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I suspect that a lot of hardware will start shipping open source firmware soon. Routers, IP cameras, etc. It'll be a selling point for everyone tinkering with

by echelon 3mo ago

I suspect that a lot of hardware will start shipping open source firmware soon. Routers, IP cameras, etc. It'll be a selling point for everyone tinkering with vibe coding, and it's no longer a moat. Companies that don't do this will have their firmwares dumped with open source models and tools. Companies that do this will have community goodwill and extra distribution that comes from having people talking about your product.

dmitrygr 3mo ago
> Companies that don't do this will have their firmwares dumped with open source models and tools This is not as "one and done" as you make it sound.
warmwaffles 3mo ago
I suspect a lot of that firmware has NDAs with Broadcom attached.
- tancop 3mo ago
  thats not the blocker you think it is. they can "leak" the info, wait until broadcom lawyers notice, agree to investigate themselves and fire a random contractor (who gets paid on the side). they just need to do it outside of america to avoid discovery if anyone decides to sue them.
drnick1 3mo ago
> Routers, IP cameras, etc. Those already exist: OpenWRT, OpenIPC. I wish more hardware was available though, especially for cameras.
- loloquwowndueo 3mo ago
  Do you have any cameras that support openipc you’d recommend? I need surveillance cameras (outdoor mostly) but the cheap ones I found are a horrid proprietary mess. I even bought and returned one after the setup was complex and invasive. Basically all I need is access to the live stream from a raspberry pi where I can store and process the video.
  - drnick1 3mo ago
    > Do you have any cameras that support openipc you’d recommend? I don't, unfortunately. My suggestion would be to use cameras that stream over RTSP, an open protocol, so you don't need to use any proprietary tools/apps. Make sure the cameras are air-gapped.
kube-system 3mo ago
That might happen in niche enthusiast verticals like PC gaming. It's not going to happen in the broader market because there is no broader interest in it. Most people want open source firmware for their router like they want open source sewing patterns for their pants. Primarily these are consumer products where people buy the product as a way to intentionally avoid spending time dealing with the problem they solve. Open source pants might sell well in a Hobby Lobby and an open source IP camera might sell well in a Micro Center, but neither would sell well enough to get shelf space in a Walmart... and the best selling one in Walmart sells a tiny fraction compared to whoever can land an Xfinity contract.
- RobotToaster 3mo ago
  Tangential but open source pants are very much a thing https://freesewing.eu/ https://freesewing.eu/
  - kube-system 3mo ago
    Of course they are, as are open-source IP cameras and routers. My point is not that they don't exist, my point is that these things have interest only within relatively tiny bubbles.
  - jerlam 3mo ago
    A seam ripper will "de-compile" any garment you like.

by echelon 3mo ago

dmitrygr 3mo ago

> Companies that don't do this will have their firmwares dumped with open source models and tools This is not as "one and done" as you make it sound.

warmwaffles 3mo ago

I suspect a lot of that firmware has NDAs with Broadcom attached.

tancop 3mo ago
thats not the blocker you think it is. they can "leak" the info, wait until broadcom lawyers notice, agree to investigate themselves and fire a random contractor (who gets paid on the side). they just need to do it outside of america to avoid discovery if anyone decides to sue them.

drnick1 3mo ago

> Routers, IP cameras, etc. Those already exist: OpenWRT, OpenIPC. I wish more hardware was available though, especially for cameras.

loloquwowndueo 3mo ago
Do you have any cameras that support openipc you’d recommend? I need surveillance cameras (outdoor mostly) but the cheap ones I found are a horrid proprietary mess. I even bought and returned one after the setup was complex and invasive. Basically all I need is access to the live stream from a raspberry pi where I can store and process the video.
- drnick1 3mo ago
  > Do you have any cameras that support openipc you’d recommend? I don't, unfortunately. My suggestion would be to use cameras that stream over RTSP, an open protocol, so you don't need to use any proprietary tools/apps. Make sure the cameras are air-gapped.

kube-system 3mo ago

That might happen in niche enthusiast verticals like PC gaming. It's not going to happen in the broader market because there is no broader interest in it. Most people want open source firmware for their router like they want open source sewing patterns for their pants. Primarily these are consumer products where people buy the product as a way to intentionally avoid spending time dealing with the problem they solve. Open source pants might sell well in a Hobby Lobby and an open source IP camera might sell well in a Micro Center, but neither would sell well enough to get shelf space in a Walmart... and the best selling one in Walmart sells a tiny fraction compared to whoever can land an Xfinity contract.

RobotToaster 3mo ago
Tangential but open source pants are very much a thing https://freesewing.eu/ https://freesewing.eu/
- kube-system 3mo ago
  Of course they are, as are open-source IP cameras and routers. My point is not that they don't exist, my point is that these things have interest only within relatively tiny bubbles.
- jerlam 3mo ago
  A seam ripper will "de-compile" any garment you like.