Cybook Gen3 firmware on Netronix EB-100 - Page 9

Nate the great · 06-03-2008, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The fact that the Mobi Reader is copyrighted code is stated in the "About" box.

So? That's a copyright, not a license.

tompe · 06-03-2008, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

They will indeed - but do you have a licence to run it if you haven't bought a CyBook? I could make a copy of my Windows XP CD and give it to you. That's fine - you're only breaching copyright if you run the software.

That is definitely not true. Copyright concerns distribution and not use.

dottedmag · 06-03-2008, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

That is definitely not true. Copyright concerns distribution and not use.

Open-source licenses concert distribution. Rest of the copyright may restrict use outside the "fair use" exception.

tompe · 06-03-2008, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dottedmag

Open-source licenses concert distribution. Rest of the copyright may restrict use outside the "fair use" exception.

Yes, but as a default if a license does not say anything else you cannot distribute the Windows XP copy.

HarryT · 06-03-2008, 08:29 AM

I'm pretty sure that UK law allows me to make a backup copy of my CD. If I choose to give that copy to you for safekeeping, that's perfectly OK, as long as you don't read the data on the CD.

tompe · 06-03-2008, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm pretty sure that UK law allows me to make a backup copy of my CD. If I choose to give that copy to you for safekeeping, that's perfectly OK, as long as you don't read the data on the CD.

Usually the backup case is an exception in the laws. And it can be defined so that your backup case is not distribution. If you give a copy to somebody without the intent for it to be a backup to be kept I think it is ditribution. On the other hand you can give copies to friends and they can use these copies without any problem (in most countries).

HarryT · 06-03-2008, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

On the other hand you can give copies to friends and they can use these copies without any problem (in most countries).

I believe that is the case in some countries, yes, but it's not so in the UK (or the US).

CommanderROR · 06-03-2008, 09:50 AM

To get the topic away from all the legal banter for a moment...

I have been using the converted STAReBOOK for about a day now, and I have found a few quite annoying problems..

The checkerbaord after disconnecting the device from my PC is OK, that does not really bother me much, what really annoys me though is, that the STAReBOOK/Cybook often loses my bookmarks, stops working in the middle of a book I'm reading and even corrupts the data on my SD car (only happened once, can't really say whether the Sd card might have contained some error before).
Sometimes I can read for hours without problem, then the device will stop functioning after just a few minutes.
These problems are hard to track, they feel like software/firmware problems, why they should happen on my STAReBOOk and not on the original Cybook is beyond me.
If bookmarks would not work at all or the other saved info (font-family, size, ...) would get lost after every reboot I would blame the hardware difference, since these errors appear more randomly I guess it must be something in the firmware update process (which is slightly irregular) that causes them.

I hope that there is a way to get rid of these bugs and I also hope there will be a more regular and legal way to do this conversion at some later point...or that OpenInkpot firmware (the poiunt of this experiment) will run smoothly on all devices.

tompe · 06-03-2008, 10:13 AM

You should probably try to reformat the SD card to eliminate the possibility that it is corrupt and causes some of the problems.

CommanderROR · 06-03-2008, 10:15 AM

Already done...^^

I also tried using the internal memory, but the problems were the same. (not the corrupted data, but that only happened once anyway)

delphidb96 · 06-03-2008, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

That may be your belief, but, to the best of my knowledge, this has not been proven in a court of law, and nor has anyone even brought any legal action. "Innocent until proven guilty" would seem to apply.

He could well have a Gen3 (although he doesn't list one on his profile). I was merely making a general point.

Ha! It's clear you live outside the US! "Innocent until proven guilty" my *SS!

Just look at O.J. Simpson and Martha Stewart!

Derek

delphidb96 · 06-03-2008, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Copying firmware from a device that you don't own and installing on another machine is no different to pirating any other software.

Claiming that a device which is perfectly legitimately sold is in some way "illegal" is an altogether different matter. IF it is, then it's a matter for the copyright holder to complain about. Have they done so? Who actually is the copyright holder?

Let's suppose - just for the sake of argument - that your claim is true and that the Gen3's firmware (along with that of every other Netronix-based machine) does violate the right of the Linux copyright holders. That still doesn't make it "right" to copy it. Copying illegally-obtained software is just as "wrong" as copying legally-obtained software. If you come across a pirated copy of a game on a bit-torrent site are you going to say "this isn't legal software, so it's perfectly OK for me to copy it"?

Ummm... Well actually, as far as the OS part is concerned, yeah it does! I grant you that the Boo Reader and the startup bitmap are wholly-owned by Bookeen, but the Linux part of the kernel - and maybe even the Vivi bootloader is GPL.

Derek

delphidb96 · 06-03-2008, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TadW

So? I repeat Harry's statement:

Copying firmware from a device that you don't own and installing on another machine is no different to pirating any other software.

dottedmag, you are talking about proprietary or apparently proprietary firmware. Harry talks about firmware in general. If a company is not as sneaky as you describe it, and fully acknowledges GPL, then I can do with the firmware what I want as long as I respect GPL. And this I do, even if I copy it from a device that I don't own and install it on another machine. I don't like general accusations calling me a pirate.

Proprietary to who? Bookeen? I don't think so. The same kernel exists on the EB-100 and other models. If you just want to talk about the reader app, sure I agree.

Derek

HarryT · 06-03-2008, 12:59 PM

It was the Boo Reader app that I was referring to, Derek. Clearly the kernel is generic Linux code which can indeed be copied (subject to the terms of the GPL, obviously).

delphidb96 · 06-03-2008, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

It was the Boo Reader app that I was referring to, Derek. Clearly the kernel is generic Linux code which can indeed be copied (subject to the terms of the GPL, obviously).

I think that someone has studied Mobipocket Reader code and there may well be statically-linked GPL code in MobiReader - code which cannot be statically-linked unless the entire MobiReader is released under GPL. In which case, it may well be determined that Boo Reader falls under GPL.

Derek

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06-03-2008, 08:29 AM	#125
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,557 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'm pretty sure that UK law allows me to make a backup copy of my CD. If I choose to give that copy to you for safekeeping, that's perfectly OK, as long as you don't read the data on the CD.

06-03-2008, 09:50 AM	#128
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	To get the topic away from all the legal banter for a moment... I have been using the converted STAReBOOK for about a day now, and I have found a few quite annoying problems.. The checkerbaord after disconnecting the device from my PC is OK, that does not really bother me much, what really annoys me though is, that the STAReBOOK/Cybook often loses my bookmarks, stops working in the middle of a book I'm reading and even corrupts the data on my SD car (only happened once, can't really say whether the Sd card might have contained some error before). Sometimes I can read for hours without problem, then the device will stop functioning after just a few minutes. These problems are hard to track, they feel like software/firmware problems, why they should happen on my STAReBOOk and not on the original Cybook is beyond me. If bookmarks would not work at all or the other saved info (font-family, size, ...) would get lost after every reboot I would blame the hardware difference, since these errors appear more randomly I guess it must be something in the firmware update process (which is slightly irregular) that causes them. I hope that there is a way to get rid of these bugs and I also hope there will be a more regular and legal way to do this conversion at some later point...or that OpenInkpot firmware (the poiunt of this experiment) will run smoothly on all devices.

06-03-2008, 10:13 AM	#129
tompe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,452 Karma: 7185064 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Linköpng, Sweden Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW	You should probably try to reformat the SD card to eliminate the possibility that it is corrupt and causes some of the problems.

06-03-2008, 10:15 AM	#130
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	Already done...^^ I also tried using the internal memory, but the problems were the same. (not the corrupted data, but that only happened once anyway)

06-03-2008, 12:59 PM	#134
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,557 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It was the Boo Reader app that I was referring to, Derek. Clearly the kernel is generic Linux code which can indeed be copied (subject to the terms of the GPL, obviously).