Omnimaga

Omnimaga => News => Topic started by: critor on July 14, 2010, 09:26:20 pm

Title: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 14, 2010, 09:26:20 pm
TI has released OS 2.1 for the TI-Nspire and the TI-Nspire CAS.

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/13/23/13/53/acran010.jpg)


The OS has allmost no new feature for the user. And strangely, TI has made great annoucements on their site...
I thought there were something suspectfull...


And unfortunately there is! >:(

Once you have installed OS 2.1 on your TI-Nspire ClickPad or TouchPad, you can't downgrade any more to OS 1.6 or older. So you can't use Ndless any more.

I've made many tests this evening, and I found no way to bypass that protection.


Strangely, the included boot2 is the same (1.4.1571). May be the protection has allready been there for a long time, and has just been activated by OS 2.1. Installing a 1.7/2.0 OS doesn't disable the protection. Even the maintenance menu, with "remove OS" or even "complete reformat" doesn't help.

(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/13/23/13/53/os2110.gif)


For more information, just Google-tranlate (french):
* my news on TI-Bank -> http://ti.bank.free.fr/index.php?mod=news&ac=commentaires&id=837
* my tests on the TI-Bank forum -> http://tibank.forumactif.com/actualites-f25/os-21-sorti-t5803.htm

UPDATE by DJ Omnimaga: Moved to News section and submitted to Digg at http://digg.com/software/Texas_Instruments_takes_control_of_their_TI_Nspire_customers (I wonder what is the French equivalent of Digg). Please digg so more people in the world knows about TI actions.

UPDATE by DJ Omnimaga (July 18th 2010): Slashdot article at http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/07/18/0152245/TI-vs-Calculator-Hobbyists-Again
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 14, 2010, 09:47:48 pm
This is sad news. :(

I knew TI would do something like this.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: yunhua98 on July 14, 2010, 10:04:54 pm
so your nSpire is locked down?  if so, how can you delvelope Ndless 2.0 then? :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 14, 2010, 10:38:49 pm
so your nSpire is locked down?  if so, how can you delvelope Ndless 2.0 then? :(

I don't belong to the Ndless developping team.
But yes, my Nspire is now locked to OS 1.7 or higher, and cannot run Ndless any more.

It would be nice to release Ndless for OS 1.7 now...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 14, 2010, 10:57:26 pm
It would be nice to release Ndless for OS 1.7 now...

That would be nice now.  It is probably the best way to get back at TI. :)

Although, If we want to keep with a French Revolution theme, we should wait until August 26, the day the last part of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was adopted.

Or, for us, we should right the Declaration of the Rights of Calculators and of TI-Nspire Users. :D
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Silver Shadow on July 15, 2010, 01:40:55 am
This is sad news, but I was expecting something of that sort from TI. They want to have full control over the Nspires.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: bwang on July 15, 2010, 02:25:22 am
Expected.
We need ndless2
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 15, 2010, 04:29:52 am
Ndless 2 does not work properly for now.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: jnesselr on July 15, 2010, 08:05:32 am
Just curious, if we cracked the keys and installed our own OS, would this get rid of the problem, or do you think since TI is now controlling their own "valid" OS, then they would also control ours by somehow preventing them from being installed.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: matthias1992 on July 15, 2010, 08:15:46 am
Uh-oh this means something far more annoying. Any new Ti-Nspires most likely will have this pre-installed...
I hope there will be a OS signature crack coming soon or a new ndless.
I have never understood why TI is blocking their "own" community that much...why why why? Instead of fullfilling our wishes and making their machines twice as fast and trhice as cool they chose to go the microsoft way...eventually the'll be trhowing up so many barricades that the machine will slow down and even more, become unpractical. By blocking us they are eventually blocking themselfs!
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 15, 2010, 08:21:48 am
Uh-oh this means something far more annoying. Any new Ti-Nspires most likely will have this pre-installed...

The Nspire Computer automatically asks you if you want to upgrade to 2.1 when you connect your Nspire... Unadvised users are going to click "yes", of course... May be in the future, they could even upgrade without asking for our permission.

A new release of Ndless is strongly needed... Because soon, (in some months), a majority of Nspire calculators will have become unable to run Ndless any more.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: theUnnamed on July 15, 2010, 10:20:25 am
It sounds like they did a bios update when moving to 2.1
I actually had an interesting thought on the subject of hacking the nspire:
Nucleus is lynx based and therefor much like andriod we should be able to root it. What is preventing us from doing that? once we root an nspire you have god rights to the machine and can get at everything.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 15, 2010, 12:54:54 pm
Given that 2.1 doesn't work on the goplat's emulator, there probably is something being done w/the BIOS.
Bad TI, bad...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 15, 2010, 02:24:52 pm
@theUnnamed: like several of your recently posted thoughts in the other topic, this one isn't very interesting ;)
(it's good to have ideas, however - generic problem solving methods contain a "enumerate possible causes" phase)
Indeed, Nucleus is known to be a rather airtight piece of software. Better finding bugs in TI's code, which has consistently proved full of holes in the past 15 years (and keeps being so on the Nspire)... :)

2.1 non-CAS does not work on the emulator, but according to critor, 2.1 CAS does :)
But what "BIOS" are you talking about, guys ?
The boot1 is programmed at factory and isn't supposed to be changed.
The boot2 is the same as that of OS 1.7.x and 2.0. It could probably be modified after the fact by the OS or the boot1, however.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 15, 2010, 02:37:34 pm
In fact, no 2.1 OS is working on the emulator.
You can install them, but not launch them.


With OS 2.1 CAS or non-CAS and boot2 1.4, you're getting an emulator error and entering debug mode after the "loading OS" progress bar has reached 100%.

With OS 2.1 CAS and boot2 1.1, it's the same thing.

With OS 2.1 non-CAS and boot2 1.1, there seems to be a bug, as the screen freezes when the the "loading OS" progress bar reaches 100%. No error is reported. But this problem doesn't come from the emulator: the calculator is freezing too.


Is there a way on that emulator to launch the maintenance menu ?
I couldn't find a key mapped to the Home-Key.
I'd like  to install OSes 2.1 and 2.0 in 2 different flash-files, and then reformat.
That way, I would have less garbage to compare...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 15, 2010, 02:44:13 pm
OK, thanks for the clarification :)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 15, 2010, 02:51:48 pm
so does this mean i should or shouldn't install OS 2.1 since I can't use ndless anyways with the new touchpad?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 15, 2010, 03:00:48 pm
If I had Touchpad models, I wouldn't upgrade them to 2.1: it's likely that as usual, documents created with newer OS versions don't work on older OS versions - so besides potentially facing other unpleasant yet-unknown surprises TI might have hidden in 2.1, you'll probably not be able to open documents in the future, should you downgrade to 2.0.x for some reason.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 15, 2010, 03:32:07 pm
Moreover, the TouchPad and 2.1 protections seems to be different.

On the TouchPads, you can't install OS 1.7 or older, and if you try, you're getting the error at the beginning of the file transfer.

On the 2.1 OS, you can't install OS 1.6 or older, and if you try, you're getting the error at the end of the file transfer.


Installing the 2.1 OS on a TouchPad will give you 2 different downgrade protections.
If one of those protections is cracked, you'll be very sad because you'll still have the other protection.


I think the TouchPad protection is hardware-based, and the 2.1 OS protection is software-based.



We should avoid using the 2.1 OSes, because all created documents will only be readable by 2.1 or higher OSes.
If we share those documents, people will be forced to upgrade in order to read them...
And that's exactly what TI wants!!!
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 15, 2010, 04:15:14 pm
yeah.. except I still await my nspire coming in the mail.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: theUnnamed on July 15, 2010, 04:25:11 pm
Rooting the calc would allow us to modify the hardware clock rates and give us access to the raw machine. unlike a hack of the TI front end which gives access to run things in user mode.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: theUnnamed on July 15, 2010, 04:31:53 pm
the touch pad and click pad versions of the nspire are identical I have both keyboards and bought my nspire before the touch pad existed. the only reason you get an error is that the old OS's don't have drivers for the touch pad so they fail. moving to an OS pre 1.7 with the touchpad on the calculator gets an error. doing it with the clickwheel doesn't.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 15, 2010, 04:56:06 pm
so what about downgrading to something like OS 1.7 or above? does that work?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: theUnnamed on July 15, 2010, 04:58:40 pm
I'd try it but I don't have a 1.7 OS right now sorry
but if you know where I can get OS 1.7 and 2.0 i'd be happy to try
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: willrandship on July 15, 2010, 05:56:07 pm
It'll work, but only if you buy a clickpad from ti. The touchpad doesn't work, but a touchpad calc with a clickpad will. Luckily, TI recently reduced their price for keypads to $10. They used to be $40
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 15, 2010, 06:13:10 pm
wait.. ok, so I have a ti nspire cas coming my way in the mail atm. so I can buy a ti-nspire cas clickpad and switch out keypads with that? :o
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: willrandship on July 15, 2010, 06:36:33 pm
no, the original cas has no swappable pads. Sorry!

The second gen cas does i think, but it's not compatible with the 84 either, just with itself.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 15, 2010, 06:37:26 pm
Altough I am not very active right now, I just saw this after returning from work and was very dissapointed by Texas Instruments.

Something I have been wondering, is this legal from them? Are they allowed by human software rights to prevent people from using the OS they want on the handheld they BOUGHT?

They are really going far, now, and IMHO, this deserves to be seen by the rest of the world, not just the community. Because of this, I have decided to submit this to Digg.

Link below:
http://digg.com/software/Texas_Instruments_takes_control_of_their_TI_Nspire_customers

If enough people digg this article, it will show up on Digg front page and more people will see it, then it will get spread among other sites, if they consider this as worthy as the similar crap Apple and Sony has been doing with their products.

Does anyone know the french equivalent of Digg? It should be submitted there too, linking to TI-BANK. I wonder if it would be Slashdot-worthy?

Anyway critor, I am moving this on front page. The 30132 posts in a year record breaking can wait. Thanks a lot for letting us know about this. I am gonna edit your news, adding a third link, to the Digg article.

Please, people, do not upgrade, even those with the Touchpad! What if TI blocked every possible ways to install Ndless on this OS?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: matthias1992 on July 15, 2010, 06:43:21 pm
It's past midnight here so I don;t have much time but perhaps sending this to the Electronic Frontier or something like that will help?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 15, 2010, 06:53:43 pm
Nice, DJ. Very necessary, I think. TI has crossed the line.
Wow, I just read about something related earlier today while deciding whether to license a new project as GPLv2 or GPLv3. Specifically tivoization, which refers to putting free software on a device but not allowing a modified version to be put on the device (this refers to TiVo, of course)
I agree that one shouldn't be prevented from using a device as they wish. (This is a reason I don't like cell phones, b/c you can't easily change the OS) I, therefore, am against this move (as is most, if not all, of the calc community) and, despite not owning an Nspire, believe that this is wrong on TI's part.
I'll get off my soapbox. :P
Digg it, fellow forum members!
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 15, 2010, 07:05:24 pm
so.. why is this bad considering that I can downgrade the os to v1.7 or newer being that ndless 2 is gonna be for os 1.7 iirc?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 15, 2010, 07:09:42 pm
I thought that Ndless 2 was going to be for 1.7 and 2.0.  I think I read that they did not have it working right on 2.0 yet and they were waiting to release it until they had it working on that OS.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 15, 2010, 07:11:15 pm
Ndless 2 hasn't been released yet and might not be for a while. In addition, later versions of the OS might do similarly.
The other reason it's bad is just the conceptual part of it. For example, I object to Apple despite never having owned anything of theirs.
In short, the actual restriction and what our philosophies are.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: yunhua98 on July 15, 2010, 07:11:25 pm
The problem is actually that you never want to know what else TI hid in the OS.

And seeing as they only added about three math features and they saw fit to release a new version, it is most likely that they were anxious to release it for the anti-development tools.

btw, I think the lock code was already in some of the the previous OS's, (probably 1.7 and up) and is activated with 2.1, so if you downgrade to 1.7, you still can't downgrade to 1.1 even if you have it.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 15, 2010, 07:11:45 pm
yeah.. if os 2.1 is downgradable to os 1.7 + 2.0, then whats the big deal since that's what ndless is gonna be on anyways
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 15, 2010, 07:14:10 pm
^ Many of us are opposed to the mere idea of taking repeated action against user freedom. We believe it to be unethical.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 15, 2010, 07:18:25 pm
yeah, i agree with you
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 15, 2010, 07:21:19 pm
yeah.. if os 2.1 is downgradable to os 1.7 + 2.0, then whats the big deal since that's what ndless is gonna be on anyways

As far as I know, Ndless2 is not stable, neither on the 1.7 OS, nor on the 2.0 OS.
It's juste worse with the 2.0 OS.

Do as you wish... But if I were you, I wouldn't update.
Because I can't tell if Ndless2 will be released in 2010 or 2011, or even if it WILL be released...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 15, 2010, 07:22:47 pm
that is true.. i just hope my nspire doesn't come pre-shipped with it installed already! :s
edit: just realized something.. reason of not upgrading is to downgrade to os 1.1.. but if the nspire cas with touchpad can't do that anyways, would it make a difference for the touchpad models?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Hot_Dog on July 15, 2010, 07:42:49 pm
Is TI doing this because of complaints from teachers, or is there another reason?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 15, 2010, 07:50:22 pm
that is true.. i just hope my nspire doesn't come pre-shipped with it installed already! :s
edit: just realized something.. reason of not upgrading is to downgrade to os 1.1.. but if the nspire cas with touchpad can't do that anyways, would it make a difference for the touchpad models?
What if OS 2.1 fixed every possible exploit (there are always holes somewhere, but sometimes, we never know) allowing installing any form of Ndless? Sure, the OS allows downgrading to OS 2.0.1, which, eventually, might have Ndless, but has anyone tested the new OS on the touchpad Nspires? Can they even be downgraded from OS 2.1 like the others did (to OS 1.7 through 2.0)?

Also, seeing this, I wouldn't be surprised if eventually, all next TI OSes prevented downgrading to any older OS, even the very prior release of it. And we never know if such OS could come out soon. What if TI notices bugs in 2.1? (when OS 2.0 came out, Mic Nspire died while doing USB transfer), and TI stuff is not tested well, typically. For that I wouldn't recommend installing this OS on your calc until next release, but since next release might include an even worse downgrade protection, I would recommend the next update even less.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 15, 2010, 07:52:01 pm
I'm not sure Ndless is that well-known. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's probably because TI just hates us, as they have demonstrated multiple times, including a lack of documentation for newer models and the recent key-signing controversy.
Our relationship with TI is a love/hate one, or, in other words, that of a hacker. ;D
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 15, 2010, 08:00:24 pm
Btw, I somehow have the feeling Texas Instrument will delete the comment about the impossible downgrade on their Facebook page. I wouldn't be surprised if they did that. In case they do, I have taken a screenshot of it below.

Link to the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Instruments-France/132142133466165?v=wall#!/pages/Texas-Instruments-France/132142133466165?v=wall
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: jnesselr on July 15, 2010, 08:17:19 pm
I think we need to slashdot this.

TI is probably doing this on it's own accord.  Even if a teacher complained about it, I don't think TI would care.  If a lot of teachers complained, then maybe, but I don't think a lot of teachers even know about Ndless.

I think that TI sees this as a whole lot of problems.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Hot_Dog on July 15, 2010, 08:23:05 pm
What I mean is, I remember teachers complaining about the Ti-83+, Ti-84+, etc. being able to hold custom games students could play in class, so I didn't know if TI was trying to prevent it for the Nspire
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 15, 2010, 08:57:14 pm
the war has just begun.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 15, 2010, 09:06:25 pm
What I mean is, I remember teachers complaining about the Ti-83+, Ti-84+, etc. being able to hold custom games students could play in class, so I didn't know if TI was trying to prevent it for the Nspire
That could be a possibility, but I doubt it. Calc gaming has been huge for at least a decade. Over one year before I got my own graphing calc, my brother was talking about how at the school he was going to, a bunch of people were playing Tetris on their TI-82 calculators. When I started going to that school, in 2000, I saw by myself, then I got a calc in 2001 and saw even more, since I started going in classes that required a calc. Games in classes has been a problem for much longer than that I am sure, because I played TI-82 games dating from 1994 before. I am sure TI would have done something long before that if it was such a big problem to them.

There was an article about this from 1998, btw: http://www.ticalc.org/community/articles/21.html .

Also I agree this should be slashdotted. Unfortunately I do not know how to use Slashdot, though.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 15, 2010, 09:06:38 pm
the war has just begun.

And TI strikes again allready...

The new TI-Nspire classroom accessory, the TI-Nspire Docking Station, is going to force teachers to install the 2.1 OSes on all their school and student calculators...


I cannot see at all why the 2.1 OS would be required to make the Docking Station work. TI probably did this on purpose, too...


For more information, just Google-translate my news in french:
http://ti.bank.free.fr/index.php?mod=news&ac=commentaires&id=838
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 15, 2010, 09:34:32 pm
Wow, that docking station looks like a mass execution device for Nspires (wait, that is what it is :().  Dosen't it seem odd that it can transfer 2.1 to a lower OS, but not documents to a lower OS.  You are correct, the war has begun and we need to strike back!

I am glad the teachers in my school don't use Nspires.  I would fight back if I was forced to upgrade my OS.  On a side note, can a teacher force me to upgrade my operating system?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 15, 2010, 09:41:18 pm
*calcdude opens his coding environment and dons his lobster rage fists :P
On a more serious note, this is indeed ridiculous, and reminded about this article: http://www.fsf.org/bulletin/2007/fall/antifeatures/ (http://www.fsf.org/bulletin/2007/fall/antifeatures/) about "anti-features"
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: TC01 on July 15, 2010, 09:41:58 pm
Hopefully this will inspire Ndless development to continue, or cause more people to get involved in the project?

I don't even have an Nspire, but this is ridiculous. Would it be possible for TI to remove assembly support on a newer version of the TI-OS (83+/84+) or AMS (68k calcs)? Would they be likely to?

Or, rather than outright do that, they could just release a really buggy OS that messes with a lot of existing assembly programs, slows down anything dealing with the home screen, introduces compatibility problems... if you were a conspiracy theorist there would be plenty of material for one right there.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 15, 2010, 09:45:56 pm
Seeing that they did it with the Nspire, I fear that they (TI) could probably block ASM on the 83/84 or 68k calcs.  But, especially with the 68k calcs, I highly doubt they will because they don't really care about these series of calcs anymore.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 15, 2010, 09:46:31 pm
They could, but are unlikely. If they do, it will be very difficult for them to prevent downgrades because of [ON]+DEL, not to mention the boot code's unchangeability and, as far as I know, the certificate can't be changed to support only certain OS versions, not to mention there's always a certain boot code exploit to allow you to run arbitrary code.
I am less sure about the 68k series, which someone with more expertise in that area can answer.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 15, 2010, 09:53:21 pm
Would it be possible for TI to remove assembly support on a newer version of the TI-OS (83+/84+) or AMS (68k calcs)?

Or, rather than outright do that, they could just release a really buggy OS that messes with a lot of existing assembly programs, slows down anything dealing with the home screen, introduces compatibility problems...

You know what? They allready did it.
OS 2.53MP for the TI-84+ is buggy, slows down anything dealing with the home screen, introduces compatibility problems...

TI is far more evil than you can imagine, you know...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 15, 2010, 09:56:06 pm
Sneaky, TI, sneaky. You did it (math print) so much better for the 73, which is just an 83+, really.
BrandonW could fix some compat problems, but not the slowness...
Goodness, I am somewhat surprised they ever officially endorsed ASM, anyway...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: TC01 on July 15, 2010, 10:02:26 pm
Would it be possible for TI to remove assembly support on a newer version of the TI-OS (83+/84+) or AMS (68k calcs)?

Or, rather than outright do that, they could just release a really buggy OS that messes with a lot of existing assembly programs, slows down anything dealing with the home screen, introduces compatibility problems...

You know what? They allready did it.
OS 2.53MP for the TI-84+ is buggy, slows down anything dealing with the home screen, introduces compatibility problems...

TI is far more evil than you can imagine, you know...

I was referencing 2.53MP when I wrote that. ;)

But what happened at TI? Was there a change in management or something? Because up to 2004 (Titanium's release) they seemed to be supporting on-calc assembly programming. Didn't they advertise it as a feature? Why are they against it so much now?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 15, 2010, 10:05:32 pm
That is strange that they suddenly stopped supporting ASM programs.  I would think that TI started developing the TI-Nspire in 2004, about three years before it came out.  Maybe TI asked teachers what they wanted to see in a new calculator and they asked for games to be blocked?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Madskillz on July 15, 2010, 11:02:30 pm
That is strange that they suddenly stopped supporting ASM programs.  I would think that TI started developing the TI-Nspire in 2004, about three years before it came out.  Maybe TI asked teachers what they wanted to see in a new calculator and they asked for games to be blocked?
- I definitely think that is part of the reason for games being blocked. Education is a big purchaser of their products. They'd be dumb not listen to what the teachers wanted. And I know my teachers back in high school hated the kids playing calc games. However to block the functionality of a product (ASM) on the 83s/84+ would be stupid as well. The underground movement, if you will of developers, users and the forums past and present is huge. It has become a great hobby for many and for me at least made me believe that I could do this programming stuff and pushed me forward into other languages and platforms.

As for the docking station, all I know is the schools around me are struggling to make ends meet, I dont see them getting a bunch of these.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 16, 2010, 01:30:13 am
Of course TI's misbehaviour needs to be slashdotted, with a reference to several articles on ticalc, and the previous Slashdot article http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/09/21/1418256/TI-vs-Calculator-Hackers :)

Quote
Would it be possible for TI to remove assembly support on a newer version of the TI-OS (83+/84+) or AMS (68k calcs)?
Of course. But now that we have factored all public RSA signing keys and deduced the private keys, it wouldn't be such a big deal. And even before that, as far as TI-68k calculators were concerned (it's different for TI-Z80 calcs), the unfixable exploit to modify the OS at will has been known for 10-11 years.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Juju on July 16, 2010, 02:00:41 am
I don't own anything TI but a 83+, I don't really care about the Nspire, but this shows for sure that TI is evil, like Microsoft and Apple. Of course, calculators are made for calculations and not as a full-fledged computer, I would understand that TI wants us to use our calculators as calculators only. But the community will find a workaround. Like the community jailbreaked all the iPhones and nearly all the z80 line of TI calculators.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: TIfanx1999 on July 16, 2010, 09:19:31 am
Altough I am not very active right now, I just saw this after returning from work and was very dissapointed by Texas Instruments.

Something I have been wondering, is this legal from them? Are they allowed by human software rights to prevent people from using the OS they want on the handheld they BOUGHT?

They are really going far, now, and IMHO, this deserves to be seen by the rest of the world, not just the community. Because of this, I have decided to submit this to Digg.

Link below:
http://digg.com/software/Texas_Instruments_takes_control_of_their_TI_Nspire_customers

If enough people digg this article, it will show up on Digg front page and more people will see it, then it will get spread among other sites, if they consider this as worthy as the similar crap Apple and Sony has been doing with their products.

Does anyone know the french equivalent of Digg? It should be submitted there too, linking to TI-BANK. I wonder if it would be Slashdot-worthy?

Anyway critor, I am moving this on front page. The 30132 posts in a year record breaking can wait. Thanks a lot for letting us know about this. I am gonna edit your news, adding a third link, to the Digg article.

Please, people, do not upgrade, even those with the Touchpad! What if TI blocked every possible ways to install Ndless on this OS?
Dug this, Can you Dig it sucka? (Translation more people dig this!)

There are valid reasons for TI to not support older OSes as many of them are either buggy or incompatible with their new (click pad) Nspires. Also keep in mind that most of these old OSes are not publicly available for TI's site anymore, so there really isn't any reason (for TI) to support them. I'm not saying that their motivation was for these reasons entirely, because it is peculiar that the OSes that are blocked are the ones that allow for third party software to be executed. I wonder if perhaps a patch could be written to allow the reinstall OS function to still allow older OSes to be sent? This certainly does put a damper on things, but I am hopeful that the community will find a workaround.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 16, 2010, 01:20:46 pm
While reading the Google group about the TI-Nspire (basically a group of teachers who are against ASM programs) someone said:

Quote
 I would imagine in March when the next version of the
OS is realsed, you would see some things to get excited about.

This worries me.  If it has some things "to get excited about" it might motivate people to upgrade their OS, making even more Nspires not compatible with Ndless. :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 16, 2010, 01:26:58 pm
This. is. WAR!
I could imagine what a lot of talk in that google group is like :P
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 16, 2010, 01:36:14 pm
This. is. WAR!
I could imagine what a lot of talk in that google group is like :P

Some of their discussion makes me sick because they praise some of the useless features of the nspire and say bad things about ndless.  I only read it to find out news about the Nspire, like this.  This is also where I found out about OS 2.1.

You are right, this is war.  The community has to do something to stop this.  Maybe we can prepare a ton of C/ASM programs for the Nspire to be released at the same time and then get a large feature on ticalc.org to try to lure users into sticking with OS 1.1?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 16, 2010, 01:45:43 pm
ah, this reminds me of the fight between the palm pre and itunes where palm kept sending web os updates to get into itunes, then apple kept sending itunes updates to keep the palm out of itunes. Like I said, the war has just begun.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 16, 2010, 01:56:20 pm
Some of their discussion makes me sick because they praise some of the useless features of the nspire and say bad things about ndless.  I only read it to find out news about the Nspire, like this.  This is also where I found out about OS 2.1.
Well, they are teachers :P (lol, j/k, I've had some really good teachers)
You are right, this is war.  The community has to do something to stop this.  Maybe we can prepare a ton of C/ASM programs for the Nspire to be released at the same time and then get a large feature on ticalc.org to try to lure users into sticking with OS 1.1?
Interesting idea. Possibly better is to create programs for OS 1.7, and when Ndless is released for that OS, release them all at once, since new Nspires will come with 2.1
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 16, 2010, 01:57:59 pm
Some of their discussion makes me sick because they praise some of the useless features of the nspire and say bad things about ndless.  I only read it to find out news about the Nspire, like this.  This is also where I found out about OS 2.1.
Well, they are teachers :P


Hey, I'm a teacher... :-(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 16, 2010, 01:59:31 pm
Oops, sorry. :( You forgot to quote the part where I said "j/k"
Also, you're on our side :)
Edit: for clarification, no hard feelings meant
Also, 500th post!
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 16, 2010, 02:06:10 pm
You know, what motivated me to get a graphing calc for school in 2001 is the fact we could play some games and program some on it. I know it was useful primarly for maths, but had games been impossible on calcs, I would simply have borrowed the TI-82s in math classes or I would have bought the cheap $49.99 Casio Staples had at the time (I don't remember what was the model.). I didn't felt like spending $139.99 plus taxes on a TI-83+ if it was just gonna do some math stuff, not knowing if it was ever gonna be useful anymore once I graduate.

Also, Mic on TI-BANK is a teacher as well. I think someone who used to frequent #tcpa and #ti is now a math teacher, too.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Madskillz on July 16, 2010, 02:06:30 pm
I assume this is the google group you're talking about:
http://groups.google.com/group/tinspire (http://groups.google.com/group/tinspire)

What worries me about this group, besides their lack of knowledge of our community and the fact that any effort to stop "3rd party programs" would just be a stupid battle on TIs part. Its that they all seem to be conspiring against us. They argue that kids dont pay enough attention to them in class. I don't think it's TIs fault or us developers, maybe if the teachers were more engaging and interesting they wouldnt have this lack of attention. They are obviously aware of ticalc.org and that could bring a whole lot of bad attention to us developers. What I mean by that is all the copyright names/games that we infringe on. Up until this point it has been mainly April Fools jokes, but its possible that some of those great games would have to be removed, they would never be lost though.

Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 16, 2010, 02:13:18 pm
This is not to mention that certain TI calc-related softwares used to come with a Ticalc.org CD filled with games. It was removed due to an ASCII porn program reported by a parent, though.

Also Madskillz, there have been three events of C&D in the TI community regarding copyrighted games: Kirk Meyer's Monopoly clone in 1998 and Tenniskid493's Golden Sun: The Chosen One in 2005. I believe Threefingeredguy's Space Station Pheta project was hit by one, too, but both him and the original company finally came to an agreement allowing 3fg to release his clone of the game. I do not recall any other DMCA/C&D incidents regarding copyrighted games in the TI community, though.

In Monopoly case, I don't remember what happened, but he somehow released it 2 years later. I guess he came with an agreement too
In Golden Sun: The Chosen One Case, our former Omnimaga staff Tenniskid493 was forced to remove any Golden Sun references from his game and renamed the game to just "The Chosen One". Sadly, the project never got completed.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 16, 2010, 02:21:06 pm
1. Thhis iss, baad

2. I didnt try it out, but it seems all that "new math functions" is a bunch of hyped up crap, only feature is the block

3. Damnit, just damnit

4. Well big problem for me is that I dont use 1.1 because of that little LCD bug, the patch is very annoying to use every time.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 16, 2010, 02:22:52 pm
1. Thhis iss, baad

I could not agree more. :(

2. I didnt try it out, but it seems all that "new math functions" is a bunch of hyped up crap, only feature is the block

This is completely true.  Also, they added some new features for teachers, most likely to get them to upgrade everyone's OS.

3. Damnit, just damnit

I could not have said it better. :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 16, 2010, 02:32:08 pm
I have applied for membership on that Google group. If people there are posting too many uninformed or hostile crap, then we should try gently fixing them :)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 16, 2010, 02:38:10 pm
I have applied for membership on that Google group. If people there are posting too many uninformed or hostile crap, then we should try gently fixing them :)

I'm a member too. Essentially for staying informed of the good and bad things coming from TI.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: jnesselr on July 16, 2010, 02:44:10 pm
Will anyone slashdot this?  I don't know how, but the "Submit story" button at the top right looks promising.  Actually, I think Critor should do it, since he was the one who found the 'bug'.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 16, 2010, 02:51:51 pm
I have an account on Slashdot, but I don't think I'm that good at writing news submissions :)
(and I won't have time tonight, too)
I wrote one for the improper DMCA letters against several of us publishing the keys, but the one which was up-voted enough to reach news status was "Nyall" Samuel Stearley's.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 16, 2010, 03:17:34 pm
Geez, ti used to be cool, there isnt even BASIC programming for the nspire :/

Hell, it is supposed to be alike to a computer, but DCS does a better job of that
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 16, 2010, 03:19:23 pm
Nspire has BASIC, actually, albeit in a limited form, w/o getkey and such. Not good for making games without getkey, though. (TI probably did this on purpose)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 16, 2010, 03:21:09 pm
-probably +undoubtedly ;)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 16, 2010, 03:21:23 pm
Nspire has BASIC, actually, albeit in a limited form, w/o getkey and such. Not good for making games without getkey, though. (TI probably did this on purpose)

TI-Nspire BASIC is getting better, but I doubt we will ever get getkey.  At least we have input methods now!  I doubt we will see an update to Nspire basic anytime soon, unless TI wants to tempt us to upgrade our OS by adding these features. :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 16, 2010, 03:29:14 pm
What input? I only have disp and the variables you define at the begining, or did I miss something?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 16, 2010, 03:31:01 pm
What input? I only have disp and the variables you define at the begining, or did I miss something?

In OS 2.0 or higher, you can use "Request" or "RequestStr" for input from a program.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 16, 2010, 03:34:53 pm
O_o thanks man, didnt know that.

Feh, dont want to bother to locate a 2.0 because DCS is not friendly with it


EDIT: Guys THIS TOPIC JUST SAVED ME!!! In my graphing calc course next year The teacher got her hands on the docking port, I was going to bring my own nspire, but have now decided to use the teacher's supplied one
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 16, 2010, 07:43:01 pm
Will anyone slashdot this?  I don't know how, but the "Submit story" button at the top right looks promising.  Actually, I think Critor should do it, since he was the one who found the 'bug'.

I'm not sure I'm the right person to do it.
I don't speak english natively.
There is much to say, and the story has to be short too...


As this is very important, someone else should do it.

But you may quote me if you want, and use my picture (1st post) of course.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 16, 2010, 08:22:11 pm
I don't have an account on slashdot, but I am willing to contribute to posting about this.  Maybe we should mention that by blocking programming on the Nspire, TI is preventing a generation of calculator users from understanding a fairly complicated computer programming language that can help in learning more things about computers.  I know that I have learned a ton about programming/computers in general by learning C.  Eventually, if the Nspire becomes TI's only calc (or others like the Nspire that block ASM programs) they will be preventing a generation of students from important computer knowledge.  Many "Coders of Tomorrow" get their start by programming TI calcs.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 16, 2010, 08:57:54 pm
Like MEEEEEEE, because of these calcs, one thing lead to another, and now I am learning C# and continuing TI-BASIC
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: jnesselr on July 16, 2010, 09:17:09 pm
I will try and think of something and post it here later for opinions.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 16, 2010, 09:44:16 pm
well, all this means is that we just have another task from ti to fufill - cracking the new os

(note to self: watch the mission: hack the nspire thread on uti for more activity)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 16, 2010, 09:48:12 pm
Has anyone confirmed that it is possible to downgrade to 2.0 from 2.1 on the touchpad nspire?  Assuming the block is caused by the hardware, it might block all OS downgrades.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 16, 2010, 10:06:48 pm
Yes, it is totally possible, I personally think it is a software block, but that is up to Brandon to decide!

Has anyone contacted TI? If so, please post result here, I would like to see, I am going to see if I can contact them too
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deep Toaster on July 17, 2010, 04:00:53 am
Here's a rough draft of a potential Slashdot story (feel free to edit it):

EDIT: See third topic down.

After someone submits a story on Slashdot, the editors read it and decide if it's "news-worthy", and whether it gets published depends on them. Should I (I do have a Slashdot account)?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Silver Shadow on July 17, 2010, 04:59:52 am
Nice story. If the others agree with me too, you should post it.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 17, 2010, 05:19:15 am
Very nice story.

You may mention something else: this is not TI's first attack against Ndless. TI-Bank used to host the 1.1 OS that was automatically downloaded by Ndless. On april the 2nd, we received a letter from TI's french lawyers, saying that the OS were copyrighted and couldn't be hosted on any website, but asking only to remove OS 1.1. This was definately the 1st attack against Ndless.
So OS 2.1 is allready the 2nd attack.


The TI-Nspire Docking Station which needs OS 2.1 will be the 3rd attack... and the next OS in march with 3D graphing and maybe a paying sdk will be the 4th and 5th attack.

We have to strike back before that...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deep Toaster on July 17, 2010, 05:59:01 am
Thanks, here it is.

"Texas Instruments, already infamous thanks to the signing key controversy (http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/10/13) last year, is trying a new trick to lock down its graphing calculators, this time directed toward its newest TI-Nspire line. The TI-Nspires were already the most controlled of TI's various calculator models, and no third-party development of any kind (except for its very limited form of TI-BASIC) was allowed until the release of Ndless (http://www.ticalc.org/archives/files/fileinfo/426/42626.html). Ndless is an independent tool enabling assembly and C development on the otherwise locked-down Nspire. Since its release, TI has been determined to prevent the large calculator programming community from using it. Its latest released operating system for the Nspire family (version 2.1) now prevents the calculators from downgrading to OS 1.1, needed to run Ndless. This is the TI's second major attack on Ndless, as the company has already demanded that websites posting the required OS 1.1 be removed from public download, obviously to prevent use of the tool. Once again, TI is preventing calculator hobbyists from running their own software on calculators they bought and paid for. Is TI going the way Apple did?"

The other parts probably shouldn't be added since they're more of speculation than of actual evidence that TI is against Ndless, and as you mentioned earlier, it has to be short.

And critor, could you link me to the letter to TI-BANK, even if it's in French? The editors at Slashdot like to see lots of links ;)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 17, 2010, 06:19:30 am
Very very good. You may publish it.
Thanks for your work.

Here is the letter asking TI-Bank to remove OS 1.1 (in french):
http://my.link.free.fr/upload/20100402091449476.pdf
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 17, 2010, 10:32:23 am
The TI-Nspire Docking Station which needs OS 2.1 will be the 3rd attack... and the next OS in march with 3D graphing and maybe a paying sdk will be the 4th and 5th attack.

We have to strike back before that...

critor, when you say "paying sdk" do you mean a sdk that can be used to develop programs (games) in ASM/C or one that can only be used to create TI-Nspire documents like on calc.

Excellent article, Deep Thought.  Hopefully this will be noticed by someone and we can strike back!!! :D
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: TC01 on July 17, 2010, 10:33:52 am
Maybe you should also mention that original versions of the Nspire OS didn't even allow TI-Basic programming?

Like "(except for its very limited form of TI-Basic, which was not even made available until Nspire OS 1.3)"?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 17, 2010, 10:36:56 am
critor, when you say "paying sdk" do you mean a sdk that can be used to develop programs (games) in ASM/C or one that can only be used to create TI-Nspire documents like on calc.

A french teacher working for TI by testing the new OSes befor they are released told me about it, but I cannot say more...

He didn't tell me it would be a paying software... that's my guess. I often wish to be wrong :p
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 17, 2010, 10:49:03 am
Deep Thought: your summary is very good, but somewhat too long. Slashdot news are usually shorter :)

An idea to shorten the submission: "... until the release of the independent Ndless program. [snip the next sentence describing Ndless]"
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 17, 2010, 12:42:39 pm
Hmm, because I have an nspire, please tell me if I can do anything to help!

That slashdot story is very good, but should be condensed as stated above, Ti will regret attacking ndless.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 17, 2010, 01:35:09 pm
That slashdot article seems good. However, one question: When something's submitted to Slashdot, do you give a link to the article so we can vote it up? Or is it up to the admins there?

Also, I hope there's a way to modify the TI-Nspire OS header to remove the downgrade protection or allowing an older OS to be installed (maybe changing the version number of an old OS?) without having to go through the whole 1024 bit key factoring process...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 17, 2010, 02:05:16 pm
Quote
When something's submitted to Slashdot, do you give a link to the article so we can vote it up? Or is it up to the admins there?
It can be up-voted and down-voted by those who have an account (or maybe just the subscribers ? I am subscribed, in any case) and by the mods.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 17, 2010, 02:11:37 pm
Also, I hope there's a way to modify the TI-Nspire OS header to remove the downgrade protection or allowing an older OS to be installed (maybe changing the version number of an old OS?) without having to go through the whole 1024 bit key factoring process...

I've experimented yesterday and today.

The TI-Nspire.img header is protected by a blowfish-encrypted copy.
I've managed to modify the header and the encrypted copy in a coherent way.

But the installation did fail... propably the header is protected by the RSA1024 signature too...
So, double protection then...


I've published my tests in french:
http://tibank.forumactif.com/actualites-f25/os-21-sorti-t5803-60.htm#92803
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 17, 2010, 02:32:07 pm
Yeah I saw earlier :(

I hope this doesn't mean we will have to wait 5 or 10 years for computers powerful enough to factorize 1024 bit keys to come out x.x (if such computers even come out then).

Btw, to make a third-party Nspire OS from scratch, do we need to factor the official OS keys? Would a third-party linking software with Nspire transfer capabilities be able to circumvent on-calc protections preventing a third-party OS to be installed?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 17, 2010, 03:04:21 pm
If the Nspire equivalent of FreeFlash was made, it _might_ not even be enough, due to the chain of validation (boot2 validated by boot1, OS validated by boot2): if the validation of a forcefully installed OS ever gets triggered for some reason, we lose.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: jnesselr on July 17, 2010, 04:06:25 pm
In other words, we can only "win" if we factor the keys, something of which has never been done before.  So basically, we need at least 1e6 computers, or to find another algorithm...  Hmm... I am trying to figure out which is more likely....
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 17, 2010, 04:08:31 pm
So Lionel, you're meaning we can't use OS 2.1 at all without installing the protection?
Then, the next OS release in march with some major new features is going to be a big problem for us...

If I unterstand well, the only way that could remove the protection permanently from my calculators would be:
1) use Ndless2 on OS 1.7/2.0 to remove the protection from the NAND chip
2) immediately install OS 2.0 or older
?


The other way would we to start factoring the keys... and to be very very lucky... :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 17, 2010, 08:46:57 pm
Well, I think factoring the keys will be too difficult with current computers, the ndless2 idea looks nice though ( but we dont know if that owuld work)


I would like to see what happens when you put 2.1 on the nspire emu, oerhaps I can figure something ut
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 17, 2010, 08:58:08 pm
qazz42, Goplat released a new version of the nspire emulator today on unitedti that supports the new OS
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deep Toaster on July 17, 2010, 09:17:22 pm
Here it is: http://slashdot.org/submission/1285326/TI-Against-Calculator-Hobbyists--Again (http://slashdot.org/submission/1285326/TI-Against-Calculator-Hobbyists--Again)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 17, 2010, 09:42:11 pm
Great job Deep Thought! :D

Hopefully this will be noticed by someone!
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 17, 2010, 11:17:49 pm
Btw, people, I think Slashdot works a bit like Digg but I'm not too sure. You may want to click the + icon at http://slashdot.org/submission/1285326/TI-Against-Calculator-Hobbyists--Again (there should be a + - besides the title). Also one concern I have about Ndless 2 is that even if it got released for OS 1.7 and 2.0, what if all new Nspire calcs come pre-loaded with 2.1? A new Ndless would have to be done, then, unless the new OS can support the current Ndless 2. Then we're in for another several months of wait, like we are with Ndless 2, and by the time 3 is out, a new OS will have come out, forcing the dev to create Ndless 4... It will be an endless battle like with the Iphone, where the community will have to make sure that a team of developper remains around to constantly jailbreak every new hardware/OS for the next year to come, which can be hard considering normally the average calc user retires from the community after college.

Another thing I hope is that Ndless will not eventually go the way PSP 2000 hacking did: requiring the user to modify their PSP hardware (requiring good hands with electronics and the tools to do it) to run 3rd party stuff on it. It would reduce Ndless audience drastically, since not everyone is willing to do electronic stuff.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deep Toaster on July 17, 2010, 11:36:25 pm
It's an Ndless cycle :(

Unless, of course, we somehow convince TI that Ndless isn't evil.

EDIT: Doesn't OS 2.1 allow downgrading to 1.7, though? So Ndless 2 could still work with just a downgrade, just like the original.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 17, 2010, 11:54:36 pm
It does, on the clickpad Nspires. On the touchpad ones, I think the lowest is 2.0, though (unless 2.1 actually activate an even worse protection on the touchpad models). Plus, we never know if 2.2 or 3.0 or 2.1.1 will block every possible downgrades anyway, when/if they arrive.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 18, 2010, 09:38:57 am
No.. no.. I think Ti isnt that retarded as to block EVERY downgrade, just the ones they think are dangerous
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 18, 2010, 09:46:23 am
Unless, of course, we somehow convince TI that Ndless isn't evil.

I think that will take an Ndless amount of time. :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: jnesselr on July 18, 2010, 11:50:34 am
At least the article is on the main slashdot.org page.  However a lot of he comments are saying don't allow a calculator at all.  I didn't read a single comment (Granted, I didn't read them all) that brought up the point that just because you have a calculator doesn't mean that it just gives you the answers.

Anyway, at least this way, there will be a little more publicity for the article.  Now we just need to factor the keys.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: ACagliano on July 18, 2010, 12:10:05 pm
We should boycott the NSpires. TI-84+ rocks.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 18, 2010, 12:43:32 pm
For some reasons, I wish what ACagliano said would happen. However, I doubt that would really happen, because it would be hard to reach the entire planet with that news, especially people who don't go online often. If their Nspire sales dropped a lot and their 84+ sales continued increasing or remained the same, maybe they would try attracting customers with something more interesting for the Nspire. My fear, though, is a paid SDK.

I'm glad the article made it to Slashdot at least. Altough people there are generally not calculator fans, there are quite a bunch of pro-open-source people there who are against stuff like what TI and Apple do.

I hope there will be a way to factor the keys x.x (or an alternative)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: ACagliano on July 18, 2010, 12:45:58 pm
Push-to-Test was the first indicator of what was to come. And if there's a will, there's a way. If we could crack PTT, then we can crack this. Just a little more work.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Silver Shadow on July 18, 2010, 01:33:47 pm
Hmmm... I've read the comments on Slashdot, and I noticed that many people got it wrong. They think that we want to hack the Nspire to be able to cheat on tests, whereas our real purpose is just to make it possible to program on it.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deflect on July 18, 2010, 01:47:11 pm
I think we need to take charge and start factoring the keys like we did with the 83/83+/84, ect. Maybe we'll get lucky and it won't end up taking 10 years. We have OpenCL and powerful gfx cards now (CUDA sucks!) I'd be willing to donate all of my spare CPU/GPU cycles and so will most of the computers at my college (Whether they like it or not! Haha).

We can do this together if we all rise up and take a stand!
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 18, 2010, 01:51:22 pm
@Silver Shadow yeah x.x

This isn't to mention on tests, either the questions will render the calc cheat programs useless (questions where you must write down the entire solution to the math problem) or teachers will clear your memory/lock down your calc before the exam start

@Deflect I wonder what would be a good way to get as many people together as possible to factor the keys, especially for something like calculators, which not a lot of people outside the TI community care about when it comes to 3rd party dev? If we got enough people (and computers) together, maybe it could be possible.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deflect on July 18, 2010, 02:32:51 pm
People care (maybe not as much as us) but they care! If we make it easy to run the program, and write up a story appealing to our fellow hackers about why its important to maintaing OUR rights as hobbists, tinkerers, and programmers, then people will run it and slashdot it.

This calculator is a tool for learning, and learning BASIC, and assembly to write programs and games by FAR did that for me! It shaped me into the person I am today!

I just can't let the generation after ours as screwed up as they already as they are, not have the same experiences!  ;)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 18, 2010, 02:48:21 pm
Well... one thing that encourages me is that non-calc programmers care a lot about freedom and rights. That, combined with pro-open-source people, could be enough to gather people together to help factoring the keys or something like that. Back when the z80 TI OS keys were factored, a lot of people joined UTI (where was located the key factoring discussion) and wanted to help.

I hope we can manage to allow TI-Nspire users to be able to do what we could do on the T-82, 85 and 92 (ASH, ZShell and Fargo). Just seeing a 90 MHz platform not even be able to do something the 83+ can is pathetic.

That said, I agree the program needs to be easy to run. It also need to be cross-platform, since a lot of people use Windows or Linux and some only have access to Mac.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deflect on July 18, 2010, 02:59:12 pm
Another reason why it'd have to be open source is that people could say devote some cluster computing time to it off an Amazon Cluser or Rackspace Cloud deal. One thing thats really great about it is that if you build it, they will come!

If they try to stop us like they did last time then I think the EFF would again send out letters to TI warning them against their baseless threats as were not making any money off of this, and they are prohibiting legitimate tinkering on OUR hardware.

Quote
"This is not about copyright infringement. This is about running your own software on your own device -- a calculator you legally bought,"
- EFF Civil Liberties Director Jennifer Granick

I don't think I could have put it better myself!  :)

Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 18, 2010, 03:06:43 pm
Oh wow I remember that "If they build it, they will come" thing now o.o

weird that I forgotten this, being a former Montreal Expos fan :P

And yeah, true. One concern I have, though: I remember hearing something on UTI or an IRC channel once, that claimed that while doing this with the 8x keys, it would be illegal with the Nspire. I totally forgot what, though. Was it because of the issue about allowing a CAS OS to run on a non-CAS Nspire? TI would probably have a problem with that, since it could hurt their sales (instead of buying a Nspire CAS, people would buy the regular model, crack it then put a CAS OS on it, which is apparently doable because the hardware is exactly the same. When we buy a CAS Nspire, we pay for the software, mostly)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 18, 2010, 03:39:14 pm
@Deflect: there are only two ways to factor the keys:
* trial factoring: even a billion computers working for several years would explore only an extremely tiny of the search space (~10^155 >> the estimated number of atoms in the universe), i.e. only extreme luck would get the factors;
* GNFS, the same algorithm as for 512-bit keys - but factoring a 1024-bit key is between one million (1e6) and one hundred million (1e8) times harder than factoring a 512-bit RSA key, way above the state of the art (768-bit RSA key, using unpublished algorithms made by the top researchers of the field and clusters of computers).
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: jnesselr on July 18, 2010, 03:53:35 pm
yep. we might as well try using boinc, though.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: TC01 on July 18, 2010, 04:04:53 pm
I think factoring the Nspire keys should wait until assembly hacks are available for the existing Nspire operating systems (1.7, 2.0, 2.1). Consider that it was only around ten years after release to factor the other calculator's keys- calculators that had either already been hacked for assembly support or had built-in assembly support.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deflect on July 18, 2010, 04:08:32 pm
Yeah, but why not at least start the factoring of the keys with boinc like we did last time, and eventually as computing power increases (Well GPUs are really the powerhouses now) we will have it .... ok still in a looong time, but at least eventually we'll have it!
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 18, 2010, 04:13:34 pm
There may be another way you haven't been thinking of, using the diagnostic menu from the TI-Nspire.

No, not the maintenance menu, the maintenance menu is just crap...


That menu:
(http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/13/23/13/53/diag010.jpg)

What if there was a true "format" in the "1.Memory" this time? ;)

It's not easy launching it, though.


Enjoy! (in french, again)
http://tibank.forumactif.com/actualites-f25/une-nspire-qui-craque-t5809.htm

You may use the pictures, but please mention the source and make a link.
I'm going to make a big news and mention all the details with the data I'm collecting soon.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: TC01 on July 18, 2010, 04:14:18 pm
Yeah, but why not at least start the factoring of the keys with boinc like we did last time, and eventually as computing power increases (Well GPUs are really the powerhouses now) we will have it .... ok still in a looong time, but at least eventually we'll have it!
I don't disagree with that- I'm just saying that concentrating all the community's resources on it right now might not be a good idea. Because in the short term, hacking 1.7, or 2.0 or 2.1, will be much more beneficial. And probably easier/faster to do, too.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 18, 2010, 04:40:40 pm
critor, will this menu help in allowing downgrades?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 18, 2010, 04:42:43 pm
critor, will this menu help in allowing downgrades?

Maybe... I'm testing all items.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: jnesselr on July 18, 2010, 04:44:39 pm
Yeah, but why not at least start the factoring of the keys with boinc like we did last time, and eventually as computing power increases (Well GPUs are really the powerhouses now) we will have it .... ok still in a looong time, but at least eventually we'll have it!
I don't disagree with that- I'm just saying that concentrating all the community's resources on it right now might not be a good idea. Because in the short term, hacking 1.7, or 2.0 or 2.1, will be much more beneficial. And probably easier/faster to do, too.
Short term yes, but TI will just as easily release a new update blocking it again.

Besides, letting your computer run all day is not that difficult.

@critor Good job!  You must tell how you found that.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deflect on July 18, 2010, 04:59:15 pm
Exactly Graphmaster (and TC01) its like the PSP. (analogy time)

You can downgrade the PSP firmware, but until you are running custom firmware you cant run the latest games and enjoy all of the latest features while being able to run your own code. In a sense its the best of both worlds (No Hannah Montana references please)

Actually a custom OS will probably be the only way we can enjoy compatibility with their dock, the ability to run our own code, and .... whatever wonderful updates/features TI packs into their OS  [/SARCASM] It worked out for the PSP crowd, and assuming we can sign our own OS, or modify theirs then we can get to work on an easy, neatly packed piece of software for the whole TI community to enjoy. In short (what this means to the normal Joe Shmoe) if we can get their keys, then eventually kids will be able to Load apps and games on their calculator easily, and download a simple SDK for writing their own apps, and read up on tutorials.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 18, 2010, 05:17:22 pm
Am I correct in assuming that we only need to crack one key to send our own OS.  Or do we need several keys (I remember reading about several keys the nspire is protected with).
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deflect on July 18, 2010, 05:20:24 pm
We need to crack the private key still (I've been out the the loop for a while with work so bear with me if I'm utterly wrong) We have the public keys, all we need to do is kind out the private key (Not a trivial thing) 1024 bit RSA encryption So to factor that .... well that'll take a while. The only thing we can do its throw all the computing power we can at it for a few months (To a few years) cross our fingers and clusers and computing power increases will eventually crack it. Who knows, we could get lucky and crack it easily, but we wont know until we try ...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 18, 2010, 05:25:55 pm
@critor Good job!  You must tell how you found that.


Finally, there is no formatting option in the memory sub-menu from the diagnostic menu.

I can't reveal everything for the moment... You know I usually never keep such secrets for myself, but this time it's different.


You may read a condensed version of this discovery here:
http://ti.bank.free.fr/index.php?mod=news&ac=commentaires&id=839


I'll reveal everything as soon as I can.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: jnesselr on July 18, 2010, 05:30:14 pm
ooh.  UART and SD.  Wait, what?

Je ne parle pas français.  Je ne sais pas comment précise Google Translate est.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Silver Shadow on July 18, 2010, 05:34:57 pm
Google Translate sucks isn't very accurate. But don't worry, the text on the pics is enough to understand what's going on; it's just a bunch of hardware tests.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 18, 2010, 06:36:16 pm
DJ, I am afraid so, if it wasnt for the fact you can put Cas on a non-CAS, all legal issues would be easily defeated, and ndless2 would be out.


Something I would like to see is a omnicalc for the nspire, what the nspire has now SUCKS, if this nspire omnicalc could add things like getkey and such.....
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deflect on July 18, 2010, 07:13:58 pm
DJ, I am afraid so, if it wasnt for the fact you can put Cas on a non-CAS, all legal issues would be easily defeated, and ndless2 would be out.

The thing is, that would require someone else breaking the law ... not us. If what were doing is completely legal then why does that affect us? If I made a blueprint for making a baseball bat then why cant I share it with my friends?  because someone might use that to kill someone? I think thats ridiculous.

Piracy is everywhere ...(analogy time again!)  Just because you can have custom firmware for the PSP that *can* allow piracy and ripped isos, far more people use it for legitimate reasons and to add ridiculously awesome new features that Sony would never take the time to add.

Fear of other people using it to break the law shouldn't stop us as long as WE don't!  :) 
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 18, 2010, 07:23:33 pm
True, it's like lawnmowers. Lawnmowers can be used to kill people. Should they make them illegal just because people use them for such purposes? Same goes with a certain type of glue. Some people used it to have effects like illicit drugs. Does that make that kind of glue illegal? No. They still sell it in stores.

If a tool to make third-party OSes or send any third-party code to the Nspire was made, it would not be illegal, thus, TI shouldn't be able to take it down. Their authors are not responsible for people who misuse their tools to pirate their CAS software, IMO. If WE do pirate their software, however, then that's another story.

@Critor btw I think some video games have some sort of maintenance/about menus too. Mystic Quest Legends for the Super Nintendo is an example, providing it's ran on a real Super Nintendo console (press SELECT+START in the menu. Doesn't let you do a lot, though). A bunch of games even have debug rooms, altough sometimes they are only available through cheat codes. I am curious what kind of stuff can be done through the Nspire diagnostic menu... it would be nice if some stuff could be executed, jailbreaking the machine (or opening it to run other programs allowing its jailbreak) through that menu.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: quasi_Phthalo on July 18, 2010, 07:41:16 pm
are NEW nspires (ie, the ones on the shelf at office depot) upgraded with OS 2.1 yet? Slash, is it too late for an interested programmer to buy their first nspire?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 18, 2010, 07:47:52 pm
I doubt it, but I wouldn't be surprised if the ones that will come soon afterward did. It may depend of the store, though. Over here, it took until 2008 before they offer the first Nspire.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 18, 2010, 07:50:00 pm
I just bought my first nspire... hope it doesn't come with the cursed os 2.1!

edit: yay 100'th post
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 18, 2010, 07:51:59 pm
From the IRC logs, it seems that you aren't getting the calc yet, tho? Did they ship it at all or something? I hope you didn't get scammed x.x

That said, if you get your calc, I hope it has an older OS and that it never had 2.1 on it before.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 18, 2010, 07:53:55 pm
I think it will be a little while before the 2.1 nspire show up on shelves, but I am wondering if the Nspires with the touchpads built in will even be downgradeable at all.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 18, 2010, 07:56:28 pm
Yeah, I heard that this protection has been around since the beginning, but that it did not work on older models or something. I get worried on newer Nspires the protection will be even stronger.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 18, 2010, 07:58:17 pm
oh definitely didn't get scammed.. lol I bought it from one of the TI dealers that they have listed

its at copcoinc.com... yeah, they have a weird thing that they will email you after 5 pm on the day that its shipped and so far I havn't gotten that email yet.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 18, 2010, 08:02:50 pm
Mhmm I see. It doesn't really necessarly mean the dealers they provide aren't scams, though. TI site is generally outdated. By the time they updated it until now, the company that sold the Nspire could have been bought by another group and went under without warnign anyone. I tend to be careful when buying stuff online.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 18, 2010, 08:04:22 pm
Still, I would think this site is ok since they do have the touchpad Nspires.  They have only been out for a few months.  If the site was a scam, I would think that they would not have listed new products.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 18, 2010, 08:07:01 pm
yeah, I think they will email me tomorrow about it.. if not then.... x.x
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 18, 2010, 08:07:08 pm
Well we never know sometimes. Some thieves are professionals and sometimes they may even seem to be more legit than actual legit companies. I personally only ever buy from sites like Ebay or Amazon where we got protections if we don't get the item. on Amazon I bought a CD from Calibris on the marketplace once. They never sent it and I got a refund almost immediately after I contacted Amazon.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 19, 2010, 01:42:20 am
To those who still think we can factor the keys: I suggest you to read the http://ourl.ca/6236 topic both entirely and carefully ;)
1) we don't have access to the special algorithms and implementations, made by the top researchers of the field, that enabled factoring RSA-768.
2) these researchers, in their paper about RSA-768, estimate that a) RSA-1024 is about a thousand times harder (-> certainly requires improvements to the aforementioned, private algorithms, and even more special clusters of computers for the post-processing stages) than RSA-768 and b) such efforts need professional full-time supervision.
3) it can be derived from the above (I wrote it somewhere, maybe not on Omnimaga) that we need 10000 to 100000 TB of storage space...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 19, 2010, 01:44:08 am
X.x

I guess it's a no-go, then.

If there's no exploit in OS 2.1 and the future OSes, then TI has won the battle against Ndless...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: bwang on July 19, 2010, 02:31:10 am
Well, Ndless 2 is still in active development (I think), so you'll never know what ExtendeD and friends will come up with :)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 19, 2010, 02:47:00 am
True, but what I mean is if somehow, TI managed to successfully fix every possible exploits in 2.1 (or if they do in the next OS) and manages to not introduce new ones. No one is perfect so there are little chances that this happens, but we never know.

That said, if people confirm on touchpad calcs, OS 2.1 can be downgraded to 2.0, an Ndless 2 that only runs on 1.7 and 2.0 could do the job for as long as TI makes 1.7 and 2.0 available on their site (I wouldn't be surprised if they were gone by now, though.)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 19, 2010, 05:07:45 am
Yes, TouchPads can be downgraded from 2.1 to 2.0.

I guess the protection that's borbidding downgrades to OSes older than 2.0 is exactly the same.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 19, 2010, 08:34:30 am
oh man... this does not sound good
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 19, 2010, 08:39:59 am
oh man... this does not sound good


It does sound good to me...

If we manage to break the OS 2.1 protection oncalc...
Then by the same way, we are breaking the TouchPad protection.


TI is really stupid. Before the releease of OS 2.1, we knew allmost nothing about the TouchPad protection :p
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 19, 2010, 09:01:19 am
I meant not good referring to the RSA keys
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 19, 2010, 09:30:45 am
critor, do we know if the touchpad is compatible with OS 1.1. I have a touchpad for my clickpad.  Would you like me to test it?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 19, 2010, 09:33:41 am
critor, do we know if the touchpad is compatible with OS 1.1. I have a touchpad for my clickpad.  Would you like me to test it?

The touchpad keypad doesn't work with OS 1.x.
The OS just keeps rebooting...

So if we can downgrade a TI-Nspire TouchPad to OS 1.x, we will need a clickpad keypad.


If Ndless gets released for OS 2.0, we won't have those kind of problems any more ^^
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 19, 2010, 11:13:31 am
DJ, I am afraid so, if it wasnt for the fact you can put Cas on a non-CAS, all legal issues would be easily defeated, and ndless2 would be out.

The thing is, that would require someone else breaking the law ... not us. If what were doing is completely legal then why does that affect us? If I made a blueprint for making a baseball bat then why cant I share it with my friends?  because someone might use that to kill someone? I think thats ridiculous.

Piracy is everywhere ...(analogy time again!)  Just because you can have custom firmware for the PSP that *can* allow piracy and ripped isos, far more people use it for legitimate reasons and to add ridiculously awesome new features that Sony would never take the time to add.

Fear of other people using it to break the law shouldn't stop us as long as WE don't!  :)  


Haha, good point, I dont want to use the CAS OS anyways, I dont like it.

*qazz42 goes off to kill someone with his mower2000



EDIT: Sorry if I am derailing the convo, but why can't you send CAS 1.1 to a non-cas if the non-cas has ndless installed?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 19, 2010, 12:10:47 pm
A video demonstrating the ability to run the CAS OS on the non-CAS was posted months ago ;)
It wasn't released at the time, but that was before 1) TI's attack on TI-Bank and 2) the anti-downgrade protection in OS 2.1.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 19, 2010, 01:13:46 pm
Soooo? I can put a 1.1 Cas on a non-cas with nspire?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 19, 2010, 01:14:49 pm
Apparently yes, but please realize that it is illegal.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 19, 2010, 01:16:42 pm
Apparently yes, but please realize that it is illegal.

Just putting it is not illegal.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 19, 2010, 01:18:54 pm
So what is? ???
*calcdude is confused
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 19, 2010, 01:27:15 pm
So what is? ???
*calcdude is confused

Using the CAS software in some exams.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 19, 2010, 01:36:19 pm
Oh, yes, that...
*calcdude feels like ranting at TI again (inspired indirectly by an earlier reply) :P
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 19, 2010, 01:46:45 pm
Isn't turning a non-CAS Nspire into a CAS somewhat illegal, though? You normally pay $230 for a CAS and $185 for a non-CAS over here, and since both have similar hardwares, you pretty much pay the difference in the software. By installing a CAS on a non-CAS you would kinda be stealing $45 from TI, depending of where you bought your machine.

That said, not much can be done against you if you do that, though, because it's hard for anyone to get proof. It would simply be like when you download Nintendo ROMs or mp3s. On top of that, it wouldn't be as illegal, since downloading the CAS OS is legal, being available on TI website for free.

The only issue I forsee is if someone tries to pass his calc as a non-CAS in a test, something common with the TI-8x series. Back in the days (and I'm sure people still do it), people would open their TI-83 Plus or TI-84 Plus case and put in a TI-89 or TI-89 Titanium hardware.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: jnesselr on July 19, 2010, 02:16:03 pm
Right, but being the same hardware, it would probably be easier.  I think you are paying for software here, but I don't really know.  If the CAS os were to easily update onto the non-CAS, then that could be a problem for TI

I have actually not seen any Nspires being allowed at standardized testing facilities.  Then again, I haven't seen them banned either.  Does anyone know if they are legal or not?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Silver Shadow on July 19, 2010, 02:22:35 pm
Right, but being the same hardware, it would probably be easier.  I think you are paying for software here, but I don't really know.  If the CAS os were to easily update onto the non-CAS, then that could be a problem for TI

I have actually not seen any Nspires being allowed at standardized testing facilities.  Then again, I haven't seen them banned either.  Does anyone know if they are legal or not?
http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/homePage/nspire-exam-acceptance.html
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 19, 2010, 02:32:54 pm
Apparently yes, but please realize that it is illegal.

1. I dont like the CAS, I want to stick to my non-cas

2. I know, I only wanted to check if it possible.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 19, 2010, 11:09:25 pm
I think you are paying for software here
We do, otherwise the TI-Nspire CAS would be cheaper than the regular Nspire (since it doesn't come with an additional 84+ keypad)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 19, 2010, 11:25:54 pm
I would love to have the CAS OS on the non CAS.

It is one of the most anti-TI things we can do. ;)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 20, 2010, 12:37:00 am
However, if we persisted in wanting to install the CAS on our non-CAS, it would make TI even less willing to give the TI community more freedom (not that they would, but it would be worse). Plus, if TI saw this as a threat for their sales, they could simply drop out of the calc market and guess what would happen to the TI community...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: jnesselr on July 20, 2010, 12:48:46 am
Considering that there entire sales platform is the nspire, then it would be problematic if the cas software were to be available to non-cas users.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 20, 2010, 12:55:02 am
Well, not really their entire sales. From what I can see, Ticalc.org 83+ downloads are still quite high and many new members who join Omnimaga got 83+ or 84+ calcs. I think the 83+ serie is still the most sold one right now. I doubt the 84+ will be discontinued anytime soon, either, because they just released a new OS a few months ago. I have doubts about the regular 83+ in long terms, though. They'll probably discontinue it then in 4 years they'll re-release it as the TI-82 PLUS STATS or the TI-82 STATS PLUS in Europe, with the only difference being the name (like they did with the TI-82 STATS)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 20, 2010, 01:56:17 am
Quote
By installing a CAS on a non-CAS you would kinda be stealing $45 from TI, depending of where you bought your machine.
Or looking at it the other way round, we could say that TI is charging a premium of [$45 + price of 84+ ClickPad keyboard] from those who buy a Nspire CAS.

Quote
I would love to have the CAS OS on the non CAS.
It is one of the most anti-TI things we can do. ;)
Indeed. And TI's attacks on the community are making it more likely that this occurs.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: bwang on July 20, 2010, 02:08:07 am
We should just write (or more likely, port) our own CAS for the non-CAS. Then TI would have nothing to say.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 20, 2010, 02:44:55 am
That would be an idea as well. Altough for that, we need to factor the keys...

For now, there is already a CAS for the regular Nspire, though, called mCAS, on TI-BANK. I don't know if it's available in english, though.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: fb39ca4 on July 20, 2010, 10:20:17 am
We can also port at least the math portion of one of the numerous open-source CAS programs out there, and write a new interface for it.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 03:02:18 pm
Btw I think that Nelson Sousa guy on the TI-Nspire Google group is not any better than the people who commented on Slashdot. He bashes TI-BANK claiming the forums is useless (quite ironic considering it's listed in his website links section http://www.nelsonsousa.pt/index.php?lang=en&cat=4&subcat=0&article=0 ). To me, though, he seems like a troll, so he should probably be ignored. I think the way he replied to TI-BANK admin speaks by itself: http://tibank.forumactif.com/blabla-f18/crachons-sur-ti-bank-t5814.htm

It kinda reminds me someone with the initials KK, who always seemed against Nspire dev. As the guys on TI-BANK said, I think the guy is just jealous TI-BANK is successful. I could not find his forum, though, if he has one.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: ztrumpet on July 21, 2010, 03:08:02 pm
This is ridiculous.  TI, you shouldn't be disallowing the freedom to run whatever OS we want to run on your devices we bought.  I hope we can remove these protections. :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 21, 2010, 03:10:22 pm
Nelson Sousa acted much worse than the Slashdot commenters: he wrote a post full of flamebait, cluelessness, disrespect and even slander, all that while explicitly starting by "I don't want to start a flame war". My foot.
See also http://ourl.ca/6377/103814 . Nelson Sousa is a TI shill, we don't need to interact more with such persons.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 03:25:31 pm
Yeah I just saw :/

Back on the topic of TI, remember this pic? ::)

(http://www.omnimaga.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3761.0;attach=2334;image)

Now check http://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Instruments-France/132142133466165

I guess I was right that TI would censor the comments, eh?

Also, Critor's previous FB account got shut down a few days ago, apparently. See the post on TI-BANK. http://tibank.forumactif.com/blabla-f18/ti-fait-desactiver-mon-compte-fb-t5818.htm

Did Critor sent way too many invites at once, annoying people on FB? Or did TI got his account shutted down? I know invite spam (if Critor even did that at all) can be reported on Facebook and get you deleted, but don't you find it ironic this happens right after he posted the truth on TI page? Idk if it's really a coincidence...

Btw he got a new account, now, but he had to re-add all his friends...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 21, 2010, 03:30:07 pm
TI, TI...
I'm reminded of how Apple deleted threads relating to reception problems on iPhones.
TI is indeed going the way of Apple.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Silver Shadow on July 21, 2010, 03:43:50 pm
From what I saw, it must've been TI that shut down his account, complaining that he "posted to much on their wall".
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 03:44:17 pm
Yeah,

don't get me wrong: Omnimaga has strict rules on trolling and unnecessary provocative/narrow-minded comments, but it doesn't mean I'm for censorship or stuff like that. In fact, the new Omni board even has a staff policy disallowing the deletion of someone else's post except illegal content (the rest of the post is kept intact). It's up to the user to delete/edit his posts (if he doesn't then he just ruins his rep, that's all). TI is going way too far IMHO. Again, it's their Facebook page, but their action shows they want to hide the truth revealed by a bunch of customers from their other customers. :/
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 21, 2010, 03:48:57 pm
yeah.. this is completely insane
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 21, 2010, 03:50:36 pm
Echoing ztrumpet's request on IRC, could someone translate that facebook comment in the image on the previous page?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Silver Shadow on July 21, 2010, 04:39:02 pm
"Beware of the fact that the 2.1 version of the Nspire OS prevents downgrading to a version inferior or equal to 1.6, even though "everything you may try..." - You'd better stay on the 2.0 version of the OS."
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 21, 2010, 04:42:19 pm
Thanks :)
And of course TI doesn't want others to know this...
* calcdude sighs again
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 04:50:18 pm
Btw I think that Nelson Sousa guy on the TI-Nspire Google group is not any better than the people who commented on Slashdot. He bashes TI-BANK claiming the forums is useless (quite ironic considering it's listed in his website links section http://www.nelsonsousa.pt/index.php?lang=en&cat=4&subcat=0&article=0 ). To me, though, he seems like a troll, so he should probably be ignored. I think the way he replied to TI-BANK admin speaks by itself: http://tibank.forumactif.com/blabla-f18/crachons-sur-ti-bank-t5814.htm

It kinda reminds me someone with the initials KK, who always seemed against Nspire dev. As the guys on TI-BANK said, I think the guy is just jealous TI-BANK is successful. I could not find his forum, though, if he has one.


Yeah, I have seen him before, he looks like a real @$$% Troll.

wth? THEY DELETEED HIS FB? God, they really killed them selfs in my eyes
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 04:58:46 pm
I am very sure I saw other comments by Nelson before on TI websites. I even think there might have been some in ticalc comments, but I'm not sure. IIRC, all of them were troll/flamebait. Basically, he can't be taken seriously (although, sadly, he main brainwash a few people)

On an off-topic note, proof that this OS issue drew a lot of attention (and maybe that Critor is awesome :P), even before the shashdotting (we only got one new member posting in here after the news), this news is close to the record of 202 comments on a news article on Omnimaga. The most commented news ever on Omnimaga is the 2009 Omnimaga programming contest, followed by this Critor news, then in 3rd place Doors CS 6 (on the old board with 140+ comments). It tells that a lot of people care about their freedom when it comes to 3rd party dev
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 21, 2010, 05:01:17 pm
Only one more comment after mine to tie it... record-breaking time! :P
Why do people have to troll... :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 05:03:36 pm
Because they find it fun :P

It's like school bullies, but on the Internet. The only difference is that on the internet, they're at least easier to avoid or ignore due to lack of physical contact
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 21, 2010, 05:05:12 pm
Of course... :(
Record broken! Yay! :D
With so many Nspire threads, I don't know where to post a comment... :P
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 05:08:30 pm
Well, we need more updates on ndless, I would like to know what has been accomplished so far.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 21, 2010, 05:10:11 pm
Ndless 2 is on hold right now AFAIK. I don't now what's been accomplished, but the developers can answer that.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 05:11:15 pm
Ah, well, no rush, I understand they are in school
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: TC01 on July 21, 2010, 05:15:02 pm
Yes, Nelson Sousa is active on ticalc.org (http://www.ticalc.org/cgi-bin/acct-view.cgi?userid=2122) (or was last year, anyway).

He claims to have programmed in Basic for every calculator (with a few exceptions like the 80 and the 81) but only owns two, an 84+ and an Nspire. He has, however, authored 13 Nspire Basic programs.

I started writing this post when the record was not even tied, but the time it took to search ticalc.org and check out some of this guy's programs slowed me down...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 05:21:46 pm
Heh, it is funny how he bashes ticalc and ti-bank, but says that they are wonderful in his website.


Also, isnt he the one being useless? Just bashing asm?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 21, 2010, 05:23:10 pm
Its odd that he only has Nspire BASIC programs.

Maybe he assumes that BASIC is the exact same thing for all TI calcs?

Also, he lists an 84+ SE in his profile, but that could just be the 84 emulator with the Nspire.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 05:24:39 pm
Hmmmm, yeah,

 nspire basic<ANY OTHER BASIC IN THE WORLD

Not the same
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 05:28:00 pm
Nspire BASIC isn't that bad, though, in the way it does math stuff much faster than other calcs, and I believe some graphical stuff is faster too, but not all of it. However, the only way to have interactivity in games, a function similar to Input, kinda ruins it. Also, the only reason why the language in overall is much faster is most likely due to the fact it's running at 90 MHz, not 6 or 15.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 05:29:59 pm
Good point DJ, but I am talking from a game prgmer point of view. (me)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 05:34:39 pm
Aah ok. Well, in BASIC' the farthest you could go to is some sort of strategy game with sprites made of lines and the like I think, and to select a building/spot on the map, you would need to input it in number form. It would be so complicated. For a RPG, you would number each door in a room, then type the number of the location you want to go to. Does Nspire BASIC even support For()/Pause command, though?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 05:36:31 pm
nope, it does not have any of the good commands
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: fb39ca4 on July 21, 2010, 05:51:26 pm
Nspire basic does have an input command, but it uses a dialog box, which ruins it for games. Also, graphics output sucks, because there is no way to create a new line/circle/etc, you have to link an existing object to a variable, and change it. I started programming a minesweeper game. It needed parametric functions for the numbers. Since then ndless came out, and I have been using C ever since.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Snake X on July 21, 2010, 05:52:28 pm
Nspire basic SUCKS, I found that out on my new nspire.. :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 05:56:08 pm
fb39ca4 really? O.o wow that's worse than I could have imagined. I guess that we're stuck with ASCII-art based RPGs like Illusiat 81, and having to cope with the intrusive dialog box, and if the Nspire fonts are not monospace, then we're screwed x.x
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 06:02:18 pm
And, lets not forget this input command is from 2.0 and onwards
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 21, 2010, 06:37:32 pm
I seriously doubt the font has ever been monospaced. I might be wrong, though, seeing as I don't own an Nspire. :P
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 07:18:55 pm
"Not a whole lot to say other than download it when you can.  The TE
software has changed a TON!!  Looks like amazing file management
possibilities.  More stuff to figure out during the summer!
Also looking forward to the new ways to sort bar graphs!  I was
putting together TI-nspire notes for my AP Statistics class at the end
of the school year, and there was an example I was putting in that I
wanted the ability to sort alphabetically to show a point....and I
couldn't at the time.  PERFECT TIMING TI!!
What are your thoughts and impressions on the new update?"


"Slider improvements, YAY!"


Seriously, this crap makes me gag
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 21, 2010, 07:22:01 pm
Don't worry, TI will always have their crazy fanbase :P
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 07:23:01 pm
Peh, a TON? More like 3 or 4, mathamatical wise
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 21, 2010, 07:32:36 pm
"Not a whole lot to say other than download it when you can.  The TE
software has changed a TON!!  Looks like amazing file management
possibilities.  More stuff to figure out during the summer!
Also looking forward to the new ways to sort bar graphs!  I was
putting together TI-nspire notes for my AP Statistics class at the end
of the school year, and there was an example I was putting in that I
wanted the ability to sort alphabetically to show a point....and I
couldn't at the time.  PERFECT TIMING TI!!
What are your thoughts and impressions on the new update?"


"Slider improvements, YAY!"


Seriously, this crap makes me gag

Moreover, all documents created by the 2.1 TE can't be opened on calculators with previous OSes.

Downloading the 2.1 TE & sharing documents, is like forcing all user of the documents to upgrade to 2.1 OS.

That's exactly what TI wants...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 07:43:06 pm
No one cares about sorting bar graphs or sliding stuff, I hope they go away.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 07:45:53 pm
"Not a whole lot to say other than download it when you can.  The TE
software has changed a TON!!  Looks like amazing file management
possibilities.  More stuff to figure out during the summer!
Also looking forward to the new ways to sort bar graphs!  I was
putting together TI-nspire notes for my AP Statistics class at the end
of the school year, and there was an example I was putting in that I
wanted the ability to sort alphabetically to show a point....and I
couldn't at the time.  PERFECT TIMING TI!!
What are your thoughts and impressions on the new update?"


"Slider improvements, YAY!"


Seriously, this crap makes me gag
Where was this? Was it on the Google group ?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: calcdude84se on July 21, 2010, 07:46:43 pm
Actually, they could be somewhat useful, just not to us. The problem is that the main "feature" of the update was the downgrade protection.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 07:47:16 pm
DJ, yes, sickening right?


I dont even get the big deal, teachers are allowed to wipe the memory of the calcs, to ensure no cheating OR any games. I mean geez
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Netham45 on July 21, 2010, 08:30:21 pm
Woohoo, I can sort alphabetically!


But, poo on TI. Meh.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 09:07:17 pm
One thing, Qazz42, I would suggest you don't keep typing sentences in all caps, because it is generally harder to read.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 21, 2010, 09:32:54 pm
Oh, sorry I meant to delete that, it was meant for a joke to myself and I didnt realize I posted it :)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 11:41:52 pm
Good news, TI-BANK still appears to be listed on TI website at http://education.ti.com/studentzone/france/stuff/jeux.html , even since they found out they hosted OS 1.1 and got lawyers to send a C&D letter to TI-BANK admin.

However, I spotted a mega-fail on their site. In the screenshot below, my mouse cursor was hovering on the TI-Calc.org site link ;D

(The TI-Tiltmaze one goes to TICT programs download web page at http://tict.ticalc.org/projects.html#ref_other_games . Both sites are referenced as program archives)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: quasi_Phthalo on July 21, 2010, 11:49:32 pm
wow, and if you actually go to "TI-Calc.org" (notice the '-'), it's one of those weird places where they fill up the domain with stuff that looks like it's what you're searching for, like youyoube.com or something
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 21, 2010, 11:51:05 pm
Yeah it's either a parked domain or a squatted domain. Sites with their own domain names that shuts down, like TI-Files and TI-News, usually turns into this.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: ztrumpet on July 22, 2010, 10:21:05 am
"Beware of the fact that the 2.1 version of the Nspire OS prevents downgrading to a version inferior or equal to 1.6, even though "everything you may try..." - You'd better stay on the 2.0 version of the OS."
Thanks for translating. :)

Alpha sorting = a TON of more features, and better slider support is something that should already have been included. :P
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 23, 2010, 12:14:09 am
Qazz42,

did you post on any Texas Instruments pages on Facebook in the past month?

If so, did you also send a lot of invites or friend requests recently?

If not, then could this be the 2nd case of censorship on Facebook by TI?

(His FB account was deleted, too.)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 23, 2010, 09:23:25 am
Err, no, sorry DJ, I deleted my facebook 14 days before 2.1 came out, I deleted by myself, some of the friend requests that I accepted would not look goood if I applied for a job. :/


Heheh Funny, my FB's deletion was finally processed and executed on the day of OS 2.1
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Galandros on July 23, 2010, 09:55:40 am
TI is now serious about disallowing 3rd party native code.

It is a pity that Ndless team is inactive to show TI they can't stop us easily.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 23, 2010, 09:57:59 am
Yeah, but I think they still have school, so they are probably busy with that :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 23, 2010, 10:14:52 am
They're not students anymore, but they have full-time jobs.
And in fact, they're not completely inactive, as showed by the existence of the publicly available program that enables dumping diagnostic images even on Touchpad Nspires running OS 2.0.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Galandros on July 23, 2010, 10:21:03 am
Sure, we shall not expect anyone work on full time but at least keeping it minimally active to release updates after some months.
Although sometimes is impossible or too few time for something very technical, hard or at least time consuming.

Maybe we have the luck of someone new pick again to give new progress. We have to be patient for the Nspire stuff.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: ztrumpet on July 23, 2010, 10:31:58 am
Do we really have to make sure it's impossible to put the CAS OS on a non-CAS?  To me, it sounds like this is the only reason Ndless 2.0 isn't out, and with TI's reaction I think Ndless 2.0 is the perfect response. :)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Galandros on July 23, 2010, 10:37:58 am
Do we really have to make sure it's impossible to put the CAS OS on a non-CAS?  To me, it sounds like this is the only reason Ndless 2.0 isn't out, and with TI's reaction I think Ndless 2.0 is the perfect response. :)
Better not let put CAS OS into non-CAS to avoid trouble. I think is ok and I would enjoy to have CAS applications to non-CAS and a TI-84+SE emulator to CAS.

There could be other reasons like stability issues, lack of testing...
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: fb39ca4 on July 23, 2010, 10:39:56 am
I seriously doubt the font has ever been monospaced. I might be wrong, though, seeing as I don't own an Nspire. :P

Correct. :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 23, 2010, 10:41:09 am
Quote
but at least keeping it minimally active to release updates after some months.
They do, watch the SVN trunk :)

Quote
Do we really have to make sure it's impossible to put the CAS OS on a non-CAS?
IMO, we're less bound to such moral considerations now that TI attacked Ndless twice... it would be a pretty powerful retaliation against TI. But yeah, TI would sue the trouble-makers to death.

Quote
To me, it sounds like this is the only reason Ndless 2.0 isn't out
Nope, it is not. Galandros pointed one of the two reasons.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: ztrumpet on July 23, 2010, 10:43:14 am
Quote
Do we really have to make sure it's impossible to put the CAS OS on a non-CAS?
IMO, we're less bound to such moral considerations now that TI attacked Ndless twice...
Okay, I must agree with that. :)

Quote
To me, it sounds like this is the only reason Ndless 2.0 isn't out
Nope, it is not.
Ah, okay.  Thanks for clarifying. :D
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 23, 2010, 10:44:24 am
Wait, I am still confused, does the current ndless allow putting a cas onto a non-cas? If so, I cant see how :/
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: critor on July 23, 2010, 10:44:29 am
Anyway... up to now, we've been avoiding putting CAS stuff into non-CAS calculators (runos developped but not released, 68k emulator developped but not released...).

So we've been very nice with TI.


Seeing what we are getting from TI despite that (lawyers letters, evil downgrade protections, censored facebook comments, disabled facebook accounts...) I would say "let's not care anymore!".

Anyway, they'll keep striking at us, whatever we do.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 23, 2010, 10:46:05 am
Quote
does the current ndless allow putting a cas onto a non-cas?
Not as is, but yes if you have the runos program, which has never been distributed.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 23, 2010, 10:48:09 am
Ohrly, darn! I would have liked to do this!
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Galandros on July 23, 2010, 11:13:18 am
They do, watch the SVN trunk :)
Nice. :D

IMO, we're less bound to such moral considerations now that TI attacked Ndless twice... it would be a pretty powerful retaliation against TI. But yeah, TI would sue the trouble-makers to death.
Seeing what we are getting from TI despite that (lawyers letters, evil downgrade protections, censored facebook comments, disabled facebook accounts...) I would say "let's not care anymore!".

Anyway, they'll keep striking at us, whatever we do.
The downgrade has just one good justification: avoid downgrade to OSes with bugs, especially the shut down one. But if they did for this reason, they wouldn't disable to OSes past that bug. The coincidence of disable on OS versions that Ndless support is not ignorable.

Nspire hacking seems much more troublesome situation in legal aspect to involved people than the signing keys to z80 calculators.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: apcalc on July 23, 2010, 11:30:46 am
Anyway... up to now, we've been avoiding putting CAS stuff into non-CAS calculators (runos developped but not released, 68k emulator developped but not released...).

So we've been very nice with TI.

I have a question about RunOS, first of all, in its current form, is it legal, second, I have been reading that it would be illegal to put a CAS OS on the regular blue Nspire, but would this be illegal if I owned both a regular Nspire and a Nspire CAS?  Basically, I would be choosing the hardware I want to run the OS on.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 23, 2010, 11:44:24 am
Well, it is  illegal but we do it anyways, kinda like downloading ROMS of games and such
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: fb39ca4 on July 23, 2010, 11:46:57 am
We should just make our own CAS. It's perfectly legal. TI can't do anything against that.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 23, 2010, 11:57:16 am
Wont we need to sign Keys for that?
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: alberthrocks on July 23, 2010, 12:01:04 pm
@qazz42: Depends. AFAIK, there's no need for keys, although the community is trying to crack them.
There's already an importable library without ndless being needed. :)
ALSO - if Ndless2 does become a reality, the unreleased RunOS can run the community CAS OS.
Even better - some form of Linux! ;) (With a decent GUI hopefully)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: fb39ca4 on July 23, 2010, 01:09:48 pm
Depending on how things work out, we may be able to replace the diagnostic menu with our own code. We could have a "hidden OS" that potentially has a CAS.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: bwang on July 23, 2010, 08:39:04 pm
Nope, the diagnostic menu is signed, too.
TI is not that stupid :(
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 29, 2010, 04:06:26 pm
Err, no, sorry DJ, I deleted my facebook 14 days before 2.1 came out, I deleted by myself, some of the friend requests that I accepted would not look goood if I applied for a job. :/


Heheh Funny, my FB's deletion was finally processed and executed on the day of OS 2.1
Aaah ok I see. I personally just never put my personal info except my province/state/country, real name, email and age on there, because I don't really want to take chances. I don't mind as much over this forum or IRC, though, about my city. I'm glad it is not TI, though.

Also it would be cool to eventually see Linux come out for the Nspire. I think something with a GUI like Ubuntu and something with command prompt only style or just simple stuff would be a good idea. Hopefully, for now, maybe people will find an exploit allowing Ndless on newer OSes, though, so people won't have to write an entire new OS
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: fb39ca4 on July 29, 2010, 04:51:32 pm
If linux does come out, it'll probably be just command-line. Programs will have to have their GUI built in. It would just be too hard to port programs with guis meant for computers.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 29, 2010, 09:22:13 pm
I hope it comes out with a good user-friendly or links to user-friendly tutorials, though, for people who are not tech-savy with computers. On the 83+, there's another nice language besides Axe Parser available, but almost nobody use it because the editor is not user-friendly enough. User-friendliness is the key for a calc software to be popular, I think.

The commands to do stuff would need to be simple, same for navigating through directories.

That said command prompt would be nice because it would be much smaller
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on July 29, 2010, 10:23:42 pm
Hmm, do you mean BBCbasic? I heard of that.... not the most popular thing
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 29, 2010, 10:25:00 pm
Yeah I meant BBC Basic by Benryves. Apparently it's pretty good, even if not as fast as Axe, but the program editor threw people away, especially people who wanted BBC Basic to program on calc like in BASIC
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: bwang on July 30, 2010, 02:22:44 am
Yeah, the learning curve on BBC Basic's editor was a bit steep :(
Its a nice language, just overshadowed by Axe.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 30, 2010, 02:38:51 am
Someone should probably make a new on-calc editor for BBC Basic. It would give one more option for calc programmers

Some people will tell me "Why not just code on the PC editor instead?" Well, a bunch of BASIC coders prefer coding on-calc, being able to do so at school too. There are reasons why languages like TI-Power Gold and EZAsm did not got as popular as Axe years ago, even if BASIC programmers wanted an easier but faster language. It's not because they are too hard. They are hard, but much easier to learn than ASM. A lot of the language looks like hi level languages. I am sure the lack of on-calc programmability is there for something. As for BBC Basic and Fast RPL, the fact the gamer need to use 50+ KB of archive for the interpreter didn't help either.

Axe was pretty much the perfect thing for programmers and I have been waiting for such language for 9 years.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: bwang on July 30, 2010, 02:43:13 am
Benryves was talking about writing a tokenizer for Document DE files a long time ago on Maxcoderz.
BBC Basic is also slower than Axe, unfortunately. However, it makes up for it by being a lot more user-friendly (Axe is limited to available tokens,which hurts its usability). It is also nearly compatible with the many BASIC dialects from the 70's and 80's, making it a lot easier to port programs.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 30, 2010, 02:50:03 am
Yeah the slower speed is most likely due to the fact it's interpreted. I find Axe quite user-friendly, though. It might be due to how I am used to typing token-based commands like in 83+ BASIC, though. Also Quigibo added a new feature that renames certain tokens when editing Axe programs (they're reverted to their original name when exiting the BASIC editor or removing the Axe header) to allow himself to use more tokens without having to use weird ones. Example: SinReg token was renamed to Freq(, Plot1 to Pt-Mask( (masked sprites), ref( and rref( were renamed to Rect( and RectI(, respectively (rectangle routines) and many more. Most older commands kept the BASIC name, though, to not confuse people who were used to Axe for several months. I think Quigibo did a pretty good job at the language. That said, Ben did a good job at BBC Basic too.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: bwang on July 30, 2010, 02:53:07 am
Yeah, given the limited editor capabilities, Axe is excellent.
I wonder if Builderboy will finish his BASIC editor.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 30, 2010, 02:57:30 am
Somehow I kinda like the editor, though. I guess it might be because I got used to it for so long. People most likely like it due to that, too, so when you put them on a new fancy editor, they might have trouble getting used to it. The only issue I got with the BASIC editor is how it scroll all the way to the error when there's a bug. It takes a long while. Also the CLEAR key deleting an entire line, sometimes causing major data loss. Besides that I think it does the job. It depends of opinions, though. You may dislike it while others might not.

As for Builderboy BASIC editor, I'm not sure, I haven't heard much about it in a while.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Lionel Debroux on July 30, 2010, 08:16:17 am
Quote
If linux does come out, it'll probably be just command-line. Programs will have to have their GUI built in. It would just be too hard to port programs with guis meant for computers.
Not necessarily: Linux does support framebuffers, and we can use (or write) toolkits on top of that.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: bwang on July 30, 2010, 03:19:40 pm
True, but there's a distinct lack of framebuffer GUI programs out there, making it a bit hard to port existing programs.
How likely is it that we can get X Windows working on the Nspire? I've seen X run on machines slower than 32 MB + 150 Mhz. Then again, the Nspire has rather unconventional graphics hardware.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: fb39ca4 on July 30, 2010, 03:24:56 pm
Yeah, the hardware is unconventional. We'll problably end up writing our own "window" manager except that at a 320x240 resolution, windows will likely only be fullscreen. Also, keep in mind some users may want to keep their nspire running at 90MHZ for battery life issues.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 30, 2010, 07:24:26 pm
I wonder if with a new OS, the processor could actually be slowed down even more during less demanding tasks? It would help saving battery life even more.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: fb39ca4 on July 30, 2010, 07:50:42 pm
lol intel speedstep for calcs!
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: TIfanx1999 on July 31, 2010, 07:58:06 am
I wonder if with a new OS, the processor could actually be slowed down even more during less demanding tasks? It would help saving battery life even more.
As far as I know, yes this should be very possible. It would be pretty nice too. =)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Scipi on September 12, 2010, 02:43:13 am
Im having a problem with my installation of V. 2.1. It freezes when boot is 100%. Can someone help. I want to be able to run Nleashed.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: ExtendeD on September 12, 2010, 03:14:10 am
This thread may help you: http://groups.google.com/group/tinspire/browse_thread/thread/14673051437e304
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Scipi on September 12, 2010, 04:44:12 am
Thanks. I ended up just installing 1.7. I just needed Nleashed to be able to run.
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: qazz42 on September 12, 2010, 08:33:30 am
hm, I wonder if TI has version 1.7o n their site, if not, it would be very difficult for people with a lower OS to upgrade
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: Deep Toaster on September 12, 2010, 10:50:38 am
http://ourl.ca/7017 (http://www.google.com/)
Title: Re: Nspire 2.1 out, don't install it!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on September 12, 2010, 12:32:39 pm
They have it on their site but not publicly available there and I don't know for how long. Link (http://education.ti.com/downloads/files/ti-nspire/TI-Nspire.tno)