Subject:
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Re: RIS version 1.5 coming this fall
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Sun, 5 Sep 1999 00:19:23 GMT
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Viewed:
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1236 times
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On Friday, 30 Jul 1999, in lugnet.robotics, Kekoa Proudfoot writes:
> John A. Tamplin <jat@liveonthenet.com> wrote:
> > Todd Lehman <lehman@javanet.com> wrote:
> > > I think so too, but I think it's important to be as prepared as
> > > possible for any possible "countermeasures" which might get introduced
> > > in 1.5. (Again, I'm just speculating based upon what -could- be done
> > > -- and I hope I'm quite wrong.)
> >
> > I doubt they made the RCX flexible because they wanted people to download
> > replacement firmware. I think they did so because it made it easier for
> > them to do things in the future that they didn't think of when it was
> > designed. I see no reason that motivation will disappear. Any sort of
> > security to prevent download of other code is easily defeated, because the
> > PC is an insecure platform. You can always decipher the code used to
> > communicate with the RCX, so you can always duplicate that functionality.
> > There is simply no way around allowing others access to downloading
> > replacement firmware if they wish to do it for themselves. (I am speaking
> > only of technical considerations, obviously they could try to restrain it
> > legally).
>
> Certainly they chose to allow firmware downloads to allow for future
> upgrades.
>
> For a new RCX, if they really wanted to prevent us from writing new
> firmware, the best solution, and one we could not defeat without
> extraordinary means, would be to include a firmware checksum somewhere in
> the object code data file that only the ROM and people at Lego know how to
> compute. The software on the PC would not have to be involved.
>
> Hence previous statements that if Lego really wanted to make things
> difficult for us in the undoubtedly eventually forthcoming replacement to
> the RCX, they can.
> [...]
[Revisiting and older thread] it's interesting to note what Apple has done
recently...
If you bought an original G3, then you can use it with a G4 CPU. But: If
you've downloaded and installed the recent ROM update from Apple, you can
no longer put in a G4 processor because the ROM update locks out the G4 on
G3 machines. The firmware installer also prevents you from reverting back
to the earlier boot ROM.
Now, what if you're lucky and you do manage to have an older un-updated G3
ROM and you stuff in a G4 CPU (which is pin- and volt-compatible with the G3
CPU)? Well, the existing MacOS doesn't take advantage of the G4, but the
newer OS releases do. All set then? Nope. Beta testers are reporting that
the latest builds of the OS refuse to install on G3 machines without the ROM
update. So you're SOL either way.
This sort of tactic is similar to what I was earlier paranoid about TLG
possibly doing. (Let's hope TLG is friendlier to existing customers than
Apple! :-) Fortunately for G3 owners, third party vendors will be able to
provide alternate means around the upgrade block. But it's pretty darn sad
anyway.
--Todd
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: RIS version 1.5 coming this fall
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| (...) Certainly they chose to allow firmware downloads to allow for future upgrades. For a new RCX, if they really wanted to prevent us from writing new firmware, the best solution, and one we could not defeat without extraordinary means, would be (...) (25 years ago, 30-Jul-99, to lugnet.robotics)
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