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2016-11-16
, 09:20
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Posts: 6,445 |
Thanked: 20,981 times |
Joined on Sep 2012
@ UK
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#12
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@juiceme, a "Ministry of Freedom" is not an actual ministry 
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Русский военный корабль, иди нахуй!
Русский военный корабль, иди нахуй!
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2016-11-16
, 09:45
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Posts: 915 |
Thanked: 3,209 times |
Joined on Jan 2011
@ Germany
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#13
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Originally Posted by juiceme
Yes.
So, if I understand correctly this gang reflashes the Thinkpad bios with Libreboot and preinstalls a linux distro for you, and for that they are charging triple price for a 2nd hand device...?
But I suspect you have a wrong impression of what "reflashing the BIOS" means in this case. It's not just your regular BIOS update, but involves actually hacking the hardware. [1]
I'm not sure if it's worth the money (as in: takes a professional electronics technician living in England the working time to justify the price based on a fair local hourly wage), but since I neither have the skills nor the equipment to do that on my own, I'd rather pay someone else to do it than to screw it up myself.
Originally Posted by juiceme
That's true.
Now what I wonder is; Why would you trust the goons to do it right and really respect your privacy? I mean they have ample opportunity to inject anything they like in the bootloader or the OS.
The point is, that unless you check the code, compile and flash it on your own you have to trust someone. Now tell me, would you rather trust Lenovo to give you a proprietary BIOS without backdoors, or some tinkerer who flashes a FLOSS BIOS and who is recommended by the developers of said FLOSS BIOS?
[1] https://libreboot.org/docs/install/x200_external.html
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2016-11-16
, 19:42
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Community Council |
Posts: 4,920 |
Thanked: 12,867 times |
Joined on May 2012
@ Southerrn Finland
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#14
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Originally Posted by sulu
Anything that requires somebody doing stuff for living is costly. However when doing something for myself I rather try and learn it than rely on professional help.
Yes.
But I suspect you have a wrong impression of what "reflashing the BIOS" means in this case. It's not just your regular BIOS update, but involves actually hacking the hardware. [1]
I'm not sure if it's worth the money (as in: takes a professional electronics technician living in England the working time to justify the price based on a fair local hourly wage), but since I neither have the skills nor the equipment to do that on my own, I'd rather pay someone else to do it than to screw it up myself.
And actually, if you read the documents carefully you'll notice you only need SPI flashing hardware if you mess up flashing or have a locked device... otherwice it seems to be possible to flash most laptops with the SW method!
Ohh, and so lovely, they also have guide for T60's!! https://libreboot.org/docs/install/#flashrom_lenovobios
I'll have to see if I can do that, I have never tried to flash an alternate bootloader before.
Originally Posted by sulu
Point taken; Lenovo is not really a fair player and model corporate citizen; they have been caught pants down injecting malware in the devices they peddle.
That's true.
The point is, that unless you check the code, compile and flash it on your own you have to trust someone. Now tell me, would you rather trust Lenovo to give you a proprietary BIOS without backdoors, or some tinkerer who flashes a FLOSS BIOS and who is recommended by the developers of said FLOSS BIOS?
However that case was in the consumer devices and I kind-of believe their commecial-grade iron is safer. (and if there'd be something funny in the T60/61 BIOS'es it should have been found out by now...)
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2016-11-16
, 20:19
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Posts: 915 |
Thanked: 3,209 times |
Joined on Jan 2011
@ Germany
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#15
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Originally Posted by juiceme
Does that include buying hardware that you only need for that task?
However when doing something for myself I rather try and learn it than rely on professional help.
Originally Posted by juiceme
Which I neither own nor know how to operate.
And actually, if you read the documents carefully you'll notice you only need SPI flashing hardware if you mess up flashing or have a locked device...
Originally Posted by juiceme
Actually there are only 4 laptop models on the software flashing list while there are also 4 laptops exclusively on the hardware flashing list.
otherwice it seems to be possible to flash most laptops with the SW method!
This does not match my interpretation of "most".
Minifree only sells pre-installed laptops from the hardware-only list btw.
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2016-11-16
, 21:04
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Community Council |
Posts: 4,920 |
Thanked: 12,867 times |
Joined on May 2012
@ Southerrn Finland
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#16
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Originally Posted by sulu
Heh, actually it does. I frequently find myself obtaining tools that I end up using fairly rarely.... or even making such tools myself.
Originally Posted by juicemeDoes that include buying hardware that you only need for that task?However when doing something for myself I rather try and learn it than rely on professional help.
One such tool actually is a SPI programming interface that I made something like over 5 years back; we used it to "rescue" locked IBM T30/T40/T41 models which were top-of-the-2nd-hand line then
And it is not related to electronics/programming tools, just as well I seem to gather woodworking tools, metalworking tools, miscellanous crafts tools, you name it...
Originally Posted by sulu
That's a lousy excuse and you know it
Originally Posted by juicemeWhich I neither own nor know how to operate.And actually, if you read the documents carefully you'll notice you only need SPI flashing hardware if you mess up flashing or have a locked device...
You can pretty much learn anything you put your mind on for long enough time; it is more about intensity, interest and willpower rather than any quality you're born with.
Originally Posted by sulu
True, but luckily the most ubiquous and generally nice devices do appear on the SW-only list.
Originally Posted by juicemeActually there are only 4 laptop models on the software flashing list while there are also 4 laptops exclusively on the hardware flashing list.otherwice it seems to be possible to flash most laptops with the SW method!
This does not match my interpretation of "most".
Minifree only sells pre-installed laptops from the hardware-only list btw.
And reflashing the devices that require HW intervention is a no-brainer too.
It is a pity I have not looked into this for such a long time; when we routinely uncorked locked IBM's there was not yet such a thing as Libreboot. We had to settle with resetting the protection bits in the NVRAM...
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2016-11-16
, 21:49
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Posts: 7,074 |
Thanked: 9,069 times |
Joined on Oct 2009
@ Moon! It's not the East or the West side... it's the Dark Side
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#17
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If OP actually buying something. Plz Inform me.
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Do something for the climate today! Anything!
I don't trust poeple without a Nokia n900...
Do something for the climate today! Anything!
I don't trust poeple without a Nokia n900...
nice...not!
Now what I wonder is; Why would you trust the goons to do it right and really respect your privacy? I mean they have ample opportunity to inject anything they like in the bootloader or the OS.
And given the fact that people who they advertise to; the ones who'd like to keep their privacy and security probably do have something valuable to hide... it must be a real temptation to pull a quiet one with them!