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this post was submitted on 09 Dec 2025
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I realize this is probably a solved problem for Windows pirates, but how do you trust the kernel if it's not from a legal reputable source?
What makes a legal source reputable? Do you think Microsoft is "reputable"?
Being reviewed and used by many people. So if it's just some guy releasing kernels by himself, then I'd be worried that it might include malware.
I know Windows is garbage, but I assume the people pirating it don't see it that way, and do care about additional malware. So I'm curious how they approach this problem. Do they just not care about malware in their OS because it's already that bad?
HDMI support can be released as a kernel module. It need not be an entire kernel. That can be put on a repository and reviewed, included in distribution, then built on installation using DKMS. That's how most opensource works.
Ah OK. When you said the spec would be leaked, I mistakenly assumed lawyer problems.
Oh, for sure lawyers would be pissed, but DRM was cracked multiple times and ended up in distributions. H264 is patented and still linux distributions can use it. CDs and DVDs were ripped with opensource software after their encryption was cracked (master key retrieved from CD/DVD players) and that was also distributed in order to play them. Popcorn Time was hosted on github for a good while. There are many examples.
If HDMI2 were leaked, I'm confident it would end up in a linux distro and there isn't much the lawyers could do. They could play whack a mole to take down the domains hosting it, but then somebody would just out it on a torrent or host it in a country that give a fuck about the lawyers and that would be that.