Messages in this thread | | | Date | Wed, 13 Oct 1999 22:26:39 -0400 (EDT) | From | James R Bruce <> | Subject | Re: pIII Serial (or lack there-of) |
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> I was playing around with the cpuid instruction today and noticed newer > versions of Linux disable the pIII serial number without any sort of "Yes > I want to disable this" anywhere.. I had to go hack > /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/kernel/setup.c :( I was wondering why the pIII > serial is so dangerous we aren't even allowing the OPTION to leave it > enabled..
I think the fact that there aren't currently any useful applications of the serial number is a likely reason for not bothering to put it in as an option. Any software that requires it would require a PIII, and if the software can deal with not having it on other CPUs there isn't any compelling reason it is needed anyway.
Though perhaps it should be an option just because someone *might* want to use it...
Intel claimed at some point that it was for identification for eCommerce and similar applications, which is a pretty stupid reason since any layer between the CPU and the network card could easily fake another serial number. Crippleware seems to be the only reasonable use in commercial apps.
- Jim
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