Google Pushes Openness Over Rooting 196
jamlam writes "The Android developers blog has a comment from their dev team on the recent 'rooting' of their Nexus S phones. It contains a call from Google to handset manufacturers to open up their phones to give users choice. But will this ever happen in a market dominated by lock-'em-down cellular networks?"
Not Really A Call To Openness (Score:5, Informative)
More like a correction of Engadget's hysteria and a lamentation at the lack of openness.
The gist of it is that Engadget claims Android's security is shit since you can root it so easily.
The Android devs respond by saying you shouldn't call it "rooting" since the Nexus S was intended to allow users to install their own OS. To do that, you need to be able gain root access. In fact, they tell you how in the blog: fastboot oem unlock. That's it.
Rooting a phone implies root access was not intended, and you must exploit a security flaw to gain access. If root access was intended from the beginning, how can running the command to do so possibly be considered exploiting a security flaw?
To put it another way, is sudo a security flaw in Linux? That's basically what Engadget is saying, and the Android devs are saying that's stupid, and oh yeah phones should be open so rooting goes the way of the do-do bird.
Re:Developer's Choice (Score:5, Informative)
What good is your old phone without a contract?
The cell providers make you sign the same contract whether you buy a phone or not. Wouldn't they have an interest in keeping you using the same phone for longer? I don't understand why more carriers don't sell more open phones
Re:Developer's Choice (Score:5, Informative)
What good is your old phone without a contract?
The cell providers make you sign the same contract whether you buy a phone or not. Wouldn't they have an interest in keeping you using the same phone for longer? I don't understand why more carriers don't sell more open phones
You don't have to renew your contract to continue your service. That's a common misconception. Most carriers will continue to give you service once the contract is up. That's why they offer to upgrade your phone every time your contract is nearing an end, because that becomes an incentive for you to sign into a new contract.
Re:Developer's Choice (Score:5, Informative)
Wrong.
9. The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions
of the General Public License from time to time. Such new versions will
be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to
address new problems or concerns.
Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the Program
specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and "any
later version", you have the option of following the terms and conditions
either of that version or of any later version published by the Free
Software Foundation. If the Program does not specify a version number of
this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free Software
Foundation.
Source [gnu.org]
They can copy the Linux kernel which they can acquire at GPLv2 and then give it out (modified or not) as GPLv3 and those who receive it from them can only use it under the license they received it in, or a newer version. If they want an earlier version of the license then they must find someone willing to give them a copy with an earlier version attached.
In short, the GPL is forwards compatible not backwards compatible.
Wrong. The Linux kernel specifies version 2. It does not include the "or later" clause which would allow the use of a later license.
ulessthanme
Re:There's also a "technical" reason (Score:5, Informative)
Jailbreaking (a.k.a. rooting) an iPhone doesn't modify the baseband. Only the unlocks do.
Re:Developer's Choice (Score:3, Informative)
"Do you guys in the US not have a massive prepay market?"
No.
"prepay sims"
SIMS are only used by ATT, TMobile and for iDEN on Nextel/Boost iDEN
The PREDOMINANT carrier(s) in the US are CDMA, and not GSM or UMTS: Verizon Wireless is CDMA and does NOT use SIMS or RUIM (equivalent to SIM in CDMA) in 90% of its phones. Only "world edition" phones have a SIM. Matter of fact the TOP carriers in the US, nationwide (VZW) or regional (US Cellular, MetroPCS, Cricket) are ALL CDMA.. The two GSM and UMTS carriers rate at the bottom of the scale as last or second to last.
And even with att and tmetro moving from to the other is not even remotely close to the experience in the UK, EU, and other regions. Carriers in the US make it as difficult as possible. This is true even on CDMA.. Sprint REFUSES to put CDMA phone on their system that was not originally on their system to start. So if you want a sprint CDMA phone from the used market you have to purchase one that was specifically on sprint.
The model for cell phones in the US is VASTLY different than the rest of the world.