CPU as a service // MINIX in Intel ME

Adonay Felipe Nogueira adfeno at hyperbola.info
Tue Nov 28 21:45:08 UTC 2017


Jost to note that not all copies of Linux are unlicensed.

The unlicensed ones are those shipped or provided by non-free system
distributions that happen to break the terms of the license (currently:
99%).

Besides, the Linux project itself seems to currently put non-free parts
inside it so, one always has to do some cleanup even if getting a copy
from Linux project itself.

2017-11-28T15:33:06-0600 Timothy Pearson wrote:
> On 11/28/2017 03:23 PM, Jann KRUSE wrote:
>> In short:
>> We are essentially being forced, without even being told, to run buggy
>> proprietary code in a very powerful and very capable hyper-hyper-visor
>> of our OS, which can (benign or maliciously) control both the (free)
>> software we run and the hardware we "own", without our knowledge.
>> (See also in-line comment below..)
>> 
>> Greetings,
>> Jann
>> PGP 0xE7A47A578A30148A
>
> As before, though, you're only forced into this you need to stay on x86.
>
> IMHO part of the reasoning for this lockdown is that the majority of x86
> sales by volume are still to consumers. Therefore, there is strong call
> to prevent the machine lessee (hesitate to call anyone bound by an EULA
> an "owner") from doing anything that might be considered unacceptable
> (e.g. breaking DRM, posting restricted content, using unlicensed
> software like Linux, possibly even depending on region criticising the
> authorities).  We're already seeing some of this in the wild in that the
> 4k streaming services require the ME and its DRM in order to run.
>
> It's still early enough to at least forcibly split "production",
> owner-controlled hardware from the "consumption" leased hardware.
> However this only happens if people support the vendors that are still
> making owner controlled hardware by selecting their products over the
> competing leased x86 systems.
>
> Anecdotally, I have personally seen way too many people supposedly
> interested in libre software that are literally locking themselves into
> the x86 walled garden over games.  Think about that: *games*.  Giving up
> privacy and control to waste time in front of a *game*.  This is the
> mentality that needs to be fixed, that somehow consuming content is more
> important than being able to create it.  No idea how to do that right now.
>
> As always, just my $0.02.

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