[gentoo-dev] Re: RFC: Niches and new developers (especially xbox)

[seanecovel]

Kumba wrote:
>
> Honestly, the DMCA, being such the horrible, bad, despicable, paranoid
> law it is, is so broad, that this thread could go on forever and ever
> w/o reaching any conclusion.  One side is favouring not supporting
> Gentoo/XBox in any official capacity because of the overt broadness of
> the DMCA, while the other feels there is nothing to fear.
>
> I find it hard to agree with either side in this matter, as both offer
> strong arguments.  Perhaps opne should email Microsoft, and see if you
> get any kind of reply regarding the matter.  That's one way to find out.
>
> For all I care, I have no problem with supporting Gentoo/XBox because I
> honestly do not think Microsoft will go after us simply for supporting
> linux on their console.  Now *if* we supported means of actually copying
> and pirating the software, that's a completely different matter
> entirely.  The XBox bios was encoded the way it was to thwart MOD Chip
> hackers and the like, not to prevent the installation of Linux or any
> other alternative OS.
>
> The problem with this is, from what I hear, you still need a MOD chip to
> use Linux effectively on the machine.  This would be the only real legal
> issue, because 99% of all people who use MOD chips use them for playing
> pirated games, not for running Linux.  It's all a matter of intention.
> Unfortunately, the DMCA is such a sorry excuse for a law, it was not
> designed with intention in mind.  It was designed to implicate that
> everyone who circumvents copyright protection mechanisms must be an evil
> pirate and should be made to walk the plank (not in the literal sense).
>
> Anyways, to avoid getting too idealological, I say support Gentoo/XBox
> and frell the DMCA.  We're not out to help people pirate stuff, we just
> want to help people make better use of an otherwise silly console.  If
> our intentions are noble, then that's all that matters.
>
> Sidenote: Here's why the DMCA was created, because the Music/Movie
> Industry has no brains (everyone's a pirate they say):
> http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=5404542
>
>
> --Kumba
>

Mod chips are not required to run Linux.  Mod chips are required to run 
Linux AND Xbox games.  I run Linux only on my Xbox.  I soldiered a 
couple points on the motherboard to enable flashing the on-board BIOS, 
and then flashed it with the Cromwell BIOS.  If any of that was illegal, 
I'd like to know how?

BTW, there are a number of places online where you can buy pre-flashed 
machines.  Microsoft has not gone after those sites.  1 company even 
goes so far as to add RAM, a faster processor, and a larger HD, then 
sells the box with the Cromwell BIOS installed.

Another interesting fact.  The MOD chippers sell their chips with 
Cromwell installed, since it is a "clean" (no Microsoft code) BIOS.  Now 
it is fully expected that someone will look around the web for another 
BIOS to flash on the chip if copyright violation is there utlimate 
goal... But the point is, Cromwell, the Linux Loader, is CLEAN, so 
Microsoft leaves them alone.

Sean


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