Flashing

[openmoko at elude.in]

Forgot to subscribe on alternative provider, sorry for duplicates.

> I noticed that something was significantly off with the time it takes
> for your posts to reach the list.  Your initial post and the quick
> follow-up you posted right after say Aug 16 in the RFC822 Date: headers,
> but they only reached our freecalypso.org mailing list server about 48
> hours later on Aug 18.  Your present reply also shows a delay of about 23
> hours between what the Date: header says and us actually receiving it.  It
> looks like your Tor mail gateway is inserting some huge delays.

I tried other providers but apparently have the same problem, no
duplicates  as of time of reply.

> What
> it really boils down to is that my distaste for excessive software
> complexity is greater than my distaste for proprietary sw, i.e., I would
> rather use a proprietary product that is so simple that I can thoroughly
> reverse-engineer it than a "free" solution that is so complex that I can
> never understand it, making its freeness a moot point for me.  Having the
> source code freely available does no good if it is so complex that I can
> never do anything with it except use official releases as-is, same as one
> would with proprietary sw.

I understand, but complexity is unavoidable in almost everything and most
things can't be reverse engineered if made proprietary. Admire your
dedication though.


> You need to be more careful and specific in exactly what you ask for.
> If all you wish to do is to simply "liberate" the GSM modem part of
> your FreeRunner, you don't need to change your firmware at all, instead you
> can just download and study the Corresponding Source for the moko11
> firmware which you are already running:
>
> ftp://ftp.freecalypso.org/pub/GSM/GTA02/gsm-fw/moko10-11-src.tar.xz
>
>
> You will also need this explanatory document to make any sense of it:
>
>
> ftp://ftp.freecalypso.org/pub/GSM/GTA02/gsm-fw/moko-fw-history.txt

So if I understand correctly the following change log part doesn't apply
anymore?

"moko13:

This release has been made in order to bring Openmoko devices up to date
with the recent FreeCalypso developments.  Because FreeCalypso is a
living and actively maintained FOSS project unlike OM's proprietary fw,"

>
> The Calypso GSM modem was liberated when the source linked above was
> salvaged from the ruins of OM-Inc; all subsequent technical work done in
> the FreeCalypso project is not liberation per se, instead it is ordinary,
> non-political technical improvements - although of course none of these
> technical improvements would have been possible without the liberation
> part happening first.

Is there a significant technical improvement I need to be aware to
consider flashing the fw?

>
> Someone did it back in 2013, and the write-up used to be at this URL:
>
>
> http://norayr.arnet.am/log/?p=113
>
>
> But the site appears to have bit the dust...

Nobody archived it =/

>
> If you are still interested in updating your modem fw version now that
> you know that it is a simple technical update and not a "liberation" per
> se, I very strongly urge you to buy a cable from one of the links above.
> Given that there is no one left around to provide significant
> support for FreeRunner AP software, you would have to go through some
> enormous contortions in order to perform the modem flashing procedure from
> inside the FR, i.e., from the AP, without using the headset jack, and you
> would have to do it without having anyone to help you.  But if can spend a
> few dollars or euros on the cable, then you can flash your modem using
> only the NOR U-Boot on your FR, i.e., with *zero* dependency on any
> QtMoko/SHR/etc kind of software.  When using a headset jack
> serial cable, there is no need to run fc-loadtool under QtMoko or SHR or
> whatever, instead you run it on your PC.  Here is the latest version of
> the FC host tools package which you will need to install:
>
> ftp://ftp.freecalypso.org/pub/GSM/FreeCalypso/fc-host-tools-r11.tar.bz2
>
>
> The instructions for flashing the modem using the headset jack serial
> cable and NOR U-Boot are given in the INSTALL file inside the firmware
> release tarball:
>
> ftp://ftp.freecalypso.org/pub/GSM/GTA02/gsm-fw/moko-new-fw-20190128.tar.b
> z2

Have to make a paypal account to buy it and don't like running proprietary
JS, but if there are significant improvements so be it.

> For myself I seek a completely different route: because I really don't
> want my phone to be anything other than a basic phone for making phone
> calls and sending/receiving SMS (for every other function my Lenovo X200
> laptop running good old Slackware is much better than any "phone" type of
> device can ever be), all of that enormous extra complexity of a device
> like the FreeRunner will always be unwanted and unwelcome from my
> perspective, even if we did have someone to maintain all of that software.
> Instead I want a dumbphone like my lovely Pirelli

T60 with Guix user here, so If I buy the cable can I work with:
https://guix.gnu.org/packages/fc-host-tools-10/ to flash the GSM?
>
> Did you say that you live some place in Europe where the local powers
> that be are committed to keeping GSM/2G until at least 2030?  Any idea
> regarding their immigration policies?  Asking 'cuz I will be looking for a
> new place to live if I have to do my FreeCalypso Libre Dumbphone
> development all on my own without any outside financial help, which would
> put it well past the sunset date for GSM/2G in USA.

Checked again and it's 2025 according to
https://www.kpn.com/zakelijk/blog/-de-toekomst-van-iot-vraagt-om-meer-dan-2g.htm
and they're still discussing the future. So a few calls over 2G and a
little pushing should convince them to extend it. Apparently it's used for
a lot of things like opening bridges and sending information about your
"smart" meters.

Be prepared to take a test about Dutch civics in Dutch at your local
embassy if you want to immigrate.