Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S265080AbUD3GC3 (ORCPT ); Fri, 30 Apr 2004 02:02:29 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S265082AbUD3GC3 (ORCPT ); Fri, 30 Apr 2004 02:02:29 -0400 Received: from pdbn-d9bb9ef8.pool.mediaWays.net ([217.187.158.248]:21766 "EHLO citd.de") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S265080AbUD3GC1 (ORCPT ); Fri, 30 Apr 2004 02:02:27 -0400 Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 08:01:46 +0200 From: Matthias Schniedermeyer To: Timothy Miller Cc: Marc Boucher , Rik van Riel , lkml - Kernel Mailing List , Rusty Russell , David Gibson Subject: Re: [PATCH] Blacklist binary-only modules lying about their license Message-ID: <20040430060146.GA10826@citd.de> References: <40911C01.80609@techsource.com> <20040429213246.GA15988@valve.mbsi.ca> <40917DBA.1080308@techsource.com> <6DB1DC9C-9A2B-11D8-B83D-000A95BCAC26@linuxant.com> <4091895A.6040800@techsource.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <4091895A.6040800@techsource.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.3.27i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1491 Lines: 38 > You have pointed out an interesting point in another email. I have to > agree that, technically, thunking to BIOS code also taints the kernel, > because it, too, is a black box which could corrupt the kernel. What do > others have to say about that? There is more. Not executing external code, but trusting external data. e.g. The symbios(*1)-SCSI-driver only shows devices enabled in its BIOS. This information is stored in a little NVRAM-chip(*2) and the driver uses this data, including bus-speed settings and the like. At least i (had/have*3) trouble with this "feature"! *1: NCR, Symbios-Logic, LSI-Logic, whatever they are called today *2: You need anything "bigger" than the 810-model *3: I'm not sure if i still have trouble with this feature because i haven't changed the setup in my computer for 3 years, it MAY be that i still use a workaround for this feature. My next computer won't have SCSI anymore, so i don't care if i still use a workaround. Bis denn -- Real Programmers consider "what you see is what you get" to be just as bad a concept in Text Editors as it is in women. No, the Real Programmer wants a "you asked for it, you got it" text editor -- complicated, cryptic, powerful, unforgiving, dangerous. - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/