Linux 5.4 Features Are Huge From exFAT To New GPUs To Enabling Lots Of New Hardware

[starshipeleven]

More trusted apps in Android (like financial and trading) are checking for root status and denying use because of it.

It's more complex than just "checking for root". Modern Android has a more complex system, with APIs and stuff to ensure that the system was not tampered with.
It's called SafetyNet https://www.howtogeek.com/241012/saf...ooted-devices/

Quality root applications like say Magisk https://magisk.me/ (which is opensource, among other things) can fake an unrooted and "safe" system so that I can run Google Pay on my LineageOS phone for example. (If it had NFC hardware anyway)

[starshipeleven]

Is there any real reason why? Do they really enjoy torturing us this?

As said above, he is confusing the fact that custom firmwares reuse the blobs of stock firmware and may or may not be able to use them well enough. It's not a punishment for unlocking the bootloader, but an unfortunate limitation due to SoC or camera or whatever manufacturer not releasing source for their SoC drivers/hardware. So that's not the OEM fault but Qualcomm, Mediatek, ARM or whatever small manufacturer made the camera or modem other component used.

Many devices for example have FM radio disabled in Cyanogenmod back then, and I know of camera issues in many devices with custom firmware. It was because of blob porting issues, not because the device manufacturer did anything out of spite.

(by the way, thanks for the information. Not going to buy a Sony/LG phone from now on)

Are you seriously taking strong decisions like that just by reading some random claims in a forum?

He is likely wrong in this specific case.

Sony for example is very friendly for Android standards, they allow you to unlock your bootloader and flash custom firmware through an official tool from their site and have some developer documentation about their devices. https://developer.sony.com/develop/o...ock-bootloader

LG also allows unlocking of the bootloader to flash custom firmware on some of their devices (I don't know how many of these are their total lineup) https://developer.lge.com/resource/m...Bootloader.dev

But unlocking the bootloader is also commonly offered by other manufacturers too, like Nokia https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_int/bootloader and Motorola https://motorola-global-portal.custh...your-device-a/

Do note that the motorola warning "You may lose some key functions like telephone, radio, and audio playback." is very true, but not because they are spiteful bastards and disable stuff when you unlock the bootloader.

Just look in XDA forums, devices with custom firmware (of any brand) had malfunctions in audio volume, radio or even telephone or 3G modem functionality, you cannot assume that everything works semi-reliably like in the stock firmware.

For example my old Sony Xperia Sola was not usable beyond some android version (I don't recall anymore) because the modem blob (telephone and 3G) was not working anymore with newer kernel/Android.
But I could easily find more modern Android firmware to install. It was completely useless as a phone afterwards (wifi only), but hey, newer Android right?

[starshipeleven]

Off-topic: you can try Blokada, which achieves ad blocking through a local fake VPN, no root required.

That's the same method many other "no-root adblock" apps work too, btw.

Blokada is FOSS though so there is that.

[skeevy420]

Is there any real reason why? Do they really enjoy torturing us this?

(by the way, thanks for the information. Not going to buy a Sony/LG phone from now on)

To keep people from wanting to unlock their devices and switching to custom roms. If you have to stay stock because the phone becomes crap when unlocked, they figure we'll just spend more money. Personally, most crap from mid-2016 to now is just fine for me (as long as it has a removable battery and a headphone jack).

Look at it this way, would you put Linux on a laptop if wiping Windows triggered a wipe of part of the BIOS/UEFI that prevented the camera/BT/WiFi from ever working again even if you restored the stock backup. Precisely. There would be so much outrage that that's a dumb scenario. Begs the question of why no one really cares in regards to phones.

IMHO, it's a really sketchy business practice and I've been hoping some European with better right to repair laws and consumer rights laws would sue on everyone's behalf.

Though I doubt a European lawsuit would actually do anything meaningful for most of the world since they'd just create some EU model that respects users' rights and stiff the rest of us like they're already doing. T-Mobile in America, for example, has a policy where they require phones to have an unlocked bootloader. The only differences between my old LG G3 from AT&T and the LG G3 from T-Mobile was I had to use hacks to unlock and rom my phone whereas they could use oem fastboot unlock...oh, the European G3 model could use oem fastboot unlock too.

Unless America pushes for some sort of hardware freedom law, we're essentially leasing phones until support is dropped and we have to lease another one. We might be paying for them, but they're not actually our phones to do with as we please.

Basically, really, really research before you buy a phone if you're into the custom rom scene. I used to be really into it but it just became too much bullshit to try and keep up with.

[skeevy420]

starshipeleven

That's a lot to reply back to; especially after replying to a couple of longer tildearrow replies.

Just pretend I replied something counter to most of that

We know each other's positions enough that that works

[starshipeleven]

Look at it this way, would you put Linux on a laptop if wiping Windows triggered a wipe of part of the BIOS/UEFI that prevented the camera/BT/WiFi from ever working again even if you restored the stock backup.

Would you mind citing some actual examples of this?
Because that's a very big accusation that needs some big sources to back it up.

[starshipeleven]

starshipeleven

That's a lot to reply back to; especially after replying to a couple of longer tildearrow replies.

Just pretend I replied something counter to most of that

We know each other's positions enough that that works

My tl;dr is "post sources for your claims or gtfo"

[skeevy420]

As said above, he is confusing the fact that custom firmwares reuse the blobs of stock firmware and may or may not be able to use them well enough. It's not a punishment for unlocking the bootloader, but an unfortunate limitation due to SoC or camera or whatever manufacturer not releasing source for their SoC drivers/hardware. So that's not the OEM fault but Qualcomm, Mediatek, ARM or whatever small manufacturer made the camera or modem other component used.

Many devices for example have FM radio disabled in Cyanogenmod back then, and I know of camera issues in many devices with custom firmware. It was because of blob porting issues, not because the device manufacturer did anything out of spite.

Are you seriously taking strong decisions like that just by reading some random claims in a forum?

He is likely wrong in this specific case.

Sony for example is very friendly for Android standards, they allow you to unlock your bootloader and flash custom firmware through an official tool from their site and have some developer documentation about their devices. https://developer.sony.com/develop/o...ock-bootloader

LG also allows unlocking of the bootloader to flash custom firmware on some of their devices (I don't know how many of these are their total lineup) https://developer.lge.com/resource/m...Bootloader.dev

But unlocking the bootloader is also commonly offered by other manufacturers too, like Nokia https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_int/bootloader and Motorola https://motorola-global-portal.custh...your-device-a/

Do note that the motorola warning "You may lose some key functions like telephone, radio, and audio playback." is very true, but not because they are spiteful bastards and disable stuff when you unlock the bootloader.

Just look in XDA forums, devices with custom firmware (of any brand) had malfunctions in audio volume, radio or even telephone or 3G modem functionality, you cannot assume that everything works semi-reliably like in the stock firmware.

For example my old Sony Xperia Sola was not usable beyond some android version (I don't recall anymore) because the modem blob (telephone and 3G) was not working anymore with newer kernel/Android.
But I could easily find more modern Android firmware to install. It was completely useless as a phone afterwards (wifi only), but hey, newer Android right?

Read the fine print on those sites. The have it in fine print that wiping the phone wipes the DRM partition. Simply go to an Xperia Z3 or greater phone thread over at XDA for plenty of examples on how Sony phones wipe their custom features upon boot loader unlock and all the BS workarounds involved.

Just scroll down halfway on the damn page you linked for Sony:

Certain pre-loaded content on your device may also be inaccessible due to the removal of DRM security keys. For devices running recent software versions, for instance Xperia Z3, the removal of DRM security keys may affect advanced camera functionality. For example, noise reduction algorithms might be removed, and performance when taking photos in low-light conditions might be affected. The secure user data partition may also become inaccessible, and you will not be able to get any more official software upgrades if you unlock the bootloader.

I guess I'm just wrong about that DRM partition being wiped even though Sony straight up tells us that it's gonna happen...

Fucking hilarious that we used the same phone model in our examples.

[skeevy420]

Would you mind citing some actual examples of this?
Because that's a very big accusation that needs some big sources to back it up.

That's called a hypothetical situation. A though exercise.

Begs the question: If it isn't OK on a laptop, why is it OK on a phone?

[starshipeleven]

Read the fine print on those sites. The have it in fine print that wiping the phone wipes the DRM partition.

I already said what the DRM partition is mostly used for. "Afaik the DRM is only for playback of copyrighted content."
https://www.phoronix.com/forums/foru...02#post1129602
and that it's not really the big issue for using custom firmware "Losing the DRM partition is not really something most people will lose sleep over."
https://www.phoronix.com/forums/foru...02#post1129602

Bulk of the issue in custom firmware is blobs.

Simply go to an Xperia Z3 or greater phone thread over at XDA for plenty of examples on how Sony phones wipe their custom features upon boot loader unlock

If I ask is because I didn't find that. Is that even "stickied"?

Certain pre-loaded content on your device may also be inaccessible due to the removal of DRM security keys. For devices running recent software versions, for instance Xperia Z3, the removal of DRM security keys may affect advanced camera functionality.

That's a far cry from your claim of "cripples the capabilities of the camera and other parts of the SOC". That's likely something they have licensed from the camera manufacturer (or their own camera manufacturing branches) and can't leave the license there or someone will break the license terms. No mention of anything else that is crucial.

What I know cripples the camera and other parts of the SoC is the fucking blobs. Really if the only thing that I would have to endure to have a truly free and easily upgradable phone is just some advanced functionality of the camera and the ability to see the DRMed content that needs the DRM partition, I would be overjoyed.

Custom firmware is a shitty experience or a tradeoff on most devices, just because of blobs.

That's called a hypothetical situation. A though exercise.

It was not clearly labeled as speculation. People will read that an think it's true right now.

Begs the question: If it isn't OK on a laptop, why is it OK on a phone?

Because contrary to popular belief, consumer will is worth shit on average.

The only reason this is not OK on a laptop it's because Windows can't be modified and customized and basically owned by the device manufacturer, so the interface between what is owned by the OEM and what is owned by Microsoft ends at the BIOS or UEFI interface.

But this does not stop OEMs from still doing all the bad anti-consumer shit they can do, like for example whitelisting wifi or modem cards so that you can only install THEIR OWN wifi and modem cards, and ONLY THOSE THEY APPROVE FOR USE IN THAT PARTICULAR MODEL OF DEVICE, even though the interface itself is a standard.

Some Toshiba laptops even blacklisted the installation of Sata hard drives in ODD caddies (to replace the DVD drive).

They could easily extend this to hard drives and RAM too if they wanted. (For HP server RAM it's kind of like that already, the server complains if you install non-HP RAM)