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If Software Freedom Conservancy win their lawsuit against Vizio for GPL violations in their TVs, you will probably be able to install open source Linux distros with Kodi on any Vizio TV and soon afterwards lots of other smart TV vendors will be similar. Allowing the vendor operating system to remain on the device after you purchase it basically means spyware these days.

https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/vizio.html



Having the kernel source won't really help with a locked bootloader.


Thats why the GPL requires the ability to install as well:

https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2021/mar/25/install-gplv2/ https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2021/jul/23/tivoization-and-t... https://events19.linuxfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017...


Yeah, try to argue in front of a court that this somehow covers private signing keys.


I don't think the GPL covers signing keys, just some mechanism for installation. Allowing addition of additional signing keys is a good way to do it, just like UEFI Secure Boot does things. There are also plenty of phone vendors who allow bootloader unlock after wiping the device DRM/etc keys too.


Vizio product quality is so bad I don't expect mine to work 2 years past its ship date. The TV is truly disposable.




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