Content tagged deforaos

Disassembling Android applications at PSES 2011

khorben@defora.org (khorben) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:40:00 +0200

I was last Friday in Paris, to contribute to a very nice third instance of the "Pas Sage En Seine" hacking & freedom yearly event [1]. I was supposed to host a workshop about unpacking and disassembly of typical Android applications, but as it turned out, the room was too packed for this format to actually make any sense.

Thankfully I had prepared about fifteen slides to introduce the subject, which I have added to the papers section here [2]. This session was filmed [3], and even though I couldn't complete the last part about direct downloads of applications from the market, I mentioned an additional way to obtain them.

One last note: the session was hosted in French but the slides are in English, as well as xterm in the video :)

[1] http://www.passageenseine.org/pes-2011/
[2] http://people.defora.org/~khorben/papers/pses2011/Android.pdf
[3] http://lacantine.ubicast.eu/videos/pses-disassembling-android-application/

What's going on?

khorben@defora.org (khorben) — Mon, 30 May 2011 13:59:10 +0200

Almost two months without a post?

Well, actually, I meant to post a few notes about how the Gtk+ 2.0 to 3.0 migration went for the DeforaOS project, but ended up forgetting about it. On the other hand, I've been busy debugging and polishing the user interface, and hope to release and package these changes soon.

Speaking of which, I haven't given up on releasing hackable:1 dse2, the smartphone environment based on DeforaOS for the GSM stack and user interface. It's just been a pain to iron out the different issues encountered, with a new one appearing every time I managed to fix something. Regardless, it's looking promising, and I've been able to give and receive phone calls again.

On the security front, the asm project (and its disassembler) is now waiting to be integrated into UWfirmforce, which would also benefit from an updated user interface (and reporting facility even). It'll take a few more coding nights though.

This is also because according to the DeforaOS roadmap, I am focusing on a (re-)implementation of its main functionality: the distributed computing framework. Getting the design right is a challenge in itself already, but I am fairly confident to be able to commit the first working lines of code within a few more weeks.

Looking forward to all of these :)

hackable:1 welcomes a new developer: Trim

khorben@defora.org (khorben) — Sat, 2 Apr 2011 16:26:00 +0200

I am glad to announce the arrival of a new developer within the hackable:1 project: Adrien Dorsaz, aka Trim. He has already contributed improvements to the wireless configuration interface (wicd) and calendar application (dates), besides many helpful bug reports!

Welcome Trim, with you the imminent dse2 release has gotten only better. Cheers!

hackable:1 builds and provides a package repository for Maemo

khorben@defora.org (khorben) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 22:18:47 +0100

I had been thinking about testing the DeforaOS graphical applications [1] on my N900 [2] for a while, but remained concentrated on the Openmoko Freerunner [3] and hackable:1 [4] until it was satisfying enough. With the upcoming dse2 [5] release being in a good shape [6], I decided to have a short look anyway.

My first reaction was very much like when I checked Maemo [7] back in 2008:

you need me to install scratchbox, which only supports i386? [8]
the documentation links to external sites (Debian packaging) but doesn't explain how to actually build a package? [9]
you prevent me from navigating the repositories freely? [10]

But this time, with the lessons learned while re-implementing strap:1 and cross-compiling Debian packages, I figured I could do it another way: with hackable:1 itself. Here is how.

First, I determined how to populate the cross-compilation environment with the proper binaries. I added trunk/build/strap1/hostname/n900.nokia.maemo, containing:

ENVIRONMENT=GNOME #it's empty at the moment
VERBOSE=1
DEBIAN_MIRROR=repository.maemo.org
DEBIAN_REPOSITORIES=sdk/free
DEBIAN_VERSION=maemo5.0
DEBIAN_SOURCES="deb http://$DEBIAN_MIRROR/ $DEBIAN_VERSION $DEBIAN_REPOSITORIES"
VENDOR=Nokia
MODEL=N900
PURPOSE=phone

This also required handling Nokia-N900-phone as a valid profile, in trunk/build/strap1/profile/Nokia-N900-phone:

ARCH="armel"
STRIP="arm-linux-gnueabi-strip"
#this device is a phone
. "strap1/profiles/include/phone.include"
#add bluetooth support
. "strap1/profiles/include/bluetooth.include"
[...]

(and so on for the rest of the hardware capabilities)

Once this added, this simple command was enough to populate the environment:

# ./strap1.sh DESTDIR=/usr/arm-linux-gnueabi HOSTNAME=n900.nokia.maemo install

There I was. It was even faster than with a regular Debian target, since there are way less packages available to parse. But did I miss installing the development packages? Totally. Yet it doesn't matter:

# ./strap1.sh DESTDIR=/usr/arm-linux-gnueabi HOSTNAME=n900.nokia.maemo \
  PACKAGES="libssl-dev libgtk2.0-dev" install

And seconds later, I had these two installed as necessary, along with their dependencies of course. Sweet, but we're not done yet. Let's build actual packages:

$ cd trunk/packages
$ ./packages.sh DEBIAN_ARCH=armel DEBIAN_VERSION=maemo libsystem
$ ./packages.sh DEBIAN_ARCH=armel DEBIAN_VERSION=maemo libdesktop
$ ./packages.sh DEBIAN_ARCH=armel DEBIAN_VERSION=maemo editor

Unfortunately, even with the correct binaries and packages definitions installed in the cross-compilation environment, dh_shlibdeps failed to grab the right dependencies. Disabling it during cross-compilation was enough to do the trick (commenting it out in debian/rules from the diff file).

Time to add this new repository into the N900 [11], through "Application manager"->"Catalogs"->"New" [12]:

Catalog name: hackable:1
Web address: http://build.hackable1.org/debian
Distribution: wip-maemo
Components: main

Open a terminal, gain root privileges:

# apt-get update
# apt-get install libsystem0 libdesktop0 editor
[...]
$ editor

And it works. I repeat: sweet.

Update:

you can install the following package to fix the missing icons: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-devel/pool/fremantle-1.3/free/f/fixpr12icons/fixpr12icons_1.0+maemo-0_all.deb
this page is more exhaustive about the packaging process in Maemo: http://wiki.maemo.org/Packaging

[1] http://www.defora.org/os/wiki/3426/Graphical-environment
[2] http://maemo.nokia.com/n900/
[3] http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Neo_FreeRunner
[4] http://trac.hackable1.org/
[5] http://trac.hackable1.org/trac/wiki/AvailableVersions/dse2
[6] http://www.defora.org/os/download/download/3512/dse2-Screenshot-2.png
[7] http://www.maemo.org/
[8] http://scratchbox.org/documentation/user/scratchbox-1.0/html/installdoc.html#AEN47
[9] http://wiki.maemo.org/Documentation/Maemo_5_Developer_Guide/Packaging,_Deploying_and_Distributing
[10] http://repository.maemo.org/dists/maemo5.0/
[11] http://people.defora.org/~khorben/share/n900/Screenshot-20110321-000354.png
[12] http://people.defora.org/~khorben/share/n900/Screenshot-20110321-000410.png

New unofficial beta release of hackable:1

khorben@defora.org (khorben) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 21:27:55 +0100

I just announced the availability of the first beta version for dse2, the DeforaOS Smartphone Environment [1] as found in hackable:1 [2]:
http://lists.hackable1.org/pipermail/hackable1-dev/2011-March/001686.html

I don't think I have much to add to this; except on a personal level maybe, which would be appropriate here I guess.

When I was first offered an Openmoko Neo1973 in summer of 2007 [3], I think I was both excited and disappointed about the device. It was a very promising opportunity for Open Source and telephony, at a time where only few devices were known to be usable with alternate and free environments. But I really did not like the look & feel of the device, or the state of the software running on it. Little did I suspect that I would spend so much time and energy with its successor, the Freerunner [4].

This happened first while I was working with Bearstech [5] on the promotion of hackable devices [6]. There, we focused on supporting what seemed to be the most viable solution at the time: the Om2007.2 stack. This part was a very frustrating experience, which I have mentioned already [7].

And now, I begin to feel much better about the whole thing. First, the Openmoko platform is still alive: thanks to Nikolaus Schaller of Golden Delicious [8], and of course thanks to the openness of the platform, a third-party hardware upgrade is available. Then, well, Google happened, Android is everywhere, and many more devices are usable with Open Source software.

But what's more, I am beginning to feel better and better about the DeforaOS project as a whole. This was a painful yet fantastic motivation to bring it where it is today. I had even decided to mostly give it up about a month ago, at least for a while. But the deadline [9] I set for the project on improving the user environment is almost matched now [10]. Better, I have great plans for the following one [11]. I may even go to University again [12]! This is not without reminding me about my own description of myself :) [13]

So yeah, four years later and much to my own surprise, I am getting increasingly comfortable and curious about using the dse2 release as a daily phone. It can only inspire me to push it to the next level :) [14]

To conclude:

special thanks to the Neo1973-gift-maker!
all of this is completely futile, and most of my thoughts are going to people of Japan, Ivory Coast, France and Libya right now.

[1] http://www.defora.org/os/wiki/3438/DeforaOS-Smartphone
[2] http://trac.hackable1.org/
[3] http://events.ccc.de/camp/2007/Intro/
[4] http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Neo_FreeRunner
[5] http://www.bearstech.com/
[6] http://hackable-devices.org/
[7] http://people.defora.org/~khorben/place/blog/88/The-DeforaOS-smartphone-environment
[8] http://www.goldelico.com/
[9] http://www.defora.org/os/wiki/display/3324/Roadmap
[10] http://www.defora.org/os/wiki/3426/Graphical-environment
[11] http://www.defora.org/os/wiki/3427/Distributed-environment
[12] http://www.net.t-labs.tu-berlin.de/teaching/thesis/#network_virtu
[13] http://people.defora.org/~khorben/place/wiki/12/About
[14] http://www.defora.org/os/wiki/display/3323/Planned-developments

Over 10 thousand commits

khorben@defora.org (khorben) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 13:02:26 +0100

According to Ohloh [1], I just went over 10,000 commits [2]:

DeforaOS 8173
hackable:1 1350
RunningBear 483
Whitix 13

for a total of 10,019.

Now let's see if it was worth the effort...

[1] http://www.ohloh.net/
[2] http://www.ohloh.net/accounts/khorben/widgets

Resurrecting RunningBear

khorben@defora.org (khorben) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 02:27:48 +0100

Today (or tonight) I have finally managed to import most of the fixes pushed into DeforaOS since the last meaningful commits to the RunningBear project (around December 2008 I guess). This was motivated by a few reasons:

a bug report on memchr() in the DeforaOS libc [1]
NetBSD booting on N900 [2]
good progress on DeforaOS [3] [4]
same on hackable:1 [5]

Unfortunately, it still isn't good enough to support Xynth's user interface on the system [6]. But it's getting close enough, and I think the missing parts are:

support for setjmp() and longjmp() in the libc;
same for signal(), checking alarm() too;
for NetBSD, importing and adapting Linux' to match the wscons API.

These are three hairy issues to tackle, but nothing's too hairy for a RunningBear (hey it's 3 am I'm allowed).

With luck RunningBear could actually begin its career running on both the Openmoko Freerunner and Neo1973, HTC TouchPro and Nokia N900 smartphones, based on either Linux or NetBSD kernels. I'll try to do it with hackable:1 first though :)

Last but not least: RunningBear is on Ohloh now! [7]

The links:
[1] http://www.defora.org/os/project/bug_display/3474?bug_id=40
[2] http://www.netbsdfr.org/?p=1993
[3] http://www.defora.org/os/news/3478/Summary-of-latest-releases
[4] http://www.defora.org/os/news/3484/Release-party-for-RunningBear
[5] http://www.hackable1.org/
[6] http://xynth.sf.net/
[7] http://www.ohloh.net/p/RunningBear

First (unofficial) release of the DeforaOS smartphone environment

khorben@defora.org (khorben) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:51:02 +0200

I finally have the pleasure to deliver the first version of the DeforaOS Smartphone environment, as featured in the hackable:1 distribution.
First, the direct links:

If you like the artwork better than I do myself, you can also find a splash screen for u-boot there:

http://www.defora.org/download/snapshots/hackable1/Hackable1-Openmoko-Freerunner-user-2010.07a-splash.gz

I have gathered some release notes and documentation within hackable:1's wiki, which you will find there:

Of course, I gathered some screenshots as well. They can be seen here:

http://www.defora.org/os/project/download/3343/Phone

Before I conclude, I am the first one to know that this release is far from perfect. If you feel like you have anything to say about it, you will be more than welcome to let it be known. There are a number of ways to do that:

contacting me personally as described on http://people.defora.org/~khorben/place/wiki/13/Contact
using DeforaOS' development mailing-list, as on http://lists.defora.org/
filing a bug in DeforaOS: http://www.defora.org/os/project/bug_new (create your account first at https://www.defora.org/os/user/register)

Now for the final words of this post, I have no reason to hide the fact that hackable:1 itself is probably a dead project already. I seem to be the last developer interested, which I find quite sad since I know no other project providing ready-to-flash Debian images for embedded platforms.
If you also have a need and desire for such a framework, I encourage you to let it be known. As for myself, I have in mind to improve and maintain such a way to generate ready-to-use images, probably as part of the DeforaOS project as well, unless somebody beats me to it.

Anyway, for more literature on this work, feel free to check earlier blog posts and news announcements on this blog or at http://www.defora.org/ .

Happy testing!

Releasing a new snapshot of the DeforaOS smartphone environment on hackable:1

khorben@defora.org (khorben) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:57:56 +0200

I have managed yesterday to release a new snapshot of the DeforaOS smartphone environment, as found packaged on top of the hackable:1 distribution. Unfortunately, there is still one obvious blocker bug before it can be easily tested as a real phone at the moment: as it seems, the modem "forgets" the PIN code a few seconds after accepting it, and is then unable to register correctly.
Of course, my current plan is to investigate and fix this as soon as possible (with a new snapshot). Yet, among the changes since the last release of the environment, you will already find:

a new finger keyboard, with popup keys (and using Gtk+' theme)
the addition of a phone log;
preferences windows for the phone application;
the return of the background picture, and a preferences window to easily change it;
last but not least, the final version of my initial attempt at SMS encryption.

With this, I will continue my work on the user experience:

fix and update the web browser (broken since the switch to Debian testing);
continue improvements to the finger keyboard (bigger keys, multiple layouts)
nicer Gtk+ theme and artwork if I manage (screenshots!)
more actual tests and usability improvements to the phone application;
power management;
GPRS support.

I have also begun to implement an application to configure access to wireless networks, with wpa_supplicant's help. It will take another while though.

For more information, as always, check either http://www.defora.org/, the IRC channel of hackable:1 (#hackable1 on Freenode), the respective mailing-lists (devel@lists.defora.org, hackable1-dev@lists.hackable1.org...) or even, feel free to contact me directly of course: http://people.defora.org/~khorben/place/wiki/13/Contact

And before I forget, the snapshot itself is announced and available there: http://www.defora.org/os/news/3394/New-snapshot-of-the-DeforaOS-smartphone

Improvizing a talk at Debienna

khorben@defora.org (khorben) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:54:19 +0200

I have been staying a few days in Vienna a couple weeks ago, where I happened to join a Debienna [1] meeting. As things went it felt appropriate to introduce hackable:1 [2] (and my current work on it) to this fine crowd. I have therefore quickly prepared a presentation, of which slides can be found there [3].

It was called "hackable:1 (and then more)", and I really appreciated this opportunity. See you guys!

[1] http://www.debienna.at/
[2] http://trac.hackable1.org/
[3] http://people.defora.org/~khorben/papers/h1more/h1.html