Re: [Fsfe-uk] EUCD for Xbox

[Alex Hudson]

On Tue, 2005-07-05 at 10:18 +0100, MJ Ray wrote:
> Speaking of appearing at pop concerts to promote consoles, this BBC
> report describes the first EUCD attack on selling modified consoles:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4650225.stm

I don't think that's the first, is it? The guy who was selling
Playstation2 modchips was done under the EUCD, and I don't see how it
was that different:

        http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/21/ps2_mod_chip_win/

> I believe GNU/Linux can run on some consoles: do any require
> the use of mod chips?

Virtually all, as I understand it. The chips are required for a number
of functions; traditionally all consoles don't allow burned CDRs to be
played - that doesn't make GNU/Linux *require* the use of a modchip, but
it is required to exercise your freedom to modify/share (so, you could
play a professionally pressed disk on earlier consoles without the need
for a modchip, but it's only a 25% solution).

Later consoles (just the Xbox? I don't know about the PS2) lock the boot
sequence so only suitably signed binaries run. A modchip isn't always
required - I believe someone booted Linux on the Xbox by taking
advantage of a flaw in a Bond game's save data routine - but is one of
the more reliable methods.

I think the question about the modchip is possibly missing the point;
it's not the modchip per se that is the issue - it's circumventing the
boot protection. As with the Bond game, you can do this in a number of
different ways, and I don't see why any of the other methods are any
less illegal. It's a generic restriction on your freedom to run a
program on the hardware.

Cheers,

Alex.