do that is by signing the software so that only if it comes from a known good source, its allowed to be used. another, used by fic in the neo, is to embedd the stuff that generates the EM waves inside a chip that cant be reprogramed. as long as the linux kernel and all the other code used is under GPL2, there will not be a problem with this. but if some of its under GPL3, they either have to look for alternatives, or drop this function. thats one potential problem with the FSF, it attacks the act of signing, no matter why its being used. with tivo its used to enable the content producers control of their products. but on a phone its just as much about being able to use them at all. because a EM emitter is also a jammer, and can potentially block all other uses of a frequency if its not behaving. ___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
