S9 code is open source.
Meanwhile the other 'so called' better firmware added #xnsub to their code (which probably is in some versions the S9 code also - no idea)
2 things about that:
1) It's a major security issue since it allows the proxy/pool to change the work being mined to without any notification or log of it happening.
i.e. the pool/proxy can even switch what coin or what pool or what username you are mining without any log of that.
2) Who knows what issues they caused adding the #xnsub code ... did they test it still finds blocks?
(no doubt the standard reply to that is "Why do you need to find blocks?")
Miners can do whatever they please with their gear, or at least thats how it should be. Some companies think they should keep controlling the things they "sell", treating them more like some sort of lease you have no rights to...
This relates to destroying hardware and sending it back to bitmain wanting them to fix it ...
While it's under warranty you actually can't do whatever you want to it and expect them to fix it ... which no doubt is the problem there.
Bitmain should add some hardware log of max temperature/frequency/voltage that can't be deleted - but no doubt someone will come up with a firmware to hide that.
People like to make up conspiracy theories about all sorts of rubbish, but it seems pretty obvious why they would do it if you take a very small moment to think about it logically.
Sure justify draconian corporate control over hardware, why Tivo did it and some computer manufacturers (secure boot) and smartphone manufacturers, doesn't mean its moral or that people have to accept it, otherwise lets forget open source and go closed source, and while we are at it, lets dump this choose your own pool rubbish and go Bitfury, see how you like that.
Warranty is no excuse, touch the firmware and lose the warranty. I'll let your imagination figure how easy it is to detect that. But I'll let you a tip: Bitmain is incapable or unwilling of detecting subtle hardware manipulation, as in hash boards changing places... Its probably a logistics nightmare and cheaper or better to just ship new units rather than lose a customer. Something you seem to ignore here: Bitmain is
that profitable in their core business. The minuscule amount of burned boards due to customer abuse means nothing to them. Oh, and they can get burnt in a myriad of ways without users messing with voltages and chip speeds...
You are pissed over #xnsub when the actual Bitmain firmware supports it. I'm pissed when people install Windows and yet they still do it knowing the risks. such is life. Leave it in your sig and call it a day. People still go to nicehash despite having taken customers money... #xnsub is optional and unnecessary for most users anyway, I'm willing to bet most people learned about its existence thanks to you, talk about
Streisand...
I'm glad someone wrote open source code to replace Bitmain's, and its been a success, despite supporting only S9s and T1s. No hardware should ever be tied to an specific piece of software, ever.
Tell you what: go github, fork their project, call it safebraiins or something and remove the #xnsub code. Anyone could do it, that's the beauty of free open source. You could even remove the "dangerous" overclocking options...
Aren't you a developer yourself? You
really should know better: code talks.
Also you neglect under-clocking and energy efficiency advantages. While some users (foolishly) go the other way, this firmware lets you run them quieter and more efficiently, thus prolonging their lifetime. Bitmain is unable to carefully adjust this to every particular hash board for whatever reason, but users can and are willing to find the best speed that produces the most hash while consuming the less amount of watts per hash,
per board.
And, there are boards that show dead using Bitmain's but work with this, that are long past their warranty. Ever heard of e-waste? This is the same as older computers getting tossed because Windows 10 stutters with them but work fine with Linux. Again, prolonging lifetime beyond its expected life-cycle by replacing the bundled software with a free open source alternative.
As for
"conspiracies", well, there was
Antbleed but i think have already given enough reasons...
