If a vehicle is going to be completely dependent on software for basic functions, then owners should be able to at least replace or patch that software with standardized freely available tools.
as much as I would love that personally, the software is an asset and bankruptcy means they have to try and liquidate all assets in order to cover their liabilities. besides, bankruptcy doesn't always mean the company and all services disappear.
imo a reasonable middle ground is to prevent companies from locking down access to the vehicle's computers. owners should be able to root and self-manage the software, even if that software has to be painstakingly reverse engineered.
ofc the safety critical systems make that trickier but still.
Great input for right to repair legislation efforts. Providing a reference implementation for cloud services should probably be mandated if the vehicle is dependent on cloud infra to operate.
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Rich Rebuilds on YouTube bought a cheap Fiskar Ocean and documented his work getting it running and trying to get a software update for it.
https://youtu.be/b_OxgAYG0Io?si=rT_UFWTc5v6t58nb
https://youtu.be/WLGaAE4_RjQ?si=sSNi5Pg4DEccUgXr
https://youtu.be/qzy7-UXLdH4?si=L1kjOZpQOmhD4JSu
If a vehicle is going to be completely dependent on software for basic functions, then owners should be able to at least replace or patch that software with standardized freely available tools.
I'd go even further, if the company goes bankrupt, the company should be required by law to open source the code.
The argument that the code may contain third-party licensed code that can't be open sourced is the usual retort that comes next.
I'm with you, though. This is a place where consumer protection needs to be bolstered.
Also, the build tools, whatever's necessary to sign/flash firmware, and they must demonstrate repeatable builds.
as much as I would love that personally, the software is an asset and bankruptcy means they have to try and liquidate all assets in order to cover their liabilities. besides, bankruptcy doesn't always mean the company and all services disappear.
imo a reasonable middle ground is to prevent companies from locking down access to the vehicle's computers. owners should be able to root and self-manage the software, even if that software has to be painstakingly reverse engineered.
ofc the safety critical systems make that trickier but still.
Great input for right to repair legislation efforts. Providing a reference implementation for cloud services should probably be mandated if the vehicle is dependent on cloud infra to operate.