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Use caution prior to Purchasing a Matrix ARM mini PC

Use caution prior to Purchasing a Matrix ARM mini PC

Postby SinOjos » Tue Jan 27, 2015 2:38 am

I purchased one over 5 months ago. Despite repeated contacts, not one reply from TBSDTV. There support is non existent, documentation is outdated and lacking while what is available is skimpy and or outdated.

The Matrix OS, is NOT SECURE. Old obsolete vulnerable packages are being used. It is based off of OpenBricks which is dead. Looking at the source code at sourceforge, there are numerous packages that need to be updated for known security vulnerabilities. You may inspect the source code at sourceforge. http://sourceforge.net/projects/matrixtv/

Here is a post that I posted in the Matrix SourceForge discussion area in Aug. 2014 with no official response, while one poster states he was hacked exactly as I warned. While this issue is not due to a vulnerable package, but simply lack of proper instructions on how to secure the device, and improper services security configuration. It appears the maintainer is not knowledgeable or cares about security at all.
http://sourceforge.net/p/matrixtv/discu ... d/b6db5a7c

They simply do not attend to the most basic issues at all. You are forewarned, purchase a Matrix mini PC at your own risk. You will never get support, and your device is very vulnerable to attack, and will be used to compromise all the other devices on you network.
Last edited by SinOjos on Thu Jan 29, 2015 4:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: DO NOT Purchase Matrix ARM mini PC

Postby vpeter » Tue Jan 27, 2015 3:02 am

Thank you for spam. I think you missed few other threads to post to :lol:
You can help me buy new work notebook with paypal donation, after 8 years it's time to upgrade.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FLVT7ACMYAPS6
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Re: DO NOT Purchase Matrix ARM mini PC

Postby diabloss » Tue Jan 27, 2015 4:04 pm

SinOjos Wrote:I purchased one over 5 months ago. Despite repeated contacts, not one reply from TBSDTV. There support is non existent, documentation is outdated and lacking while what is available is skimpy and or outdated.

The Matrix OS, is NOT SECURE. Old obsolete vulnerable packages are being used. It is based off of OpenBricks which is dead. Looking at the source code at sourceforge, there are numerous packages that need to be updated for known security vulnerabilities. You may inspect the source code at sourceforge. http://sourceforge.net/projects/matrixtv/

Here is a post that I posted in the Matrix SourceForge discussion area in Aug. 2014 with no official response, while one poster states he was hacked exactly as I warned. While this issue is not due to a vulnerable package, but simply lack of proper instructions on how to secure the device, and improper services security configuration. It appears the maintainer is not knowledgeable or cares about security at all.
http://sourceforge.net/p/matrixtv/discu ... d/b6db5a7c

They simply do not attend to the most basic issues at all. You are forewarned, purchase a Matrix mini PC at your own risk. You will never get support, and your device is very vulnerable to attack, and will be used to compromise all the other devices on you network.


Dude what kind of "stuff" are you using?
Seriously , wake up dude ... you living in an era where electronically you are unable to hide.
Your phone your tablet your home computer everything is under surveillance ....
If you don't like matrix tv you have 2 other options there Ubuntu android ... oh wait ... even 3 options with Openelec.

So having 3 other alternatives to that OS i don't see the reason why should not buy it ...
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Re: DO NOT Purchase Matrix ARM mini PC

Postby nrm » Tue Jan 27, 2015 10:33 pm

My only purpose of the TBS2910 was to test its hardware encoders. imx6q is a really cool platform.

But I understand some of the users frustration. You're expecting something powerfull, being a quad-core and all. And all they manage is a 3.0.35 kernel, with way older packages. I know in terms of development its a hell of a job to keep updating kernels and stuff.

But the truth is Matrix is not for ordinary people. You either take the red pill and work your way through or you take the blue pill were you'll have to live with the fact that you're wasting your money.
Last edited by nrm on Tue Jan 27, 2015 11:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: DO NOT Purchase Matrix ARM mini PC

Postby vpeter » Tue Jan 27, 2015 11:22 pm

With boards like this you don't get software. You get only hardware ;)
You can help me buy new work notebook with paypal donation, after 8 years it's time to upgrade.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FLVT7ACMYAPS6
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Re: Use caution prior to Purchasing a Matrix ARM mini PC

Postby SinOjos » Thu Jan 29, 2015 5:09 am

As you can see I have changed the title, and got rid of the other posts. I did finally get a response, though nothing useful, same incorrect information. I do not normally post like I did here, in fact I have never done so in the past. I simply stood up and screamed, because nothing else worked for 5 months.

I also purchased the Matrix mini PC for testing purposes, for the feasible use for production use. I have been building custom OS's based on the Linux Kernel for roughly 20 years and have 34 years of software experience. This company is extremely unprofessional, outdated useless documentation, flat out wrong advertised device details. The chipset does not support sata 3 as advertised, but is sata 2, go to the Freescale website, and get the real specifications and compare with what is on this website.

http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/sit ... ode=i.MX6Q

I did not get what was advertised. Still they are not able to provide dip switch positioning for sata boot, the documents only shows 4 boot options, none of which are for sata. With 8 switches with 2 positions, that provides for 256 combinations. I am not going to spend hours/days, trying all 256 combinations to find the only one that works, since I did pay in full for the device.

Asking for the dip switch settings, is not an unreasonable request, while their refusal to proved such details is unreasonable. If after my correspondence with them, and they still do not provide the details they are required to provide by US Law. I will be filing a complaint with the Federal Attorney Generals Consumer Protection Division, as well as my State Attorney General. The device was sold to me in the US, while they must comply with US Consumer Law. Nice thing is, it will not cost me a dime to file suit against them, as my tax money supports the Attorney Generals office for enforcement of enacted laws.
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Re: Use caution prior to Purchasing a Matrix ARM mini PC

Postby SinOjos » Thu Jan 29, 2015 5:29 am

I am not specifically interested with using the Matrix OS. What I am interested in is building my own, while using sata boot. SATA is specifically why I purchased this device, besides the overall specifications.

Most people do not possess the knowledge to properly secure the Matrix OS, while it is reprehensible and irresponsible for them, to not secure their OS, or warn and or provide details on how to properly secure the device for their paying customers. Though following basic security procedures will not suffice as some of the services they are running, with ports open and running, are outdated and have not been updated with current security fixes released by those services maintainers.

They may think they are protected from US Law, since they are not in the US, but that is not true, as anyone selling products in the US must comply with US law. While civil litigation is also possible.

They do not provide their actual address on their website. What kind of company is afraid to list their whereabouts?

whois informations shows:
Registrant
Registrant Name ................. xiao zhang

I am assuming the company is located in China. The domain is at godaddy while the actual hosting of this website is in Absecon New Jersey at Linode. They sold the device to me on Amazon. They have enough ties to the US, that they MUST adhere to consumer protection laws.
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Re: DO NOT Purchase Matrix ARM mini PC

Postby SinOjos » Thu Jan 29, 2015 5:34 am

vpeter Wrote:With boards like this you don't get software. You get only hardware ;)


Yes that is all I wanted, I never had any intention to use their software. Even though I am in possession of the hardware, I am not able to use it. That is the problem I am having. Since the dip switch was incorporated by them, there is no outside details. The Freescale website will provide everything you need for the chipset, including software/firmware, but of course the dip switch has nothing to do with them.
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Re: DO NOT Purchase Matrix ARM mini PC

Postby SinOjos » Thu Jan 29, 2015 5:37 am

vpeter Wrote:Thank you for spam. I think you missed few other threads to post to :lol:


Yes I could have done better. It is a real shame I had to stoop so low to get a response from them.
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Re: DO NOT Purchase Matrix ARM mini PC

Postby SinOjos » Thu Jan 29, 2015 6:05 am

diabloss Wrote:Dude what kind of "stuff" are you using?
Seriously , wake up dude ... you living in an era where electronically you are unable to hide.
Your phone your tablet your home computer everything is under surveillance ....
If you don't like matrix tv you have 2 other options there Ubuntu android ... oh wait ... even 3 options with Openelec.

So having 3 other alternatives to that OS i don't see the reason why should not buy it ...


You are wrong, I do not have 3 options, my options are unlimited. If you do not know much about Linux. I suggest you do LFS and learn the basics of what Linux is. http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/

If you want to compile Linux with a package manager, I suggest Gentoo. http://www.gentoo.org/

If you want minimal binary to start with, I suggest Arch Linux ARM. http://archlinuxarm.org/

Here is the x86 Arch Linux website. https://www.archlinux.org/

What I would really love, is for RISC OS to be ported to ARM 7. If you do not know what risc os is I suggest you do a little research, it was around before the rest, while many features of the risc os is used in every current day desktop, they were the first for many features. RISC OS was written by the people that actually designed the arm processor. https://www.riscosopen.org/content/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RISC_OS

As for your claims of surveillance, sure governments are watching everyone. But security and surveillance is two different things. I am not worried about the NSA spying on me. I have nothing to hide. The NSA has back doors in many applications irrespective of platform. They have access to hundreds if not thousands of commonly used applications that people install. Of course with windblows and apple, that is inherent to the system, as it has been designed into the operating system. While it is more difficult with Linux due to the open source, as people will see the code, so in some cases to hide it they actually have bits and pieces in a number of the most common applications, that will provide all the parts they need. So looking at one application you will not see all the code, just a small bit that does not really show anything, you have to put all the bits of code from the number of applications they have infiltrated. Cash strapped software developers always need more money.

Besides that scenario, they redirect your updates, and or other downloads. In other words, when you do an update, irrespective of OS platform, they redirect your request to the real package repository, to there package repository, with their version of the package you are updating.

All I am worried about are the other people out there cracking systems with malicious intent. Proper security procedures will keep those people out, most of the time, while not following proper security procedures will insure your network and devices will quickly be cracked, and used for illegal malicious intent, which then may cause the NSA and or other government entities to come knocking down your door.
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