fuzion8 Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 I was digging around for info regarding a problem I was having with getting DD-WRT on a couple of "neutered" routers, when I found some troubling news about the future of the DD-WRT project. You can read more about the morally and ethically questionable steps the DD-WRT project has taken in former developer Jeremy Collake's blog http://xwrt.blogspot.com/ Now I know that some of you are just going to pass this one up, and continue using your DD-WRT, and some of you have donated to their project, or intend to do so in the future, but I urge you to support the real developers, not the commercial mastermind behind DD-WRT's move toward (illegal, unethical) donation harvesting at the developers expense. Now with my rant out of the way, back to the topic at hand. First you should check out the X-WRT project page: http://x-wrt.org/ What we have here is a project that makes the standard OpenWRT more user friendly. It has everything you would come to expect from a WRT firmware hack, plus a lot more (read: web interface!) I would really like to see this (or something like it) on the wiki posted as an alternative to the greedy DD-WRT guys that Darren and Company basically whored for in the last ep. God help me if you guys are somehow related, and I just basically told your "secret". I sincerely hope that is not the case. If so, I am screwed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomeoneE1se Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 how is it illegal or unethical again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzion8 Posted April 9, 2007 Author Share Posted April 9, 2007 GPL? What GPL?Brainslayer tried to make his fork of the httpd non-GPL, but recanted that claim in the next update when he was confronted about it. Still, to this day, what few scripts and minor pieces of the firmware he has authored he tries to make non-GPL. Whether or not it is illegal depends on the individual items, but it certainly isn't very cool. After all, these are just a bunch of scripts and a some small pieces of code. He can't find it in his heart to make those things GPL even though he' profiting so much from GPL software? Below is the license from DD-WRT v23 SP0, where Brainslayer tries to illegally claim the httpd (web interface) as his own non-GPL work, and makes his few contributions to DD-WRT non-GPL: the use of the "NON GPL Parts" of this firmware and the distributed source is permitted without any charge for PRIVATE USE ONLY unless other rights are granted by the firmware author only. 26.8.2005 Sebastian Gottschall / Blueline AG the following features are tagged as NON-GPL Webinterface macupd (mac update daemon for rflow collector) the configuration scripts and definitions within /etc/config its in the blog link i posted just inches above... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Kitchen Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Its the truth. The whole DD-WRT segment on 2x08 was a puff piece. We were paid buku bucks to run the segment. We're also getting 5% off the top on every DD-WRT donation and royalties on the upcoming movie. When we renegotiate our contract with the networks we'll be demanding a higher cut of all open source profits. We've got an upfront meeting next week with G4 and Sourceforge to finalize the rates for sweeps. This is a bold move which will benefit both Technolust Productions Inc. and our parent company GE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzion8 Posted April 9, 2007 Author Share Posted April 9, 2007 be careful, people might actually believe that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomeoneE1se Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 be careful, people might actually believe thatyou mean he's only joking?but really I might/probably will switch... later I REALLY don't want to have to reconfigure everything again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 To be totally honest, I will probally keep using dd-wrt until something better shows up for free. Then, I just jump ship. But honestly I would need to see more evidence for this before I take any kind of action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Kitchen Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 i guess it comes down to the question of "will you keep using a product based on political views". the bits don't care, but do you? another way to put it is: do you use linux because you support FOSS, or because "it gets the job done" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 i guess it comes down to the question of "will you keep using a product based on political views". I know I keep eating KitKat Chunkys even though Nestlé kill babies, I'd like to stop but they just taste so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomeoneE1se Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 To be totally honest, I will probally keep using dd-wrt until something better shows up for free. Then, I just jump ship. But honestly I would need to see more evidence for this before I take any kind of action.QFEi guess it comes down to the question of "will you keep using a product based on political views". the bits don't care, but do you?another way to put it is: do you use linux because you support FOSS, or because "it gets the job done" A little of both, and did you just escape your quotes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wetelectric Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 another way to put it is: do you use linux because you support FOSS, or because "it gets the job done" Both. "many people have donated to DD-WRT, under the guise that it is a free project. To this date, Brainslayer continues to unabashedly ask for donations" *If* this is true and I keep using this product, then I would be supporting this kind of behaviour. Apathy does not cut it. If we want free software to be free, if we do not want drm, if we want to see more open formats being used (ogg,flac etc) then the minimum we should do is *use* or *not* use the products where appropiate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Kitchen Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Wetelectric is right too. All valid points. I personally believe in FOSS and will vote with my bits. Thats why we'll be moving to another WRT-54G firmware. Though we were going to do it for a segment anyway. I however don't agree that everyone that enjoys FOSS needs to think this way and there is no use pushing the philosophy on those who just want to use what is easiest and works. In many cases people will continue to use DD-WRT simply because they've already gone through the flash. And we all know flashing is never fun. Most BIOS readme's even say something to the effect of "Don't bother flashing unless you're experiencing a problem listed". In other words, "If it aint broke, don't fix it". And honestly how many people are aware of this issue in the first place (not that spreading awareness is bad, just that many will continue using DD unknowingly). And yes, I did escape my quotes; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetron Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 FOSS debate can go on forever FOSS people are like Windows People whom hate linux. Just they perfer everything to be open source Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 My main reason for sticking with DD-WRT is that OpenWRT is a bit of a mission without a gui. What else is there which is in the same ball park as DD-WRT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzion8 Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share Posted April 10, 2007 And honestly how many people are aware of this issue in the first place (not that spreading awareness is bad, just that many will continue using DD unknowingly). The main point of my post was to create awareness among those who are likely to actually flash/potentially brick their $60+ routers (read: hackers) Ideally, those same people would be concerned with the morality/motivations of the creators of the software they use. As for alternatives, x-wrt is a web gui package for openwrt. You can get it prebuilt into most of the openwrt firmwares available. (i usually reserve this area for rants and flames about not reading the original posts :?, but that kinda goes without saying in this case) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 A fair question: Are you involved with the project your promoting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzion8 Posted April 11, 2007 Author Share Posted April 11, 2007 Not at all. How's this for shameless self promotion though? please visit my clans site: http://www.uangames.net or my store's website: http://www.pc-headquarters.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 LoL, had to ask. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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