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diff --git a/markdown/2019_01_replicant-will-receive-a-device-from-necuno-solutions.md b/markdown/2019_01_replicant-will-receive-a-device-from-necuno-solutions.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7415346 --- /dev/null +++ b/markdown/2019_01_replicant-will-receive-a-device-from-necuno-solutions.md @@ -0,0 +1,135 @@ +tags: Replicant news, GNUtoo +date: 2019-01-20 22:40 +title: The Replicant project will receive a mobile device from Necuno Solutions +--- +The Replicant project has been looking forward to support devices with free +software bootloaders. While Replicant is a fully free software Android +distribution, many freedom, privacy and security issues are orthogonal to the +operating system. The hardware design of each computer (smartphone, tablet, +laptop, etc.) people use, and the architecture of the cellular network also +have their set of issues. For more information on these issues, the Replicant +project has [some documentation on the topic][1]. + +So far all the devices that are (or have been) supported by Replicant use a +nonfree [boot software][2] ([the bootloader][3]). These devices also use +hardware restrictions to deny users the freedom to replace them completely +with free software, effectively forcing them to run nonfree software. This is +a very serious freedom issue that prevents users from being in control of +their devices. + +There were several attempts to add support for devices with free software +bootloaders in Replicant: + +* The LG Optimus black: this smartphone doesn’t prevent users from replacing + the bootloader. Paul Kocialkowsky [did a lot of work][4] to add support + for this device in upstream u-boot (a free software bootloader) and added + minimal support for it in the upstream Linux kernel. However support for + some of its most important hardware components like the display are still + missing in the Linux kernel. This device can probably still be found + second hand + +* The [GTA04][5] smartphone from Golden Delicious: this smartphone has a + free software bootloader which is based on u-boot. The smartphone was + designed to run GNU/Linux and has [almost complete support in upstream + Linux][6]. There were attempts to add support for it in Replicant 6.0, + however a lot of time was spent to try to make suspend to RAM work with + Android. However older Replicant 4.2 images are available. Several + hardware revisions of the GTA04 have been made and shipped to customers + and developers over the years. However this has stopped due to + [manufacturing issues.][7] Another issue is that the revisions before A5 + only have 512M of RAM and a high DPI display: This combination makes + running Android 9 [potentially challenging.][8] Fortunately the A5 + revision has 1G of RAM, [but not a lot of working units were produced][9]. + +There is also some [ongoing work][10] to specifically add support for +smartphones that are currently supported by Replicant like the Galaxy SIII +(i9300), the Galaxy Note 2 (n7100) and their 4G versions (i9305 and n7105). +The 4G versions could also be supported by Replicant if the work to support +their modem (through [QMI-RIL][11]) is resumed. + +The Replicant project will receive a mobile device, the [NC_1][12] (formerly +called Necuno Mobile) from its manufacturer (Necuno Solutions), which will +have a free software bootloader + +This device has the size of a smartphone, but doesn’t have a [broadband +modem][13]: while users will not be able to use a built-in modem for phone +calls, SMS or to access the Internet, it is still the best way to be +completely sure of avoiding any freedom privacy and security issues related to +broadband modems and the cellular network. It will also require less work to +add support for this device in Replicant. + +Even if it’s possible to disable the modem on some of the mobile devices +currently supported by Replicant [by not loading the modem’s code][14], some +nonfree software still run on these mobile devices. This includes the +bootloader and potentially any other nonfree software that it may load. +Because of that we cannot be 100% sure that the modem is completely disabled. + +The Necuno Mobile will use an I.MX6 Quad [system on a chip ][15](which is a +chip that contains the main CPU, the microSD card controller, the GPU, etc.). +Its free software support is better than for many other system on a chip: the +only functionality of the I.MX6 Quad that requires nonfree software is the +video decoding acceleration. The [article on single board computers][16] has +more details on freedom issues affecting various system on a chip and by +extension the single board computers that use such components. + +A Replicant developer (Joonas Kylmälä) will receive a Necuno Mobile to work on +it. + +The Necuno Mobile should have a Linux kernel that is very close to upstream: +this is a good opportunity for a new attempt to enable Replicant to use +upstream kernels. [This has many advantages][17]. One of them is that in the +long run, it should decrease the amount of work required to maintain the +devices and potentially increase their lifetime. + +This should also enable the Replicant project to more easily add support for +other devices that can use an upstream kernel, like the GTA04, or devices like +the Galaxy SIII (i9300) and the Galaxy Note 2 (n7100) that are starting to +have good support in upstream Linux. + +It is also very interesting in the long run as we could share some of the work +with other smartphones projects like **[postmarketOS][18]** who are also +trying to support mobile devices with upstream kernels. It could also enable +the Replicant project to more easily support future mobile devices that will +have free software bootloaders, as some of them will also use kernels that are +meant to run GNU/Linux. + + [1]: <https://replicant.us/freedom-privacy-security-issues.php> + + [2]: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booting> + + [3]: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booting#Other_kinds_of_boot_sequences> + + [4]: <https://code.paulk.fr/article20/a-hacker-s-journey-freeing-a-phone- +from-the-ground-up-first-part> + + [5]: <https://www.gta04.org/> + + [6]: <http://projects.goldelico.com/p/gta04-kernel/page/UpstreamStatus/> + + [7]: <http://laforge.gnumonks.org/blog/20170306-gta04-omap3_pop_soldering/> + + [8]: +<https://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/HardwareRequirements> + + [9]: +<http://lists.goldelico.com/pipermail/gta04-owner/2019-January/007922.html> + + [10]: <https://blog.forkwhiletrue.me/pages/midas-mainline/> + + [11]: <https://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/QMI-RIL> + + [12]: <https://necunos.com/mobile/> + + [13]: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_broadband_modem> + + [14]: <https://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/ModemDisable> + + [15]: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_on_a_chip> + + [16]: <https://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/single-board-computers> + + [17]: <https://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/Upstream> + + [18]: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostmarketOS> + + |