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   SuperDicq (superdicq@minidisc.tokyo)'s status on Sunday, 29-Jun-2025 22:44:59 JST SuperDicq

   • Asahi Linya (朝日りにゃ〜)

   @lina@vt.socialIt doesn't matter what the firmware blobs do, the point is what they can't do, which is take over your system or steal your data because they don't have the hardware access to do that.When you run proprietary blobs I agree it is obviously better to run them in such a way that they can not access anything. But that still is not good, because the blobs are still there denying you freedom over your own devices. They should be replaceable with free software.
   It's no different than the firmware blob running your mouse and keyboard.That's not true. I have built my own keyboard and it my own customized fork of QMK Firmware.
   
   But I assume you mean in the case of a regular keyboards (excluding the ones that run proprietary flashable firmware like a lot of "gamer" branded products) this firmware is backed into the device on a read-only chip. In this case is not denying its users any freedom as not being able to customize it is in this case just a hardware limitation, not something specifically put in place by manufacturer to handcuff the user.

   • Embed this notice
     SuperDicq (superdicq@minidisc.tokyo)'s status on Sunday, 29-Jun-2025 22:51:51 JST SuperDicq

     in reply to

     • Asahi Linya (朝日りにゃ〜)

     @lina@vt.social Just to be clear I don't mean to discredit the work of the Asahi project. This kind of work is important and definitely leads the way to more potentially freedom respecting hardware being available in the future. Definitely keep working on reverse engineering it.
     
     However I can't in good consciousness recommend other people to buy Apple hardware until all of the firmware blobs are fully replaced.

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     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Sunday, 29-Jun-2025 22:58:21 JST 翠星石

     in reply to

     • Asahi Linya (朝日りにゃ〜)
     @SuperDicq @lina >It is obviously better to run them in such a way that they can not access anything
     But how do you know the proprietary malware doesn't have access? Manufacturers love backdooring their proprietary software (backdooring hardware is less popular as that is manufacturing physical evidence).
     
     >this firmware is backed into the device on a read-only chip.
     Software in usb keyboards is now often stored in r/w EEPROM within a microprocessor, but in almost all cases manufacturers usually never offer an update - thus it's equivalent to a circuit and the question is whether there's a malicious circuit.
     
     The user could solder some wires up and replace the software (just like how the user could start re-wiring the keyboard), but the user may not have any interest in doing so, if the keyboard works as a keyboard, but even then, there isn't digital handcuffs preventing the user from replacing the software either - thus the users can in fact do so if they want to (there is no proprietary license forbidding reverse engineering and that level of hardware reverse engineering isn't forbiddingly hard).
     
     There are also old keyboards available that use ROM and some PS/2 keyboards that just use circuits to generate the PS/2 signals from the button presses - but the functional result is still the same.
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     SuperDicq (superdicq@minidisc.tokyo)'s status on Sunday, 29-Jun-2025 23:01:28 JST SuperDicq

     in reply to

     • 翠星石
     • Asahi Linya (朝日りにゃ〜)

     @Suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com @lina@vt.social That's exactly why this hardware is so harmful. The manufacturer is abusing cryptography to lock the user out of tinkering with their system. It's pure evil and I hope someone finds a weakness to exploit that allows us to replace it at some point.

     翠星石 likes this.
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     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Sunday, 29-Jun-2025 23:01:29 JST 翠星石

     in reply to

     • Asahi Linya (朝日りにゃ〜)
     @SuperDicq @lina >until all of the firmware blobs are fully replaced.
     The proprietary software is digitally handcuffed and therefore it will never be replaced unless a complete flaw is found in the signing scheme.