13 ms·

Has the "Waveshare SIM7600" and the raspberry pi bootloader/gpu have open source firmware? I didn't think there were any open source baseband modems that did 4

Has the "Waveshare SIM7600" and the raspberry pi bootloader/gpu have open source firmware? I didn't think there were any open source baseband modems that did 4g, I know there were some software defined radio projects but they seemed of limited utility. I know in the past there were some attempts to make rpi firmware open source but some of components would not activate or had reduced functionality, so I wonder if that is no longer a problem.

anonzzzies 3y ago
Yes; does anyone here know this? I was told baseband software cannot be open source as it would never pass licensing?
- seba_dos1 3y ago
  It wouldn't, but even if it would, we don't even have any actual open baseband software aside of 2G OsmocomBB.
pabs3 3y ago
There is FOSS boot firmware for the RPi: https://github.com/librerpi/lk-overlay/ https://github.com/librerpi/lk-overlay/ The PinePhone modem is from Quectel, the ARM processor in the modem is by default a proprietary Linux distro, but you can replace it with an open source Linux distro. Unfortunately the Hexagon DSP in the modem runs a proprietary OS. https://github.com/the-modem-distro/pinephone_modem_sdk/ https://github.com/the-modem-distro/pinephone_modem_sdk/ https://osmocom.org/projects/quectel-modems/ https://osmocom.org/projects/quectel-modems/
- squarefoot 3y ago
  I'd not complain even about a 100% closed modem, if my data would be en/decrypted before entering and after exiting from it, so that all it sees is noise, and it has no way of interfering with the hosting main OS. If they document it enough to make it fully usable from a FOSS environment, that is, no traps like "...but it works better with our new shiny (and 100% closed) OS...", then I'd be ok with that.
  - pabs3 3y ago
    Usually the modem is the thing that implements SMS and phone calls, so it probably wouldn't be possible to do that. You could of course start a VPN and do VoIP and messaging apps instead but then you'll still be getting SMS and phone calls.

anonzzzies 3y ago

Yes; does anyone here know this? I was told baseband software cannot be open source as it would never pass licensing?

seba_dos1 3y ago
It wouldn't, but even if it would, we don't even have any actual open baseband software aside of 2G OsmocomBB.

pabs3 3y ago

There is FOSS boot firmware for the RPi: https://github.com/librerpi/lk-overlay/ https://github.com/librerpi/lk-overlay/ The PinePhone modem is from Quectel, the ARM processor in the modem is by default a proprietary Linux distro, but you can replace it with an open source Linux distro. Unfortunately the Hexagon DSP in the modem runs a proprietary OS. https://github.com/the-modem-distro/pinephone_modem_sdk/ https://github.com/the-modem-distro/pinephone_modem_sdk/ https://osmocom.org/projects/quectel-modems/ https://osmocom.org/projects/quectel-modems/

squarefoot 3y ago
I'd not complain even about a 100% closed modem, if my data would be en/decrypted before entering and after exiting from it, so that all it sees is noise, and it has no way of interfering with the hosting main OS. If they document it enough to make it fully usable from a FOSS environment, that is, no traps like "...but it works better with our new shiny (and 100% closed) OS...", then I'd be ok with that.
- pabs3 3y ago
  Usually the modem is the thing that implements SMS and phone calls, so it probably wouldn't be possible to do that. You could of course start a VPN and do VoIP and messaging apps instead but then you'll still be getting SMS and phone calls.