Re:“Blob-free OpenBSD kernel needed”
by seba_dos1 on Saturday June 06, 2015 @03:08PM
(#9671855)
There are no open source smartphones with open source firmware for their modems. The closest you can get is Openmoko Neo Freerunner with OsmocomBB installed, but you cannot legally use it to transmit anything on public networks before you obtain new certification for the modem, as replacing the firmware voids the one vendor got for you.
The best you can get regarding openness of devices that can be practically used is to completely separate the main CPU from baseband processor (sans some generic interface like USB or serial) and this is exactly what Openmoko, and now also Neo900 are doing. Neo900 project goes one step further - it assumes the modem is a rogue black box by default, so deploys systems that allow the user to monitor the modem.
Unfortunately, mainstream devices go further and further away from that separation and now most of the time use fully integrated designs, where the non-free firmware of the baseband has full access to user OS via shared RAM or even shared CPU.
The best you can get regarding openness of devices that can be practically used is to completely separate the main CPU from baseband processor (sans some generic interface like USB or serial) and this is exactly what Openmoko, and now also Neo900 are doing. Neo900 project goes one step further - it assumes the modem is a rogue black box by default, so deploys systems that allow the user to monitor the modem.
Unfortunately, mainstream devices go further and further away from that separation and now most of the time use fully integrated designs, where the non-free firmware of the baseband has full access to user OS via shared RAM or even shared CPU.