Gentoo Archives: gentoo-user

From: Mick <michaelkintzios@×××××.com>
To: gentoo-user@l.g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Re: New Intel CPU flaws discovered
Date: Sat, 18 May 2019 16:17:45
Message-Id: 1603514.DTVesN2I3j@dell_xps
In Reply to: Re: [gentoo-user] Re: New Intel CPU flaws discovered by Frank Steinmetzger
1 On Saturday, 18 May 2019 02:25:58 BST Frank Steinmetzger wrote:
2
3 > At some point in the future, my stationary PC will require a hardware
4 > refresh. At that point I will say goodbye to Intel. This is the only
5 > language companies understand.
6
7 Yes, Intel has been permanently erased as an option for any future computer
8 purchases of mine.
9
10 However, in the current oligopoly of hardware suppliers and their market carve
11 up, there isn't much/any choice for the retail consumer. The only CPU which
12 does not come with ME/PSP hardware backdoors built-in by design, is the
13 POWER9, which is an expensive server CPU. No choice for laptops.
14
15 Unless big OEMs like Apple start exerting pressure on the CPU manufacturers to
16 secure their designs, I can't see them changing their strategy just because an
17 infinitesimally small number of users stopped buying their products.
18
19
20 > They’ve been getting ahead by developing
21 > features without due diligence and by cutting corners. And this is biting
22 > them in their behind now all the way back.
23
24 It's not just a matter of cutting corners and trying to remain competitive by
25 being first to market with shoddy products. They have also consciously
26 decided to incorporate <aheam!> co-processors (OOB hypervisors) in their
27 chips, with no option of physically removing these, or at least fully
28 disabling or replacing the proprietary firmware blobs they have been running.
29 The concept of 'secure computing' with today's market offerings is increasing
30 showing itself to be an oxymoron.
31
32 --
33 Regards,
34 Mick

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