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by detaro 2493 days ago
They have ensured by design that what remains of proprietary firmware on the phone can't be updated, because they want a FSF Free hardware certification, and that's the only way to get that and have non-free firmware components. Not updateable non-free firmware is tolerated as being "part of the hardware" in a way, updateable firmware is software and required to be open.
1 comments
RandomBacon 2493 days ago
Which proprietary firmware?
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detaro 2493 days ago
Parts of the memory interface have been mentioned previously: https://puri.sm/posts/librem5-solving-the-first-fsf-ryf-hurd...

Similarly, they seem to have choosen the Wifi and Bluetooth chips as well because they have no downloadable firmware, and the isolation for the baseband probably ensures the same there: https://puri.sm/posts/librem5-2018-09-hardware-report/

If those would have meaningful updates is a good question, and clearly it only applies to some of the firmware, but I suspect that's what the exagerated original claim is based on.

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RandomBacon 2493 days ago
Okay, thank you.

Is there any way to mitigate this if one wants to keep Wifi and Bluetooth?

I guess if one really wanted to be pure then, they could just keep the second (of three, see below) hardware switches off, and even possibly de-solder a connection, to ensure they aren't accidently flipped on.

Hardware Switches:

- cameras and microphone

- WiFi and Bluetooth

- cellular baseband

(When all three switches are off, power is also killed to sensors a la "Lockdown Mode")

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jmkb 2493 days ago
> When all three switches are off, power is also killed to sensors a la "Lockdown Mode"

Personally, with all these switches off, I'd still want GPS for offline navigation.

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RandomBacon 2492 days ago
Maybe there are two contacts you could bridge. Are you good with a soldering iron?
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batoure 2492 days ago
this article is probably worth reading.

https://puri.sm/posts/librem5-solving-the-first-fsf-ryf-hurd...

Purism can't guarantee someone won't try to flash that firmware. so the best solution they came up with was to create a parallel chip to store the firmware they have vetted to be safe and to overwrite the modem or wifi firmware with their version of the binaries anytime a change to the other firmware is pushed through

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kd3 2493 days ago
People: So how much security and privacy will we have on the Librem 5?

Purism: Yes.

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