Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Librem5 Hardware Update

puri.sm

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 111 posts

Re: Librem5 Hardware Update

#41

Post by opencl »

esotericn wrote: post #31
floatboth wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> crack the firmware In most cases, you don't have to crack anything, you can officially unlock the bootloader and flash your own OS build. Yes, you can't touch the early boot initialization, you're still required to use vendor blobs for using wireless/modem/camera/etc things, but you can control most of the software that matters.

If you can't use mainline Linux and/or have no GPU acceleration that's no use at all. It's sort of theoretically useful whilst being practically pointless unless you want to produce your own OS. How do I get into a Linux userland with X11 and a touch driver on my Galaxy Note 8? The answer is pretty much "write it all yourself, quickly before the hardware becomes obsolete". I hope that the librem5 gains traction for t…

You can chroot into a normal ARM distro and run the X11 server directly on Android. Works pretty well unless you need non-ES OpenGL.

Re: Librem5 Hardware Update

#42

Post by ascii_only »

djsumdog wrote: post #29
floatboth wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> crack the firmware In most cases, you don't have to crack anything, you can officially unlock the bootloader and flash your own OS build. Yes, you can't touch the early boot initialization, you're still required to use vendor blobs for using wireless/modem/camera/etc things, but you can control most of the software that matters.

Yea using adb/oemunlock. Sometimes you have to get a code (like with Sony, you input your IMEI number into their website and get one). I've had one Sony that was unlockable; a condition of the original cell provider. Still, it's bizarre considering you can install Linux on any PC/laptop you buy. The bigger issue of course, is that you can't just install Linux on a phone. They're all random pins soldered to random chi…

>Still, it's bizarre considering you can install Linux on any PC/laptop you buy.

It is kinda not true. There are windows 2 in 1 and recent macbooks on which it is almost impossible to install linux.

Re: Librem5 Hardware Update

#43

Post by pedrocr »

conradev wrote: post #28
floatboth wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> software proprietary bits Only the DDR4 memory training blob (which someone could eventually rewrite).

Where are they getting the LTE baseband software from?

They're not of course. They just treat the modem as walled off peripheral black box like all the other rest of the hardware. They may load firmware on boot for LTE/Wifi/Bluetooth like most Linux laptops do. Depending on your opinion on the topic that may be free enough or not but it should be safe as none of those can access the CPU/RAM directly.

Re: Librem5 Hardware Update

#44

Post by yogthos »

djsumdog wrote: post #29
floatboth wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> crack the firmware In most cases, you don't have to crack anything, you can officially unlock the bootloader and flash your own OS build. Yes, you can't touch the early boot initialization, you're still required to use vendor blobs for using wireless/modem/camera/etc things, but you can control most of the software that matters.

Yea using adb/oemunlock. Sometimes you have to get a code (like with Sony, you input your IMEI number into their website and get one). I've had one Sony that was unlockable; a condition of the original cell provider. Still, it's bizarre considering you can install Linux on any PC/laptop you buy. The bigger issue of course, is that you can't just install Linux on a phone. They're all random pins soldered to random chi…

Yeah, I think the fact that you have to request your IMEI number and then use additional tools to unlock the device you bought is absurd. Nowadays, a phone is no different from any other computer, and you should be able to buy one that lets you run whatever you want on it without jumping through any hoops.

Re: Librem5 Hardware Update

#45

Post by curioussavage »

greenhatman wrote: post #20
curioussavage wrote: post #16

For the last few months I have been super excited about the Librem 5. I check way too often for their updates. Maybe I’m alone but I wish I had more visibility into their progress. Might not be helpful for them though.

I really want a Linux phone that has the same kind of specs and build quality as Samsung flagship phones.

I’m not so worried about that any more. But if the premium hardware is what you want I’d support postmarketOS.

Re: Librem5 Hardware Update

#46

Post by floatboth »

conradev wrote: post #28
floatboth wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> software proprietary bits Only the DDR4 memory training blob (which someone could eventually rewrite).

Where are they getting the LTE baseband software from?

They don't have the baseband on the same chip, the modem is connected over something like USB (and there's probably gonna be a physical kill switch).

IIRC this is fine even under FSF "Respects your Freedom" rules

Re: Librem5 Hardware Update

#47

Post by xnzakg »

opencl wrote: post #41
esotericn wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you can't use mainline Linux and/or have no GPU acceleration that's no use at all. It's sort of theoretically useful whilst being practically pointless unless you want to produce your own OS. How do I get into a Linux userland with X11 and a touch driver on my Galaxy Note 8? The answer is pretty much "write it all yourself, quickly before the hardware becomes obsolete". I hope that the librem5 gains traction for t…

You can chroot into a normal ARM distro and run the X11 server directly on Android. Works pretty well unless you need non-ES OpenGL.

This still requires running Android, most likely with an old kernel and nonfree blobs.

Re: Librem5 Hardware Update

#48

Post by rocky1138 »

I don't really have anything of value to add to the conversation, but in case the Librem5 team is here I just wanted to thank you for your work and applaud your openness to the current status of everything.

Another project which is taking on a similar challenge and is similarly open is the Dragonbox Pyra.

Re: Librem5 Hardware Update

#50

Post by pmalynin »

ascii_only wrote: post #42
djsumdog wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yea using adb/oemunlock. Sometimes you have to get a code (like with Sony, you input your IMEI number into their website and get one). I've had one Sony that was unlockable; a condition of the original cell provider. Still, it's bizarre considering you can install Linux on any PC/laptop you buy. The bigger issue of course, is that you can't just install Linux on a phone. They're all random pins soldered to random chi…

>Still, it's bizarre considering you can install Linux on any PC/laptop you buy. It is kinda not true. There are windows 2 in 1 and recent macbooks on which it is almost impossible to install linux.

> recent macbooks on which it is almost impossible to install linux

That's FUD, and you know it. You can disable secure boot on Mac and boot whatever you want.

Post reply on HN