[Replicant] OT: Open source GSM board

H. Nikolaus Schaller hns at goldelico.com
Fri Oct 28 14:30:01 UTC 2016


> Am 28.10.2016 um 16:11 schrieb Brian Kemp <brian.kemp at gmail.com>:
> 
> On 10/28/2016 07:33 AM, Paul van der Vlis wrote:
>> Op 28-10-16 om 12:29 schreef Bob Ham:
>>> On Fri, 2016-10-28 at 11:45 +0200, Paul van der Vlis wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Those people
>>>> have working GSM firmware what compiles using GCC, without blobs
>>> 
>>> Unfortuantely, that firmware isn't legal to use in most jurisdictions.
>>> The source code came from a leak and carries a proprietary license.  The
>>> people distributing it are violating copyright law.
>> 
>> You are right. But phones with Replicant are using a modem with closed
>> source firmware. Both is "bad".
>> 
>> It's really difficult to create FOSS GSM firmware without examples,
>> Michaela is bringing us examples. What Snowden did is very illigal too,
>> but his information is very interesting.
> 
> I suspect they will have to use the "Chinese Wall" method, like Compaq
> did to clone the original IBM BIOS:
> 
> Make a specification based upon what the leaked code does.
> 
> Have people who have never seen the leaked code write a separate
> implementation based entirely on the specification.
> 
> That will be legal, at least in the US.
> 
> It's time-consuming and requires people.

A significant portion of the specification what the firmware should do
already exists:

http://www.etsi.org/technologies-clusters/technologies/mobile/gsm
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/gsm/gsm_protocol_stack.htm

Of course someone has to buy them.

And it exists inside of GSM protocol testers like:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Rohde-Schwarz-CMD55-54-57-59-GSM-DCS-PCS-900-1800-1900-RADIO-COM-Tester-/172076878961?hash=item281094cc71

Maybe TI can be accessed to get the data sheets and programming manuals
of the Calypso - even under NDA.

Then, the whole leaked source code would not be required.

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