Linux Format forums

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

nelz — Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:26 am

Author: nelz

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:26 am

Ombra wrote:

nelz wrote:

"Intel is one of the major contributorsto the kernel"
I did not know that...but it does explain much.

Nice one, by removing all context from that quote you have managed to completely change its implication.

Ombra wrote:

I can only state again what should be obvious, until I learn how to erase this stuff it most definitely ain't under my control.

But learning to do it is completely under your control. As is convincing yourself that it is too difficult for you. It goes like this

Install a distro you like
Install the kernel source package
Read up on recompiling a kernel
Run make menuconfig and disable the options you hate enough to create a five page thread over but not enough to read a one page howto
Compile the kernel
Reboot
If it works, great. If not, reboot back to your original kernel, run menuconfig again and tweak the settings until it does.

Ombra wrote:

I will have to begin teaching myself how to reconfigure/rebuild kernel. No telling how long that will take.

As long as it takes you to get around to trying to do it, plus a few hours - so you're probably right in your estimation of a year.

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

towy71 — Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:45 pm

Author: towy71

Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:45 pm

You are not using Linux because of your paranoia about DRM but are using XP. I'm sorry but I am now lockin this thread because it is pointless trying convince you of our good intentions

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

Ombra — Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:39 pm

Author: Ombra

Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:39 pm

nelz wrote:

Intel is one of the major contributors to the kernel, most of it related to hardware support. Even the one item that is vaguely DRM-related is only support for specific Intel business hardware and not affecting user-owners.

Most importantly - even the parts you object too are open source and therefore completely under your control on any computer you administer.

"Intel is one of the major contributorsto the kernel"
I did not know that...but it does explain much.

I looked into opensource:
http://www.opensource.org
I guess this somehow makes Trusted Computing automatically 'kosher' to your thinking...I am not convinced.

I can only state again what should be obvious, until I learn how to erase this stuff it most definitely ain't under my control. As I see it, the coming timeline breaks down like this. I get PC, figure out how to install XP Pro on one HD, and who knows what Linux distro on the other. It looks like I got no choice but to use distro having my much hated Trusted Computing rot, so absolute best I can hope for is to find distro with it not enabled. I figure it to take about a year for me to become as comfortable with Linux as I am with XP. At that point, I will have to begin teaching myself how to reconfigure/rebuild kernel. No telling how long that will take. Only when that is done will I really have "control". Until then I got no control, no choice...unless you think 'take it or leave it' qualifies.

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

einonm — Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:29 pm

Author: einonm

Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:29 pm

Ombra, security is all about trust and you appear not to trust anything or anyone else.

So that leaves you with the only option of trusting yourself, and doing the grunt work of analyzing kernel source / configs to make sure that you trust what is running on your system (a feature that is only possible with open source, btw).

But instead of getting down to the task, you seem to be saying that it's too hard for a 'newbie', and painting yourself into a bit of a logical corner. You also list quite a random set of software that I can only presume you've heard bad things about on forums (uboot, really?) without checking them out for yourself.

So, please have at least one attempt at following some of the suggestions given here before posting - I think you will then find the comments given more helpful than frustrating (for everyone involved).

For building your own kernel, and understanding what the config file options are all about I can heartily recommend the book Linux kernel In A Nutshell (free in PDF format at http://www.kroah.com/lkn/)

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

Debian Acolyte — Thu Jun 28, 2012 1:54 am

Author: Debian Acolyte

Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 1:54 am

roseway wrote:

Don't worry, he's raised it in the Debian forums, and they're an argumentative lot so I expect it will get a good airing there.

Generated very little discussion. After six posts, the OP was branded a troll.

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

Ombra — Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:29 pm

Author: Ombra

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:29 pm

towy71 wrote:

Ombra what on earth are you on about? Are you chasing shadows?

http://trisquel.info/en/forum/re-trisquel-trusted-computing

So it would seem. Not even a Stallman approved kernel version is free of this Trusted Computing rot!

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

wyliecoyoteuk — Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:19 pm

Author: wyliecoyoteuk

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:19 pm

pastychomper wrote:

roseway wrote:

Don't worry, he's raised it in the Debian forums, and they're an argumentative lot ...

No they're not!

Oh, yes they are....(continue ad infinitum)

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

pastychomper — Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:05 pm

Author: pastychomper

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:05 pm

roseway wrote:

Don't worry, he's raised it in the Debian forums, and they're an argumentative lot ...

No they're not!

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

roseway — Wed Jun 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Author: roseway

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Don't worry, he's raised it in the Debian forums, and they're an argumentative lot so I expect it will get a good airing there.

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

nelz — Wed Jun 27, 2012 10:29 am

Author: nelz

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 10:29 am

Except you can't invoke Godwin's Law deliberately, so all I've done is condemn this topic to eternal continuation... or at least until the OP gets the idea of an open source kernel

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

wyliecoyoteuk — Wed Jun 27, 2012 10:19 am

Author: wyliecoyoteuk

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 10:19 am

That's it then

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

nelz — Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:57 am

Author: nelz

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:57 am

Who is Godwin? Some sort of DRM Nazi?

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

wyliecoyoteuk — Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:50 am

Author: wyliecoyoteuk

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:50 am

This thread is getting dangerously long. Has it hit Godwin's law yet?

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

Ram — Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:20 am

Author: Ram

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:20 am

And that's nothing to do with the kernel, just a Microsoft registry hack.

Re: RE: Linux kernel and DRM

Ombra — Wed Jun 27, 2012 2:55 am

Author: Ombra

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 2:55 am

Ram wrote:

Yes but at the end of the day the kernel is closed and there is nothing you can do about if an updates activates a new feature until someone comes along to close it for you.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/05/microsoft_update_quietly_insta.html

Yes, the kernel is closed...for now. That don't mean some nasty script kiddie won't crack it tomorrow, next month, etc.
Its a waiting game, and one reason why I'm a devoted lurker on the cracker sites. As for Microsoft Updates, do you really think after the firefox sabotage (linked to above) I would trust them to access my PC, anymore than Sony (after their rootkit fiasco)?