Radio Service Software
From Free net encyclopedia
Radio Service Software (RSS) is a software package used to program commercial Motorola two-way radios (most commonly used on IDEN phones, and information in the rest of this article will pertain to that particular variation of the software). RSS is a series of DOS-based programs designed to run on very slow computers (sporting 80486 proccessors and older). A variation of RSS is CPS, a Windows-based version of the package used for some of Motorola's newer radio models (all of these packages are referred to as RSS in the community).
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Variations
Variations of the RSS Software (commonly referred to as Carrier and Super Agent) are easily found in the modding community, and available free of charge (whether this is legal or not may be disputed). These versions of the software are very limited in their altering abilities, and as such are usually only used to retrieve the CodePlug from the phone in question. The files are then sent to knowledgeable individuals with copies of the software with the ability to change certain features on the phone.
Depot
These versions of the software are commonly collectively known as "Depot"(however, many other variations of the software are known to exist, commonly referred to as "Depot", "Super Depot", "Lab", and/or "Super Lab")(Possession of either "Lab" or "Depot" RSS is considered a very serious offense, and Motorola has been known to hit single individuals with lawsuits in the $60,000 range for the mere possession of these programs.Template:Ref ). This software will allow you to change many features of the phone, ranging from start-up strings (the string of text that displays when the phone is first powered on, usually depicting the model number) and images (the branding, java and text entry logo's) to more advanced features, such as a function known as PTV (PushToView), in which pictures are transmitted much in the same fashion as voice is transmitted via the PTT (PushToTalk) button. If you participate in, or allow someone else to, mod your phone in this way, you are most likely voiding your warrantee, as an unexperienced operator of this software may cause Bricking to occur.
Acquisition
Legal
Despite its status as a modding tool, RSS(the Carrier and Super Agent forms) is legally available to authorized proffesionals from Motorola. However, you must complete an application process, and the price is usually quite high (starting a $250 and up!). Also, when you do become licensed to use the software, that is exactly what you are doing: being licensed to use the software, you are not actually purchasing the software yourself, meaning you may not transfer the ownership of the software to a third party. They must also complete the application process.
Illegal
Unauthorized possession and use of RSS can lead to criminal charges and prosecution, as well as legal action by Motorola. For example on July 17 2000 Motorola filed lawsuits against five individuals that it accused of selling copies of RSS through E-Bay.Template:Ref Locations of websites that offer RSS for download are often jealously guarded by those in the know, as Motorola's legal team have divisions dedicated solely to searching out and destroying websites that offer RSS for downloadTemplate:Ref.
Foot Notes
- Template:Note As can be seen here, while a reference existed at one time, that reference is no longer available to us because of a cleanout of older news articles by the hosting sites. A cached version (provided by Google) of this site may be found here.
- Template:Note Validity can be found here, but the text in this (Wikipedia) article is copied word for word from this page, and the page's validity is in question, as no references are cited.
- Template:Note Please see the discussion page.