Re-registering to GSM network

Alastair Johnson alastair at truebox.co.uk
Wed Oct 15 11:15:31 CEST 2008


Michael Shiloh wrote:
> Marco Trevisan (Treviño) wrote:
>> Leonti Bielski wrote:
>>> As I get it it is unfortunately impossible to upgrade the firmware at
>>> home because of NDA - only Openmoko Inc. employee can do that.
>>> I hope (but doubt it ) it will will be available to the public someday
>>> in the future.
>> Why? Isn't it a binary blob?
>> I can't understand why they can't release the firmware binary...
>>
> 
> Two issues:
> 
> 1. If we allow you to update the firmware, then our own standard of 
> openness requires that we give you the source. Due to NDA with chip 
> manufacturer, and probably FCC regulations as well, we're not allowed to 
> give you the source, so therefore we chose not to allow you to update 
> the firmware.

You have a double standard going on here since you have just released an 
updated gllin for which you cannot provide source.

 From a software freedom perspective this makes no sense either. You 
already distribute the closed firmware in the modem and the wifi chips, 
both apparently in flash. Distributing closed upgrades for these will 
make things no less free than they are already.

> 2. The NDA with the chip manufacturer does not allow us to distribute 
> the update utility.

This was my understanding from when this came up before with the GTA01.

> Michael




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