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Arduino Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update: setting the record straight

blog.arduino.cc

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Re: Arduino Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update: setting the record straight

#81

Post by 1718627440 »

kees99 wrote: post #61
cornonthecobra wrote: post #35

"we have been open-source long before it was fashionable" An abridged timeline: 1960s to 1980s: hobbyist and academic/research computing create thriving public domain software ecosystems (literally the birth of FOSS) 1983: The GNU Project begins 1989: The World Wide Web is created 1991: Linus Torvalds posts the first Linux kernel to USENET 1992: 386BSD is released; Slackware is created 1993: NetBSD is forked; Debian…

Also, didn't early Arduino heavily borrow from another open-source project, "Processing"? Processing was/is graphics-centered, so that's where Arduino's term "sketch" come from, if you ever wondered. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Processing_screen_shot.pn... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arduino_IDE_-_Blink.png

Yeah, the software side is basically only an IDE, a build system and a package manager an another system API (basically an alternative to libc). Which is useful for C++, but far from being non-replaceable.

Re: Arduino Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update: setting the record straight

#82

Post by geerlingguy »

petre wrote: post #56
NalNezumi wrote: post #52

Anyone have any advice for Arduino replacement? I recently (unknowingly) bought a R4 for some LED projects but knowing now the background, I'm wondering if there's any other alternative for hobby (noob level) micro controller project

Any ESP32, RP2040 or RP2350 board. The last two use external QSPI flash, so hobby projects only. There are no fuses to set to read protect the firmware.

The RP2354 has the flash stacked inside the chip; https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/rp2350-a4-rp2354-and-a-new-...

Still can be reflashed if you have access to the right pins, but I believe there are more security features built into the later generations of these chips (plus some security fixed from the original 2350 design).

Re: Arduino Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update: setting the record straight

#83

Post by geerlingguy »

petre wrote: post #66
Neywiny wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just to be clear, some micros (STM32s come to mind) have what they call "on the fly decryption" for external flash. Basically, if the micros wanted to, they would. I think ESP32s are also using qspi flashes but they're integrated in package? Maybe that's changed but that's how I vaguely remember it

I believe only the ESP32 modules with 16M have QSPI flash, the 4M standard flash is on chip. For on the fly decryption you need on chip enclaves to store the keys. Anyway, it doesn't really matter for hobby projects and the ESP32 can also be used for commercial projects.

Indeed, the number of "non commercial" projects using these chips that are set up much less securely than even modest "hobbyist" projects boggles the mind.

Re: Arduino Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update: setting the record straight

#84

Post by boriskourt »

cornonthecobra wrote: post #35

"we have been open-source long before it was fashionable" An abridged timeline: 1960s to 1980s: hobbyist and academic/research computing create thriving public domain software ecosystems (literally the birth of FOSS) 1983: The GNU Project begins 1989: The World Wide Web is created 1991: Linus Torvalds posts the first Linux kernel to USENET 1992: 386BSD is released; Slackware is created 1993: NetBSD is forked; Debian…

  By the mid 2000s open-source hardware again became a hub of activity due to the emergence of several major open-source hardware projects and companies, such as OpenCores, RepRap (3D printing), Arduino, Adafruit, SparkFun, and Open Source Ecology. In 2007, Perens reactivated the openhardware.org website, but it is currently (February 2025) inactive. [0]
I think they should have worded this better, but what they are known for, more specifically, is pushing open source hardware forward and sticking with it on principle even though it caused many business challenges.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_hardware

Re: Arduino Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update: setting the record straight

#85

Post by sc68cal »

1718627440 wrote: post #54

What I don't get is how what they do is even legally possible, since the libraries have all F/OSS licenses (MIT, LGPL, GPL, APL), and they don't even own the sole copyright to most things. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45978802 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45985663

You'd have to sue them to enforce it. Good luck bringing a case against Qualcomm, perhaps one of the worst companies known for its intellectual property management

Re: Arduino Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update: setting the record straight

#86

Post by [deleted] »

cornonthecobra wrote: post #35

"we have been open-source long before it was fashionable" An abridged timeline: 1960s to 1980s: hobbyist and academic/research computing create thriving public domain software ecosystems (literally the birth of FOSS) 1983: The GNU Project begins 1989: The World Wide Web is created 1991: Linus Torvalds posts the first Linux kernel to USENET 1992: 386BSD is released; Slackware is created 1993: NetBSD is forked; Debian…

[deleted]

Re: Arduino Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update: setting the record straight

#87

Post by gorthmog »

NalNezumi wrote: post #52

Anyone have any advice for Arduino replacement? I recently (unknowingly) bought a R4 for some LED projects but knowing now the background, I'm wondering if there's any other alternative for hobby (noob level) micro controller project

Depending upon your project, perhaps the new MakerPort might be a good fit? https://makerport.fun The basic kit comes with a built-in speaker, a bunch of LEDs, a servo, an LED matrix, and other goodies. The default firmware works with Scratch, Snap, and MicroBlocks, but I believe you can also use your own custom firmware.

Re: Arduino Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update: setting the record straight

#88

Post by cornonthecobra »

talkingtab wrote: post #67
shevy-java wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 1989: Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web I think ideas etc... existed before that, e. g. DARPA and what Alan Kay said. Tim mostly pushed forward a simple protocol that worked. Would be interesting to see how much Tim really generated de-novo, but in general I disagree that he "invented" the world wide web as such. That would seem unfair to many other people - just like Alan Kay once said, you see further by…

Complained about and already modified. However, what is "wrong" is that some "person" invented the internet. We live in a time of "followers" and in that paradigm we need some singular person to follow. But it was actually a bunch of original thinkers of whom TBL was one. But it was not a person. I suspect a closer answer is the IETF, but that is also a leaky abstraction. The point is that if you want to do something…

The World Wide Web is not the Internet.

Re: Arduino Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update: setting the record straight

#89

Post by SV_BubbleTime »

kvakvs wrote: post #5

I don't get it, do we keep the pitchforks out, or do we stash the pitchforks?

You can stash them.

Show me a time anyone has ever remained themselves after being purchased by Qualcomm.

It’s over for Arduino.

Re: Arduino Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update: setting the record straight

#90

Post by altaccount2026 »

ptorrone wrote: post #59
shevy-java wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But you did not sign the article? I don't understand this. IMO it would have just been easier to simply sign it. (With signing I mean mentioning who specifically wrote a blog entry; and also ideally the time as well.)

i am here now, phillip torrone, and i am holding my 7 day old doing speech to text :) on linkedin, i think it just says "adafruit" i will learn more and see if i can go in and add it post-post.. how is that shady for ya.

[dead]
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