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I want a computer that I own

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Re: I want a computer that I own

#281

Post by mixmastamyk »

fiddlerwoaroof wrote: post #107
autoexec wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also think selecting parts is limited by the fact that there are so few manufacturers. Processors these days mostly come down to AMD or Intel and nothing there is transparent or audit-able. "trusted computing" and backdoors make even your hardware suspect.

There are capable desktop computers with open hardware, down to the silicon: you just have to pay for it. For example, for $4k, you can get this with specs roughly equivalent to a normal developer machine: https://www.raptorcs.com/content/BK1SD1/intro.html

Neat, should be on the front page.

Re: I want a computer that I own

#282

Post by Thorrez »

>I must rely on encryption algorithms that are designed with subtle flaws that can take years, if not decades, to come to light.

There's Dual_EC_DRBG . Are there any other instances where this happened? And I thought barely anyone even used Dual_EC_DRBG because it was super slow. Did the author ever use it?

Re: I want a computer that I own

#283

Post by Thorrez »

tedunangst wrote: post #64
buzzert wrote: post #14

> Except for a handful of very over-priced models that I can't afford to buy, our computers are increasingly designed to be little more than advertising platforms and vehicles for maximizing the cloud revenues of their true owners Huh? You can buy a very cheap used ThinkPad for <$200 and run GNU/Linux on it. In fact, I don’t see any mention of Linux in this article.

Apparently that's not safe either. "Even open source encryption algorithms that some claim are above reproach are repeatedly being shown to have major flaws, and the fixes to those flaws have their own major flaws."

The author claims that, but I don't know of evidence of it being at all widespread. Dual_EC_DRBG is the one instance I know of, and I thought barely anyone used it.

Re: I want a computer that I own

#284

Post by b0tzzzzzzman »

xvector wrote: post #204
kokx wrote: post #15

I have a similar feeling, but with modern smartphones. Owning my computer is still relatively possible. I can build a computer from parts which I can choose, and have a choice in which operating system to install on them. Laptops are slightly more closed, but even on those I can choose the OS myself. Modern smartphones however, seem like walled gardens in which I have no control at all. I cannot choose any of the par…

Librem 5? PinePhone?

A push in the right direction.. But I have been waiting two years after payment at this point.

Re: I want a computer that I own

#285

Post by google234123 »

monkeyingaround wrote: post #223
jodrellblank wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who has watched laptops get thousands of times faster, smaller, lighter, more battery life, clearer higher resolution screens, smaller chargers, faster connectivity, quieter fans, I flagged your comment for signing up a new account to post a personal attack.

time well spent then, sleep well

Laptops do not have absurd cost now. There are good options from 300$ upto 2000$+

Re: I want a computer that I own

#286

Post by exporectomy »

rfrey wrote: post #112
BoysenberryPi wrote: post #86

This feels like it was made to get to the top of somewhere like HN but I'm actually very confused. >I want it to be, but which can also be used to communicate securely with anyone on the planet without being observed by a third party. I don't want to be spied on by Microsoft or Google.I don't want the NSA intercepting my conversations or even their metadata. I don't see what this has to do with the actual computer ho…

Alternatively, they want the NSA to obey the law, and for surveillance-for-profit business models to be forbidden.

And every other country's government to not spy on internet traffic crossing their borders. Good luck communicating with somebody in China. If you use TOR or a VPN or any kind of tunnel over some other service, they'll figure out what you're doing eventually even if they can't read the content.

Re: I want a computer that I own

#287

Post by mixmastamyk »

Black101 wrote: post #175
BoysenberryPi wrote: post #86

This feels like it was made to get to the top of somewhere like HN but I'm actually very confused. >I want it to be, but which can also be used to communicate securely with anyone on the planet without being observed by a third party. I don't want to be spied on by Microsoft or Google.I don't want the NSA intercepting my conversations or even their metadata. I don't see what this has to do with the actual computer ho…

> You don't want Microsoft to be involved Microsoft works closely with Intel... I wonder if they might have access to the invisible OS running on your PC... (Linux would not disable that)

I've heard it based on Minix, believe it or not.

Re: I want a computer that I own

#288

Post by wantguns »

_peeley wrote: post #92
kokx wrote: post #15

I have a similar feeling, but with modern smartphones. Owning my computer is still relatively possible. I can build a computer from parts which I can choose, and have a choice in which operating system to install on them. Laptops are slightly more closed, but even on those I can choose the OS myself. Modern smartphones however, seem like walled gardens in which I have no control at all. I cannot choose any of the par…

I agree with this so much. It would be so convenient if I could just flash Arch Linux or something onto a modern smartphone and be able to use all the applications and settings and data I use on my desktop, but on my mobile phone. Android is markedly better than iOS when it comes to customization, but it's a far cry from a (real) Linux distribution. I've started getting OS-level push notification ads from Google News…

I would suggest looking into Sharkbait[1]. Although full-disclaimer, I like to say that I am a part of the team and we are lazily trying to self-host Android.

[1] https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Android/SharkBait

Re: I want a computer that I own

#289

Post by olddealer »

andagainagain wrote: post #236
koverda wrote: post #8

> Except for a handful of very over-priced models that I can't afford to buy. This statement here made me pause for a bit. He wants a computer with specific features, but doesn't want pay for the models that offer those features because they are too expensive? Everyone wants to have their cake and eat it too, but unfortunately, reality has constraints.

Exactly. I want these things too. But I'm also willing to pay for them. Everyone wants the best stuff for free. That's not controversial. But it is controversial to complain that the best stuff is more expensive than the cheap stuff. Of course it is. That's the type of stuff they sacrificed to make it cheap. If they want low end free btw, they do have that too. Pinebooks are super cheap.

It's more connected than just that - people can't afford housing and food, let alone computers. A small sliver (~2-5%) of people can afford to do e.g. organics, fair trade commodities, free range animal products, small business, locally owned/sourced, etc.

Of course, not to say the above are all panacea, but something much more directly measurable and visible, like your health, local economy/ecology welfare, people can barely afford. The invisible, like the privacy affecting where your precious wallet gets spent, the habits which can be used to target and manipulate you, that's the invisible hidden behind marketing promising "great performance at a low price".

You get what you pay for, and the moral of this story is that what most people can afford, shit, is what they get (shit).

At least, until people decide to take control and dethrone the tyrants from their thrones. That's why govt and big biz can't stand a message to be private, they are well aware they stand to lose, well, everything, from anyone ever bothering to unseat them. Not to lump all biz or govt together, there are some worse than others.

Re: I want a computer that I own

#290

Post by crabmusket »

tyingq wrote: post #216
kokx wrote: post #15

I have a similar feeling, but with modern smartphones. Owning my computer is still relatively possible. I can build a computer from parts which I can choose, and have a choice in which operating system to install on them. Laptops are slightly more closed, but even on those I can choose the OS myself. Modern smartphones however, seem like walled gardens in which I have no control at all. I cannot choose any of the par…

"simple reparation tasks like replacing a battery is a nightmare these days" Had a recent experience with a Motorola phone with this. And there was no obvious technical reason they couldn't have held the battery down with something other than a shite ton of glue.

I'd like to quickly plug Fairphone here. They've made a phone which does everything you'd expect of a smartphone, but is also very easy to disassemble. Replacing the battery is extremely easy, same with the screen itself. The other "modules" tend to have a few different components on them, e.g. USB plug and vibration motor are on the same module AFAIR.

I've been using the Fairphone 2 for a bit over 5 years and while it's not an outstanding phone, it's lasted well enough. The challenge for me in Australia is getting spare parts, as they only ship to Europe sadly.

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