HackerTube
HomeLongsLikedHistoryWatch laterCategoriesPlaylistsSettings

Quick Start, Episode 7: Crimes... And Felonies.

Cathode Ray Dude - CRD2 HN recommenders · recommended in 2 months, 2024-2026
YouTube
235K views · 2 years ago · documentary · evergreen

Cathode Ray Dude covers two bizarre HP 'Quick Start' features: QuickLook, an offline email client built on EFI firmware, and Daystarter, which hijacks the Windows boot process. It includes an explanation of EFI applications and why HP built these things.

Cited as a deep, entertaining look at firmware-level software and vendors abusing pre-boot access.

Demoscene & retrocomputingHistory of computingOperating systems & kernels#efi#uefi#hp#firmware#quickboot#retrocomputing

6 comments from Hacker News

@nhubbard2026 · in “I Ported Coreboot to the ThinkPad X270”

> Hopefully the BIOS writers do not abuse this Unfortunately, they have. Multiple examples from the excellent Cathode Ray Dude: link ▶ this video

RecommendsView on HN
@prettyStandard2024 · in “New iMac with M4”

That would be amazing. This reminds me of the offline email client HP built on EFI. Cathode Ray Dude - ▶ this video

CitesView on HN
@voidUpdate2024 · in “Negative Rings in Intel Architecture”

I found out about these through CRD's video about the horrors of HPs Daystarter, which uses ring -1 to hijack the windows boot process and display its own stuff instead of the boot screen. ( ▶ this video )

CitesView on HN
@kmeisthax2024 · in “Microsoft breached antitrust rules by bundling Teams and Office, EU says”

"Public API" doesn't mean you can't change the API, nor does it limit how quickly extensions or new versions can be added to that API. It just means you have to actually inform people of what you're changing and when. If a client application refuses to implement functionality, that's on them, not the original developer. If I want the new feature, I'll switch. These days however, new features nowadays are usually things I don't want. Not strictly outright anti-features, but usually completely pointless "Bob needs a bonus[0]" changes that lets a middle manager put something good in their promo packet. The whole reason why people want compatible file formats and third-party clients is specifically so we can dictate to the originator of those formats and protocols how and how fast they can iterate on their products and limit how bad they can deliberately make them to increase profits. [0] ▶ this video

CitesView on HN
@jwoglom2024 · in “An IRC client in your motherboard”

I think this might be the video you're talking about, in case anyone is also interested in a brief history of quick boot operating systems and UEFI: ▶ this video

RecommendsView on HN
@Latty2024 · in “An IRC client in your motherboard”

This instantly made me think of a recent video by the Cathode Ray Dude, talking about HP's 'email client' (read: Outlook Plugin) "QuickLook" which was a shipped product implemented this way: ▶ this video (also goes into some even weirder stuff they did). This does the hard bit of networking that QuickLook skipped though.

CitesView on HN
The Only Famous Motherboard1:03:23

The Only Famous Motherboard

Cathode Ray Dude - CRD
266K views • 2 years ago
"A Political History of X" - Keith Packard (LCA 2020)45:33

"A Political History of X" - Keith Packard (LCA 2020)

linux.conf.au
52K views • 6 years ago
The Computer Designed To Die In Microseconds14:03

The Computer Designed To Die In Microseconds

Scott Manley
408K views • 3 years ago
Doomed: The Embers of Amiga FPS14:37

Doomed: The Embers of Amiga FPS

Ahoy
558K views • 12 years ago
How a Laser-Shot Disk Defeats Hackers & Pirates (Coding Secrets)5:01

How a Laser-Shot Disk Defeats Hackers & Pirates (Coding Secrets)

GameHut
132K views • 8 years ago
Replace Your Exploit-Ridden Firmware with Linux - Ronald Minnich, Google38:03

Replace Your Exploit-Ridden Firmware with Linux - Ronald Minnich, Google

The Linux Foundation
73K views • 9 years ago
Oral History of Gary Davidian, part 2 of 22:55:13

Oral History of Gary Davidian, part 2 of 2

Computer History Museum
2K views • 7 years ago
A History of The ARM Microprocessor | Dave Jaggar | Talks at Google1:02:28

A History of The ARM Microprocessor | Dave Jaggar | Talks at Google

Talks at Google
22K views • 7 years ago
DEF CON 18 - Jason Scott - You're Stealing It Wrong! 30 Years of Inter-Pirate Battles55:59

DEF CON 18 - Jason Scott - You're Stealing It Wrong! 30 Years of Inter-Pirate Battles

DEFCONConference
60K views • 13 years ago
Xerox Star User Interface: An overview17:10

Xerox Star User Interface: An overview

ACM SIGCHI
20K views • 5 years ago
Oral History of Chuck Peddle3:55:45

Oral History of Chuck Peddle

Computer History Museum
42K views • 7 years ago
The Mind Behind Windows: Dave Cutler3:10:28

The Mind Behind Windows: Dave Cutler

Dave's Garage
1M views • 3 years ago
The Computer Programme (1): It's Happening Now (Introduction to Computing)25:23

The Computer Programme (1): It's Happening Now (Introduction to Computing)

Jesús Zafra (Lobogris)
84K views • 14 years ago
My old BBC Micro system27:49

My old BBC Micro system

mikeselectricstuff
70K views • 9 years ago
Lyle Bickley explains the PDP-1 (and we play the original Spacewar!)22:24

Lyle Bickley explains the PDP-1 (and we play the original Spacewar!)

CuriousMarc
431K views • 9 years ago
3dfx Oral History Panel with Ross Smith, Scott Sellers, Gary Tarolli, and Gordon Campbell2:35:32

3dfx Oral History Panel with Ross Smith, Scott Sellers, Gary Tarolli, and Gordon Campbell

Computer History Museum
51K views • 12 years ago
BeOS Demo Video19:49

BeOS Demo Video

mikeboss
23K views • 14 years ago
The Final Demonstration of the Xerox 'Star' computer2:20:15

The Final Demonstration of the Xerox 'Star' computer

Computer History Museum
22K views • 13 years ago
Chain of Fools : Upgrading through every version of windows (HQ)9:50

Chain of Fools : Upgrading through every version of windows (HQ)

TheRasteri
2.8M views • 15 years ago
LilithComdexDemo4:54

LilithComdexDemo

Jos Dreesen
3K views • 14 years ago