ZX2C4 Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 I wonder how old maxx is... I'm 17 and know some programming and created Zx2c4 Instant Messenger ( http://zx2c4-im.sf.net ), but I don't have the expertise to do something like hacking a kernel or bypassing TPM. I just wonder how long I have until I'm up to speed with Maxx... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metrogirl Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 I wonder how old maxx is... I'm 17 and know some programming and created Zx2c4 Instant Messenger ( http://zx2c4-im.sf.net ), but I don't have the expertise to do something like hacking a kernel or bypassing TPM. I just wonder how long I have until I'm up to speed with Maxx... Keep at it, ZX2C4! Plenty of skilled programmers are no older than you! If you can write a good program you can certainly learn the workings of the kernel, given the incentive. From what I know of 'the scene', hackers are either quite young or surprisingly old. The 'old crew' grew up on hacking (the "Wargames" era) and are responsible for a lot of the work on heavyweight apps such as music and CAD programs. At the other end of the spectrum are many teenagers with incredible knowledge and quick minds. Age is no barrier. It's your brain that counts, and the ability to keep several concepts in your mind at once. You'll recognise that you have it when you stare at a block of code for a while and suddenly go - "AAAaahh!" And feel the buzz that comes as everything drops into place logically. As for Maxxuss, I have no idea how old he (or she) might be but he's certainly very talented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnniecarcinogen Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 I would like to believe that Maxxuss is a front for Apple to have an excuse to license OS X rather than keep it on Apple hardware in order to thwart ms and the die hard elitist apple-heads. But can anyone attribute the name 'Maxxuss' to anything else non-osx86 related? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kday Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 I used google and searched with these search terms: maxxuss -osx86 -os x -10.4.3 -intel -1.0.4.3 -darwin -antitpm The only somewhat interesting thing I found was this http://www.plentyoffish.com/member725014.htm Interestingly enough, this guy is a computer tech and he has a FreeBSD icon on his page. Could this be our Maxxuss? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtraa Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 Interestingly enough, this guy is a computer tech and he has a FreeBSD icon on his page. Could this be our Maxxuss? And if so, do you think it would be helpful then, to post his location? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metrogirl Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 Guys, I just want to jump in here with a little moderation. Great to speculate about Maxxuss but if by some chance someone gets a real clue to his identity, for everyone's sake keep it to yourself. I know Apple can Google for him but maybe they haven't put too much effort into trying to find him. Let's not make it easier for them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disposition Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 hes done incredible things for this community (project). if he doesnt work for apple, then he is a brilliant programmer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland77 Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 hes done incredible things for this community (project). if he doesnt work for apple, then he is a brilliant programmer. couldnt agree more, maxxuss we love u stay hiding; google earth is growing ^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takuro Posted November 28, 2005 Share Posted November 28, 2005 ............................................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajebbatson Posted November 28, 2005 Share Posted November 28, 2005 Why would Apple want to employ Maxxuss - he's clearly motivated by the challenge of cracking and isn't constrained by working for Apple (24x7 hardcore cracker vs corporate employee), so he's ideal where he is - unpaid in the underground providing regular DTK cracks and showing Apple the weakness of their approaches. However I suspect that this whole oah750 TPM business is a rouse and the final genuine x86 Mac will contain a significant reliance on unique hardware to limit running OS X x86 to Apple hardware. Sure it won't make running OS X on generic x86 impossible but with regular crack breaking updates, they could certainly make running an "unofficial" install of OS X a real pain. Although I would never discount the ingenuity of the cracker. As for the identity or competency of Maxxuss, I would guess he's an existing x86 cracker (probably higher end than just Safedisc games, more of a CAD/Professional app cracker) so he knows x86 inside out, knows the tools of the cracking trade and knows just about every trick every software copy protection scheme has use to try and thwart crackers. As for Apple, I find it strange that they went after the guys who leaked the PPC Tiger Beta so ferociously but seem to have remained virtually silent on the Marklar leaks and cracks. I just hope Maxxuss doesn't live somewhere that would let Apple legal get their hands on him if they decide to attack...in which case .ru is certainly still a safe bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Maxxuss can be just about anyone really. It is possible for Maxxuss to be just one person. I would like to point out a perfect example of the kind of people who work in the industry. I know of first hand (worked with him for a few years), of a rather talented assembly debugger (guru) at the evil empire. One fine day he was given a task to figure out why a Seirra game was crashing Win95. So through low level debugging he was able reverse engineer the problem in the Seirra code. He then sent email to Seirra telling them exactly which line of code was the problem and instructions on changing it. Seirra went ballistic wondering how the evil empire got their code, but the the catch was that they did not... he is just that good. There are many people at places like the evil empire that are really super talented... really makes us "normal" people feel a little small. So my take is that he is one guy with maybe a couple of friends who just love nothing more then to geek themselves on some complex problem. his ability to spend time on a this matter dictates that he is most likely a student of some kind.... And I am sure he is getting a real Ego-Trip out of reading all of this. In the end we are VERY happy to have Maxxuss because he is giving us a chance to do what we have always wanted. By the way, I am residing now in the "old" evil empire (Russia) where Macs are like white gold. So being able run Tiger on a PC will be a HUGE plus in my book. Maxxuss, as you read this.... well... thanks just aren't enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gdfath3r Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 Maybe he already works for Apple and he's planting the cracks... LOL Undercover Spy who's undermining the competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39thRonin Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 ... As for Maxxuss, I have no idea how old he (or she) might be but he's certainly very talented. I've been in and around the scene, well, pretty much from the beginning - when hacks for Apple II games were being crafted in AppleBasic and the like (6502 assembler as well) and we traded stuff across 1200 baud modems. I date to those heady days when Mitnick was hacking the code for AT&T switches and VMS. In all these years I think I've seen maybe two or three true hackers - ones that could code assembler traps in their sleep. Maxxuss is one of the best. His code is extrordinarily tight - very fast. I sortof stumbled across the x86project, and rapidly became a convert. The fact that we have Maxxuss, JaS, and all those in the supporting cast is what has made this a great deal of fun. I don't know about anyone else here, but my intent is not to beat Apple out of a couple hundred dollars - it's to run the best OS I can find on my box, pure and simple. I used to think it was Linux or Solaris, or BeOS, NextStep and a slew of others, but MacOS X is the real deal... I hope Maxxuss stays on our side - having spent many years in Corporate America I can attest to the fact that the MBA types will chew up and spit out techies like popcorn - we are simply another faceless "resource" for them. Stay Free Maxxuss - Stay Free! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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