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For first year(s?), Broadcom RPi components (GPU) were closed source (opaque binary blob) and need RE work. For a hardware supposed to be "open to hack", it was
by Narann 6y ago
For first year(s?), Broadcom RPi components (GPU) were closed source (opaque binary blob) and need RE work. For a hardware supposed to be "open to hack", it was considered a non-sense. I suspect things have changed regarding RPi situation.
- beagle3 6y agoIs there an "open" SBC by your definition? Intel has ME/AMT, and requires an opaque, PK-signed-and-only-intel-and-NSA-have-the-key blob. AMD is the same with PSP. I'm not up to date, there might be a RISC-V core available today that is blob free, but in 2012 when RasPi was introduced I wasn't aware of anything blobless.
- HotVector 6y agoRISC-V is the best example of open hardware, but it also has a lot to do with the software. Take the GPU space, for example - NVIDIA has closed source blobs, but AMD has open source drivers which makes it easier to tinker with.
- dmitrygr 6y agoFreescale's i.MX SoCs are full open. No blobs at all. Check them out. They are sweet. Boards exist.
- beagle3 6y agoThat's definitely better. But why do you trust that the silicon doesn't have any backdoors more than you trust the blob? We know for a fact that Intel puts one into the silicon, and that it takes significant reverse engineering to turn most of it off (it's not clear if all of it can be turned off at all) see e.g. https://hackaday.com/2020/06/16/disable-intels-backdoor-on-modern-hardware/ https://hackaday.com/2020/06/16/disable-intels-backdoor-on-m...
- monocasa 6y agoi.MX8 requires blobs for HDMI. The controller will only load an NXP signed blob. No blob, no HDMI (or displayport). https://forums.puri.sm/t/the-i-mx8-cannot-be-deblobbed-nxp-signed-hdmi-firmware/6081 https://forums.puri.sm/t/the-i-mx8-cannot-be-deblobbed-nxp-s...
- dmitrygr 6y agoBut it will boot and run. It has other display outputs you may use.