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annotate Firmware-deblobbing @ 96:69061d044f05

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Voice-memo-feature: new article
author Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
date Tue, 27 Dec 2022 20:23:55 +0000
parents 14b8e532c966
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1 The state of blobs vs. blob-free firmware in FreeCalypso
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2 ========================================================
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3
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4 Since 2018, we have 3 different firmware versions for Standard Modem
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5 functionality:
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6
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7 * Magnetite hybrid is the current production firmware version. The only blobs
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8 are Nucleus, OSL and OSX glue components of GPF, and TI's proprietary TMS470
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9 compiler. Everything other than Nucleus and OSL/OSX is compiled from source,
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10 but the compiler is TI's proprietary TMS470. The same Magnetite source tree
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11 also supports other configurations (maintained only for regression testing)
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12 which have more blobs, as well as handset configurations which are a separate
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13 subject. The total amount of blob code in this version is 43052 bytes out of
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14 over 2 MiB firmware images.
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16 * Selenite-470 is FC Selenite built with TI's TMS470 compiler: all code is
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17 compiled from source, no blobs other than the compiler and its RTS library
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18 (libc/libgcc equivalent). The blob version of Nucleus is replaced with a
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19 different (slightly newer) version in full source form, while the blob
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20 versions of OSL and OSX glue components have been replaced with reconstructed
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21 sources, i.e., a reconstruction based on disassembly. This fw version is
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22 currently considered experimental, not cleared for production, and the reason
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23 is OSL/OSX: the reconstruction is of uncertain correctness and known to be
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24 incomplete.
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25
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26 * Selenite-gcc is FC Selenite built with gcc. This version has no blobs
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27 whatsoever (there is no support in the gcc+binutils toolchain for TI's TMS470
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28 ABI, thus it is physically impossible to include any of TI's COFF blobs in
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29 the link), and it is built with a FLOSS compiler. However, it is even more
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30 experimental and not-for-production than Selenite-470: not only is the OSL/OSX
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31 issue still there, but there is also widespread breakage from the use of a
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32 different compiler which was never anticipated by the original developers.
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33 The old FC Citrine firmware (unmaintained since 2016) also suffers from all
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34 of the same problems, plus additional ones, and therefore should not be
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35 considered at all.
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37 When it comes to the firmware, right now those OSL and OSX glue components of
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38 GPF form the biggest bone in our collective throat. Just 10 C source files are
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39 missing:
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41 os_com.c
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42 os_drv.c
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43 os_evt.c
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44 os_isr.c
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45 os_mem.c
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46 os_mis.c
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47 os_pro.c
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48 os_sem.c
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49 os_tim.c
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50 osx.c
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52 If we can ever find these 10 missing files (does not even need to be exactly
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53 the same version as in TCS211 GPF), then Selenite-470 would immediately become
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54 the new production firmware replacing Magnetite (the Nucleus change isn't the
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55 problem, it's OSL and OSX), and the way would be cleared to begin work on
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56 bringing Selenite-gcc up to par. But in the absence of these 10 files, the
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57 following situation holds currently:
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59 * For my own personal use and enjoyment, I (Mother Mychaela) am quite happy
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60 with the current state of Magnetite hybrid, i.e., the few remaining blobs and
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61 the proprietary TMS470 compiler don't bother me. Thus I currently have no
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62 incentive to work on further deblobbing unless one of two things happen: in
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63 order to be incentivized, I would need either a copy of the 10 missing files
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64 OR a highly paid commercial arrangement as described below.
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65
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66 * If someone really desires it and puts substantial money behind it, it IS
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67 possible to get to a blob-free, built with gcc state without the 10 missing
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68 files - but doing so would require investing major effort into our own
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69 disassembly-based reconstruction of OSL and OSX components. The total code
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70 size in these bone-in-our-throat blob components is only 14992 bytes, but
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71 because I am a serious perfectionist, deblobbing/reconstructing these
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72 components to my high standard of satisfaction would require a very major
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73 effort. Because of my high standards and because of the amount of effort
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74 that would be required to meet these high standards without getting a hold of
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75 the 10 missing files, I currently have no plans to do any more work in this
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76 direction in the absence of a commercial paid arrangement.
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78 cdginc header files
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79 ===================
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81 Another area of deblobbing that hasn't been done yet, but can be done when and
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82 if a serious need arises, is the cdginc header file set. The cdginc files which
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83 are currently used for our hybrid config aren't blobs in the strict sense: they
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84 are C header files included by the sources being recompiled, but they have been
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85 auto-generated (from true human-editable sources which we do have) by a tool
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86 (ccdgen) which currently exists only as a Windows binary sans source.
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87
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88 If anyone needs to make changes to cdginc, the proper course of action should
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89 be to hire a Windows reverser to reverse ccdgen.exe and to produce a perfect
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90 form, fit and function replacement.