iMessage: Malformed Message Bricks iPhone • Hacker News Board

Re: iMessage: Malformed Message Bricks iPhone

#21

Post by zaroth » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 4:24 AM UTC

taneq wrote: post #19

wingerlang wrote: post #11

Since a restore works it cannot be called a brick though?

It's a sliding scale which depends on the user's competence and not just the hardware. To a completely non-technical person, a hard lock-up is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by pressing buttons. To a normal user, a borked ROM is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by plugging into a computer and re-flashing. To a power user, a busted bootloader is "bricked" if it stops them flashing a ROM, even if it could be fi…

The only purpose of the word’s existence is to define an entirely unrecoverable state.

Crash loop or hung on startup describes the state. It is by definition not bricked if it can be recovered.

Re: iMessage: Malformed Message Bricks iPhone

#22

Post by slyrus » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 4:35 AM UTC

zaroth wrote: post #21

taneq wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a sliding scale which depends on the user's competence and not just the hardware. To a completely non-technical person, a hard lock-up is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by pressing buttons. To a normal user, a borked ROM is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by plugging into a computer and re-flashing. To a power user, a busted bootloader is "bricked" if it stops them flashing a ROM, even if it could be fi…

The only purpose of the word’s existence is to define an entirely unrecoverable state. Crash loop or hung on startup describes the state. It is by definition not bricked if it can be recovered.

It's almost like the author of the above comment (zaroth) didn't read the parent comment. Put another way, bricking is in the eye of the beholder.

Re: iMessage: Malformed Message Bricks iPhone

#23

Post by saagarjha » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 4:35 AM UTC

kitotik wrote: post #8

Waterluvian wrote: post #2

I cannot load this page on android Firefox without it immediately crashing Firefox. Fairly topical.

Safari on iOS threw a WebKit exception on my first try, but a reload worked…

Works fine for me, which version of Safari are you using?

Re: iMessage: Malformed Message Bricks iPhone

#24

Post by taneq » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 4:36 AM UTC

zaroth wrote: post #21

taneq wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a sliding scale which depends on the user's competence and not just the hardware. To a completely non-technical person, a hard lock-up is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by pressing buttons. To a normal user, a borked ROM is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by plugging into a computer and re-flashing. To a power user, a busted bootloader is "bricked" if it stops them flashing a ROM, even if it could be fi…

The only purpose of the word’s existence is to define an entirely unrecoverable state. Crash loop or hung on startup describes the state. It is by definition not bricked if it can be recovered.

And as my post illustrated, "unrecoverable" is entirely relative to the user's capabilities. There's no such thing as "entirely unrecoverable" to a suitably equipped and motivated person, although you get into a Ship-of-Theseus situation if enough hardware needs replacing.

Re: iMessage: Malformed Message Bricks iPhone

#25

Post by burk96 » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 4:37 AM UTC

ptlu wrote: post #4

Waterluvian wrote: post #2

I cannot load this page on android Firefox without it immediately crashing Firefox. Fairly topical.

Works in my FF 67.

Repeating repeatable results, works on 68 beta and 67.0.3 here

Re: iMessage: Malformed Message Bricks iPhone

#26

Post by foobaw » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 4:38 AM UTC

taneq wrote: post #19

wingerlang wrote: post #11

Since a restore works it cannot be called a brick though?

It's a sliding scale which depends on the user's competence and not just the hardware. To a completely non-technical person, a hard lock-up is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by pressing buttons. To a normal user, a borked ROM is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by plugging into a computer and re-flashing. To a power user, a busted bootloader is "bricked" if it stops them flashing a ROM, even if it could be fi…

Used to work on phones on the Android side. I remember blowing the Qfuse was widely known internally to brick devices, but there was a team that specifically could reverse the brick - except it was a secret because the company didn't want the fact that it could be reverted to be known.

Re: iMessage: Malformed Message Bricks iPhone

#27

Post by michaelmrose » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 4:44 AM UTC

slyrus wrote: post #22

zaroth wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only purpose of the word’s existence is to define an entirely unrecoverable state. Crash loop or hung on startup describes the state. It is by definition not bricked if it can be recovered.

It's almost like the author of the above comment (zaroth) didn't read the parent comment. Put another way, bricking is in the eye of the beholder.

Technical terms have meaning defined by actual technical usage regardless of common misuse by the less informed.

Your entire tower isn't a cpu, a user recoverable device isn't bricked and if tomorrow most people start calling kidneys livers they will still be kidneys.

Reducing bricked to a subjective statement about the users ability to use their device robs the term of all utility in the same way as calling a computer a cpu.

The author didn't fail to read your words, you are in fact wrong and repeating yourself doesn't make you more correct.

Re: iMessage: Malformed Message Bricks iPhone

#28

Post by bscphil » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 4:45 AM UTC

zaroth wrote: post #21

taneq wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a sliding scale which depends on the user's competence and not just the hardware. To a completely non-technical person, a hard lock-up is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by pressing buttons. To a normal user, a borked ROM is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by plugging into a computer and re-flashing. To a power user, a busted bootloader is "bricked" if it stops them flashing a ROM, even if it could be fi…

The only purpose of the word’s existence is to define an entirely unrecoverable state. Crash loop or hung on startup describes the state. It is by definition not bricked if it can be recovered.

I think a fair in-between value on the "sliding scale" is calling a device bricked if it can't be recovered by a sufficiently advanced end-user without special hardware. If there is no way that an end-user could fix it without purchasing something or returning it to the manufacturer, it is bricked.

Re: iMessage: Malformed Message Bricks iPhone

#29

Post by michaelmrose » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 4:46 AM UTC

taneq wrote: post #19

wingerlang wrote: post #11

Since a restore works it cannot be called a brick though?

It's a sliding scale which depends on the user's competence and not just the hardware. To a completely non-technical person, a hard lock-up is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by pressing buttons. To a normal user, a borked ROM is "bricked" even if it could be fixed by plugging into a computer and re-flashing. To a power user, a busted bootloader is "bricked" if it stops them flashing a ROM, even if it could be fi…

A device that crashed isn't bricked. We already have a term for that.

Re: iMessage: Malformed Message Bricks iPhone

#30

Post by shurcooL » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 4:46 AM UTC

arkadiyt wrote: post #7

This is fixed in iOS 12.3 [1] and macOS 10.14.5 [2], both released on May 13th. As Natalie noted on the ticket, turning off iMessage will also prevent the bug. [1]: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210118 [2]: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210119

Do you know why is the upstream bug in "New (Open)" state, if it's fixed in currently released versions of iOS/macOS?