John Carmack pushes out unlocked OS for defunct Oculus Go headset(arstechnica.com)
arstechnica.com
John Carmack pushes out unlocked OS for defunct Oculus Go headset
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/10/john-carmack-pushes-out-unlocked-os-for-defunct-oculus-go-headset/
304 comments
Massive props to John Carmack! We also need laws to protect consumers when they don’t have an enlightened champion on their side.
Part of the reason I buy Apple devices is because Apple is unlikely to get acquired or go out of business for the foreseeable future. I wish there were viable alternatives. Android devices are not an option for me, as they are more likely to be abandoned and/or contain Google/manufacturer/carrier malware, and I need to use banking and work apps.
In that same vein, I have a preorder for a Framework Laptop because, at least for actual computers, I have the option of not splurging on a non-upgradeable, non-customizable Apple device.
We really shouldn’t have to wait for Librarian of Congress-granted exemptions, which can be rescinded at any time and are meaningless with locked-down devices anyway.
Part of the reason I buy Apple devices is because Apple is unlikely to get acquired or go out of business for the foreseeable future. I wish there were viable alternatives. Android devices are not an option for me, as they are more likely to be abandoned and/or contain Google/manufacturer/carrier malware, and I need to use banking and work apps.
In that same vein, I have a preorder for a Framework Laptop because, at least for actual computers, I have the option of not splurging on a non-upgradeable, non-customizable Apple device.
We really shouldn’t have to wait for Librarian of Congress-granted exemptions, which can be rescinded at any time and are meaningless with locked-down devices anyway.
This is tangential, but I really wish that their would be legislation, valid retroactively, to enable old unsupported devices to still be utilized. I think this goes somewhat beyond right to repair?
Take for example digital backs for medium format cameras - these things are built in low numbers, with high end FPGAs and camera sensors, with JTAG interfaces ready to go and everything - but then forgotten about a few years later. Why not enforce the creation of some document on how one would build their own OS for it? Or how the bus from the sensor ADCs works? This all existed at one point internally, but now is lost, and most of this backs will slowly die and go to waste, even though they could easily be repurposed or repaired.
Take for example digital backs for medium format cameras - these things are built in low numbers, with high end FPGAs and camera sensors, with JTAG interfaces ready to go and everything - but then forgotten about a few years later. Why not enforce the creation of some document on how one would build their own OS for it? Or how the bus from the sensor ADCs works? This all existed at one point internally, but now is lost, and most of this backs will slowly die and go to waste, even though they could easily be repurposed or repaired.
I'm really glad for what Carmack did. It's rather sad though, that support was dropped for this headset after only two years. As a reminder, the Oculus Go was released more than a year after the Nintendo Switch.
The thought of Facebook having telemetry on real time eye tracking data for a future popular Oculus VR headset in a few years is horrifying.
I’ll never get over the sale of Oculus to Facebook.
I’ll never get over the sale of Oculus to Facebook.
I'm actually pretty nervous of how few Carmack's we have.
Not at all saying they don't exist, but the job market favors engineers hopping around instead of staying at one place a while to become experts in things.
Not at all saying they don't exist, but the job market favors engineers hopping around instead of staying at one place a while to become experts in things.
Go is a solid piece of kit. No head or hand tracking, but the benefit is low weight and power efficiency. Basically, it's an all-in-one GearVR, which is a solid minimum viable standalone VR headset for lots of things like anything that involves a large virtual TV screen or spectating things like events in VR. Nice to see that it will be an open platform now, which will provide a nice baseline for apps to target who care about ensuring their content is accessible via cheap, open devices.
> Oculus CTO (and former id Software co-founder) John Carmack
I thought Carmack stepped down from being CTO a few years ago? [0]
[0] https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/oculus-cto-john-carmack-to-...
I thought Carmack stepped down from being CTO a few years ago? [0]
[0] https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/oculus-cto-john-carmack-to-...
I'm looking forward to the day he does it for Oculus Quest 1. I haven't used mine in a year because Facebook.
I'm going to give this a try later. One small fly in the ointment is that if like me you do not have and do not want to ever have a Facebook account, it will not be possible to load this onto the device after 2022.
This is because loading the ADB requires putting the device in developer mode, which in turn requires an internet connection and an active login to your Oculus developer account. Oculus developer accounts have been deprecated and will stop working in 2023, after which time a Facebook account is required.
This is because loading the ADB requires putting the device in developer mode, which in turn requires an internet connection and an active login to your Oculus developer account. Oculus developer accounts have been deprecated and will stop working in 2023, after which time a Facebook account is required.
John Carmack is a living legend. Seriously impressive career!
Does this mean you get a blob image where you can have root, or more like Carmack of old, GPLing / open sourcing the prev-gen tech? I'm asking basically: Is this free as in beer or as in freedom?
I hope they do the Oculus Rift CV1 next. I'm trying to sell mine because it's useless without my deleted Facebook account.
I love the spirit, but is there any *successful* precedence?
Sure, everything is now open-sourced, but setting up the kind of infrastructure that is necessitated to keep the thing up and running seems non-trivial.
Sure, everything is now open-sourced, but setting up the kind of infrastructure that is necessitated to keep the thing up and running seems non-trivial.
Anyone tried this on an newly unboxed or at least a wiped Go? I think I had to go through pairing and activation before enabling adb on Go, which instruction says is required.
Now do the Oculus Quest
This is awesome!
Wasn’t he supposed to be developing AGI?
Imagining that future is about people wearing VR devices on their head (even as minimal as a pair of glasses) is hard to grasp.
"In their head" would be a different matter but that is not what the current technology is focusing on (apart from Neuralink).
Edit: not propagating for any such vision the future! just noticing that wearing stuff on head would be clunky and impractical for true immersion.
"In their head" would be a different matter but that is not what the current technology is focusing on (apart from Neuralink).
Edit: not propagating for any such vision the future! just noticing that wearing stuff on head would be clunky and impractical for true immersion.
Do you really think that metaverse will gain momentum?
This is great as such but it really should be the law.
I wish Sony to do the same thing for Playstation 4.
Cool. Now can we please have that for the Quest 2?
"but damn, getting all the necessary permissions for this involved SO much more effort that you would expect." srsly?
He choose facebook, the cancer of our society, to persuite his VR dreams.
What did he expect?
He choose facebook, the cancer of our society, to persuite his VR dreams.
What did he expect?
NOT doing this should be illegal
How much one can improve a dictatorship working for the dictatorship ? Just thinking ...
i think i threw mine out
John Carmack working for Facebook is such a huge loss for mankind :(. It makes me sad every time I think about it.
This will be a massive unlock for a Metaverse funded by Zuck with no affiliation with Facebook. Thanks for the hardware Zuck. Now we'll build the new world without you.
This resonates so much with me. Each time I setup a new device that requires an Internet connection, I think about how we can enjoy booting 30 years old retro computers and how the next generation will not be able to do the same because of locked down hardware.