3 ms·
> and the manufacturer could even push a community firmware to the thing as their last act before discontinuing support. This should be held in escrow before
by myself248 1y ago
> and the manufacturer could even push a community firmware to the thing as their last act before discontinuing support.
This should be held in escrow before the device can be sold. And the entity doing the escrow service should periodically build the software and install it onto newly-purchased test devices to make sure it's still valid.
If the company drops support, either by going out of business or by simply allowing issues to go unaddressed for too long, then the escrowed BSP/firmware is released and the people now own their own hardware.
- AnthonyMouse 1y agoThat seems like a lot of complicated when the better solution is to have the people own their hardware from day one. You also need the community around the device to already exist on the day support is discontinued instead of needing to build one then around a device which is by that point years old and unavailable for new purchase.
- specialist 1y agoI really thought escrow for software would've been SOP by now. We made EMRs in the 2000s. Our customers required everything to be placed in escrow. It seemed abundantly prudent to me. Maybe even prescient; our startup was bought, then murdered in its crib, leaving our customers SOoL. But at least they got the source.