From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S262196AbTDXXDb (ORCPT ); Thu, 24 Apr 2003 19:03:31 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S262763AbTDXXDb (ORCPT ); Thu, 24 Apr 2003 19:03:31 -0400 Received: from almesberger.net ([63.105.73.239]:59146 "EHLO host.almesberger.net") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S262196AbTDXXDa (ORCPT ); Thu, 24 Apr 2003 19:03:30 -0400 Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 20:15:22 -0300 From: Werner Almesberger To: Daniel Phillips Cc: Linus Torvalds , Kernel Mailing List Subject: Re: Flame Linus to a crisp! Message-ID: <20030424201522.G1425@almesberger.net> References: <20030424182945.7065812EFF1@mx12.arcor-online.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20030424182945.7065812EFF1@mx12.arcor-online.net>; from phillips@arcor.de on Thu, Apr 24, 2003 at 08:31:06PM +0200 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Daniel Phillips wrote: > Open source + Linux + DRM could be used to solve the Quake client-side > cheating problem: Yes, but in return you'd be excluded from playing Quake unless you're running one of those signed kernels or modules. So, if I, say, want to test some TCP fix, new VM feature, file system improvement, etc., none of the applications that rely on DRM would work. This doesn't only affect developers, but also their potential testers. Given that most users will just run a distribution's kernel, with all the right signatures, companies will not perceive the few cases in which their use of DRM causes problems as very important, so they will use DRM. Oh, maybe some developers could be granted the privilege of being able to sign their own kernels or modules. So if you're part of this circle, you'd be fine, right ? No, even this doesn't work, because if you'd leak such a key, you'd certainly get sued for damages. And I don't think many people would feel overly pleased with the idea of being responsible for the safekeeping of the key to a multi-million lawsuit. (And besides, this may turn them into targets for key theft/robbery/extortion.) (There are of course uses of such signatures that would not have those problems. E.g. signatures that prove trustworthiness to the local user, instead of a remote party.) - Werner -- _________________________________________________________________________ / Werner Almesberger, Buenos Aires, Argentina wa@almesberger.net / /_http://www.almesberger.net/____________________________________________/