[lug] cell phones with linux

[Nate Duehr]

siegfried wrote:
> What are the ramifications of having a linux cell phone? Does it mean that
> (1) You have all the source code to the cell phone?
> (2) You can alter and recompile any/all the source code and redeploy it to
> your phone without permission of the manufacturer? (I heard stories about
> how nokia/brew developers have to have special permission from nokia to
> develop applications).
> (3) You can subvert the pricing structure where the carrier charges double
> or triple for data transfers (compared to voice) and develop wireless
> embedded applications that transmit their status every 15 minutes.
> (4) If the answer to #3 is yes, will linux cell phone become a favorite of
> terrorists?
> Thanks!
> Siegfried

I don't know about the rest, but 3 & 4 are ludicrous.  Good lord...

If the network can't protect itself from end-user devices, there's a 
whole lot of work to be done -- ripping out some really crappy design.

Carriers (if nothing else) pay attention to billing records pretty 
closely.  If any way to "subvert" their billing system was caused by 
end-user devices, they'd be on top of it like white on rice.

(Our team -- well 2 of us and the sysadmin on the customer's side -- 
fixed a $2.5 million dollar database/billing screw-up recently, and that 
was just one week's traffic on one Unix box.)

They don't provide service out of the goodness of their hearts.  They 
provide service so they can take your cash...

"If you can't bill for it, it's just a hobby."

"Making money" in telco includes anti-fraud, anti-billing-bug, 
anti-anything that loses billing records or corrupts them in any way.

If anything, if the "terrorists" were stupid enough to try it, the 
embedded GPS systems in the phone and some sleuthing by the carrier to 
find out where their money was going would be a wonderful way to start 
counter-espionage coup where a bunch of them would be caught.

Nate