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Samsung Galaxy S2 functions

Added by Kent Illoy almost 8 years ago

Hello there,

I'm considering to buy a used Samsung Galaxy S2 and mod it with Replicant. Thing is that for me the Wi-Fi and the GPS are very important and I heard around that they don't work through just free software, but that they need their own proprietary code to run on the phone to work. Is that true? And if so, is it possible to make them work in Replicant somehow anyway, or would one have to accept a phone without GPS and Wi-Fi then? What can work and what cannot with Replicant exactly on the Samsung S2? What about the Tehnoetic Wi-Fi external Wi-Fi card, is that already working with Replicant, or not? And if it is, could that be a better alternative to the one of the internal built-in non-free modem?

Thanks in advance


Replies (6)

RE: Samsung Galaxy S2 functions - Added by Fervi Verus almost 8 years ago

Well, upload firmware is possible, and then it will work.
In fact, you can buy the WiFi module from the company Tehnoetic and try to use the navigation on the mobile network. In Poland, it works well in cities.

RE: Samsung Galaxy S2 functions - Added by Kent Illoy almost 8 years ago

What do you mean when you say that upload firmware is possible, and then in will work? Is a firmware for this Wi-Fi external module already available for Replicant somewhere, or does it ship directly with Replicant? Or did you mean something else? And what for the GPS, is there any way for it to work?

RE: Samsung Galaxy S2 functions - Added by Jonas OEstman almost 8 years ago

I would like to see a FOSS version of the firmware running wifi, but its not done yet so here is the link to Paul's personal blog about getting wifi to work. This is not official replicant, strictly personal blog.

http://code.paulk.fr/article16/missing-proprietary-firmwares-in-android-systems

RE: Samsung Galaxy S2 functions - Added by Kent Illoy almost 8 years ago

Mhmm.. I see but from what I read it seems like there are some suspects about this wi-fi firmware (like the fact that it's too big for a standard firmware) and, of course, it's not opensource. What about making the Tehnoetic module work? Is that possible and how would I use the navigation on the mobile network then? And then anyway, even with this proprietary firmware only the wi-fi and the bluetooth would be working and still no gps, right?

I was thinking that maybe until phones like the neo900 are out and well supported, could be a good compromise instead to mix up components of an odroid and have some kind of a bit weird looking tablet/pc with wi-fi and gps external modules. Wouldn't in this case everything be opensource? Or would be there still closed source parts?

RE: Samsung Galaxy S2 functions - Added by Kent Illoy almost 8 years ago

Nothing, nobody? So, as far as for the wi-fi I'm guessing that it's going to work in a more open source way if I simply use the Tehnoetic module and the mobile data. But how? Is just Replicant going to recognize this external module and then everything will work as it should, or am I missing something and it needs something else? And for the GPS, any hope? Searching around the Replicant forums I found this: http://redmine.replicant.us/boards/9/topics/12579?r=12687#message-12687 and it seems like GPS could work with an external bluetooth module, but as far as I understood also the bluetooth doesn't work with free software. If so, how is this supposed to work then? Installing non-free software on the phone itself for making the bluetooth work, or? Any suggestion?

RE: Samsung Galaxy S2 functions - Added by Jonas Smedegaard almost 8 years ago

I recommend that you try do the things you suspect is doable. And then share your results here.

Someone has to do the work.

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