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HTC Willfully Violates the GPL in T-Mobile's New G2 Android Phone

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Re: HTC Willfully Violates the GPL in T-Mobile's New G2 Android Phone

#41

Post by doki_pen »

doki_pen wrote: post #40
codedivine wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well it may not necessarily be malicious. Maybe the developers responsible for say preparing the source tarball properly have just been given a lot of other pressing work.

There is no preparing. They don't own the code. They need to release it in exactly the same state it was in when deployed as binary. Otherwise, they are violating copyright (often referred to as pirates). That said, I'm almost certain that the linux kernel is released under a modified form of the GPL, or at least Linus refuses to enforce parts of the GPL. Binary modules and blobs are a clear violation of GPL, but the…

Apparently it is a plain GPL, but it is not enforced. I don't know if HTC has modules in the kernel that aren't specifically written for the Linux kernel, but I would find that hard to believe. I'd be very surprised if it was enforced in the circumstance.

http://kerneltrap.org/node/1735

Re: HTC Willfully Violates the GPL in T-Mobile's New G2 Android Phone

#42

Post by ceejayoz »

sprout wrote: post #34
rbanffy wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Has anyone really ever seen a real phone virus?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10393136-37.html You'll note it only hit jailbroken iPhones.

Is it really a virus if it has to guess your root account's password to work?

Re: HTC Willfully Violates the GPL in T-Mobile's New G2 Android Phone

#44

Post by sbov »

Pyrodogg wrote: post #31
jrockway wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The same is true of bookshelves, cordless drills, computers, and anything else that people can buy. Someone will always find a way to fuck up the assembly, modifications, or general use. But there is no EULA on my bookshelf saying I can't modify it. So why are mobile phones different? (My guess: "because we can". Nobody has figured out how to make a bookshelf that I can't put something too heavy on. But people have f…

Before and at the time of purchase most people don't think about the EULA or it's consequences. It's merely part of the shrink wrap that needs to be removed to enjoy the shiny new product. Perhaps if it were something consequential instead of something to click through it would actually affect peoples habits.

Most EULAs are atrocious. I shouldn't need to hire a lawyer to buy a consumer product.

The people making these products probably don't want them heavily enforced either. If things actually got to that point nobody would buy their products.

I think they like the current status: you technically owe them your first born but still buy their products. If you do anything they don't like, they can stop you. But people still buy their stuff. Its the best of both worlds for them.

Re: HTC Willfully Violates the GPL in T-Mobile's New G2 Android Phone

#45

Post by Pyrodogg »

sbov wrote: post #44
Pyrodogg wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Before and at the time of purchase most people don't think about the EULA or it's consequences. It's merely part of the shrink wrap that needs to be removed to enjoy the shiny new product. Perhaps if it were something consequential instead of something to click through it would actually affect peoples habits.

Most EULAs are atrocious. I shouldn't need to hire a lawyer to buy a consumer product. The people making these products probably don't want them heavily enforced either. If things actually got to that point nobody would buy their products. I think they like the current status: you technically owe them your first born but still buy their products. If you do anything they don't like, they can stop you. But people still…

"The people making these products probably don't want them heavily enforced either. If things actually got to that point nobody would buy their products."

That's exactly my point. There currently isn't anything that forces the consumer realize what they are getting themselves into. If they did, they probably wouldn't be buying the products.

Re: HTC Willfully Violates the GPL in T-Mobile's New G2 Android Phone

#46

Post by regularfry »

eli wrote: post #33
al_james wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. Phone manufactures are in the pocket of the carriers (as google proved with the Nexus one, you can't sell phones without carrier relations) and carriers don't like rooting as it limited their options to block certain software and services (e.g. VOIP / tethering).

Perhaps it's setting things up for the future, but the carrier in question here, T Mobile, is notable for its openness in not blocking tethering or voip.

It needn't be T-Mobile to have prodded HTC in this direction. In fact, it's more likely to have been another carrier who said "We'll only start to carry this phone if you lock it down like this."

Re: HTC Willfully Violates the GPL in T-Mobile's New G2 Android Phone

#47

Post by klync »

sprout wrote: post #38
bdonlan wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only a copyright holder can bring legal action in this case. If you're just a customer, you can't bring action by yourself, as you're not a party to the violation or license agreement between HTC and the copyright holder(s).

If you've bought a G2, you are a copyright holder for the code in question.

If you buy a copy of a copyright-able work, you are a licensee. The "copyright holder" is the person who owns the legal ability to specify and grant the rights under which the work may be copied.

Re: HTC Willfully Violates the GPL in T-Mobile's New G2 Android Phone

#48

Post by pygy_ »

ceejayoz wrote: post #42
sprout wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10393136-37.html You'll note it only hit jailbroken iPhones.

Is it really a virus if it has to guess your root account's password to work?

Yes it is. It takes advantage of a known vulnerability to spread.

You can't expect a non technical person to understand the importance of strong, unique passwords. Most people can't remember more than one (and a simple one, at that).

Re: HTC Willfully Violates the GPL in T-Mobile's New G2 Android Phone

#49

Post by mquander »

pygy_ wrote: post #48
ceejayoz wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it really a virus if it has to guess your root account's password to work?

Yes it is. It takes advantage of a known vulnerability to spread. You can't expect a non technical person to understand the importance of strong, unique passwords. Most people can't remember more than one (and a simple one, at that).

I don't really see from that article what the issue is. It just tries to SSH into your phone, and if you left the default root password, ta-da, it's in; then it tries to use your phone to SSH into other people's phones.

Is there some part of the story missing here? The only vulnerability I see is that foolish people are allowed to run SSH servers on their phone.

Re: HTC Willfully Violates the GPL in T-Mobile's New G2 Android Phone

#50

Post by TeHCrAzY »

roel_v wrote: post #8
Osiris wrote: post #7

What I don't understand is why phone manufactures are even worried about rooting. If it's about service and warranty, they can simply make it clear that replacing the OS voids the warranty and they won't provide service for the phone. Besides warranty and service costs, what else are they so worried about that they feel it necessary to add these protection measures? Surely the percent of customers that root/mod a pho…

I guess it's because virus writers also to try to root the devices to install rootkits. I'm quite in favor of requiring hardware mods (although I'd prefer a jumper...) to modify the OS.

Pushing the jumper idea further, It should hard reset the phone from read only memory when flipped back to "not root".
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