A good notes for learners

1. The delicate disadvantage of
Reverse-Engineering
The consequences of maintaining
proprietary hardware
Can we do better?
[proposed for] OFSC 2020
November 12, 2020
Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton The delicate disadvantage of Reverse-Engineering

2. Background (about me)
I First reverse-engineering was Samba-TNG
NTBugTraq, August 1996
”Welcome to the SAMBA Domain”
3 years later...
I 2002: Exchange 5.5, enhancing FreeDCE
Copied by an ”Open” team that removed all attribution
I 2003-2005: Xanadux Project
9 HTC smartphones reverse-engineered
Zero income earned.
I Lesson learned: everyone else makes money from your work.
Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton The delicate disadvantage of Reverse-Engineering

3. How come I could do this but others couldn’t?
I Self-analysis time: what capability did I have
that others do not?
I Definition of Reverse-Engineering:
The ability to infer knowledge.
(That’s really it. No prior-knowledge is required:
you DERIVE knowledge)
I Definitions of knowledge were a clue:
Demster-Shafer (generalisation of Bayes)
Epistemology (Advaita Vedanta wikipedia page)
Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton The delicate disadvantage of Reverse-Engineering

4. Advaita Vedanta, Epistemology section
I Pratyaka - perception (includes senses, but also ”intuition”)
I Anumana - inference (where there’s smoke there’s fire)
I Upamana - comparison, analogy (A is to B as C is to D;
also included here is the ”difference” between two things)
I Arthapatti - postulation, derivation from circumstances
(Joe is gaining weight; we do not see Joe eat during the day.
Therefore Joe is eating at night)
I Anupalabdi - non-perception, negative/cognitive proof
(”there is no jug in this room”)
I Sabda - relying on word, testimony of past/present experts
Reverse-Engineers develop these knowledge-derivation skills
without knowing that they have them! It’s incredible and
valuable!
Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton The delicate disadvantage of Reverse-Engineering

5. Why do products need reverse-engineering?
I The profit-maximising Corporation can’t be bothered to
provide documentation or source code
I The profit-maximising Corporation is based in China and is
happy to blatantly disregard Copyright law.
I The profit-maximising Corporation could be bothered but has
realised that they make more money through entrapment of
end-users
I Bottom line: helping such Corporations helps keep their
products in circulation.
Reverse-Engineers by applying their amazing skills actively
support unethical and pathological Corporations to do harm
to end-users and to the environment
Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton The delicate disadvantage of Reverse-Engineering

6. How about an alternative?
I You have unbelievably empowering and powerful skills, far
beyond those of an average programmer!
I Instead of supporting unethical Corporations, why not support
yourselves?
I Transition from full-time to part-time (or work evenings)
I How about creating your own products? (You’re a
Reverse-Engineer: you know how products work, and what
you don’t know, you already know you can to find out!)
I How about designing a product and put it on Crowdsupply?
I The internet exists: you can find others to team up with, in
an area of technology that interests you.
Ultimately you could do a huge amount of good. With your
skill there is nothing that can stop you except yourself
Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton The delicate disadvantage of Reverse-Engineering