Linux removing an outdated, insecure Microsoft USB network protocol that's still on Windows
The Linux foundation seems ready to finally axe a Microsoft-made remote network protocol for USB that is still a part of modern Windows operating systems.
That's different protocols. This is only about the one being used when you share your phone's connection via USB (tethering). Neither adb nor fastboot make use of this.
Also, starting with Android 14, there should be an alternative available with NCM.
Well a14 is not that common but I've never heard of tethering before (except for WiFi tethering that improves connection) so I guess it's not important.
It's not about improving a connection, but making your phone's network connection available to other devices. USB tethering creates a network device at /dev/usb... that behaves like an any ordinary network device, allowing you to create a connection using it. Wi-Fi tethering creates a hotspot similar to what your router at home does.
So now you can't use USB hotspots on Linux? Yea mainstream has gone pretty evil then tbh. They didn't even stop at the previous drama.
There's no such thing as USB hotspots, that's a term for WiFi. Also you can still use the NMC protocol if your Android version is recent enough. Just not RNDIS anymore. It's an insecure Microsoft protocol, though this probably wouldn't have mattered for a lot of people.
There's no such thing as USB hotspots
That was its name on my old Sony phone though.
Also you can still use the NMC protocol if your Android version is recent enough.
Yea but it's not a justification.
It's an insecure Microsoft protocol, though this probably wouldn't have mattered for a lot of people.
That's why a DE warning would be enough. Linux is just making terrible decisions recently. I guess it'll continue until major maintainer changes take place and that won't happen without life losses because nobody is going to leave the project so we might lose many of the Linux's benefits in a few years imo.
A DE has little to do with this, it's a driver, it gets loaded when you plug in a compatible device, there's no interaction. This should have been disabled 2 years ago when the gaping security holes were found, and actually Greg had attempted to have it disabled in 2022 but it kept getting pushed back.
Uhm 2 years ago a14 was just released. There were pretty much no devices with it. Even though the protocol is unsafe, it's a good feature and killing desktop features just pushes Linux back.
Also a DE has stuff to do with it. It should be able to detect the connection and send a notification about it being potentially unsafe. Killing it is just a stupid move done by rich folks with latest flagships for rich folks with latest flagships.
You're couching it as Linux "killing desktop features", when really it's just Linux removing one ancient, insecure driver for which there is a modern, secure alternative. And it's not like Linux is wiping the driver off the face of the planet. If you want to reintroduce the ancient, insecure driver back into your system, there are extensive instructions on compiling your own kernel with whatever you want in it.
I would love to see a new Linux user who just installed Linux on a pretty old machine because of no official Windows 11 support or performance issues compiling their own kernel. And they're not guaranteed to have a new phone either.
It's like saying that we should remove SDR monitor support because HDR somewhat works on Linux and it's better so everyone should move to it.
Same goes to X11. It's still available on sane and serious distros because it's needed for some people.
