Now people may ask things like: "Why?" and the answer is: For a primitive approach to #SecureComputing.

• Because loading the #OS into #RAM allows not just for a non-persistent setup like an #SSH-#Terminal (think #VT320 but better!) but being hard-wired as #ReadOnly means it's tamper proof by design when combined with an intrusion-detection & tamper-proof seals: Physical Access will be detectable and Remote Access cannot cause permanent damages.

And that may also be useful with other #ThinClient-like "aplianced" devices.

• Basically for anything where #NetworkBoot ain't an option for whatever reasons!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuZUPpmXfT0 via @lazygamereviews

@samirx The idea of something like @OS1337 on a #ROM chip is that it it basically hardwired ROM so one can only read it and it could do some signature and checksum checking.

Granted this is a sort-of primitive #SecureComputing aimed at making #SSH-#Terminals tick...

Something @stman and @landley did inspire me in part...

• Just right now I've to tend more crucial things...

-- :please_boost: 🔁   :boost: :boosted:

Speaking of #ROMs for #ix86 / #amd64: Does anyone know a good way to implement something like #Linux in #ROM like the #Tandy #1000RL & #1000RLX did with #MSDOS & #DeskMate (as @vwestlife showed)...

• Or is this something that requires either going down the #PCIe -> #PCI -> #ISA rabbit hole?

I mean, it would be a way cleaner setup to boot OS/1337 to than booting a #CDROM?

• If noone has an Idea how to make this happen, is there any good way or existing solution to basically make a hardware write-protectable / #readonly #USB flashdrive to boot from?

Ideally something that can take #BIOS-style ROM Chips that one can put on a board without write-enable connected so they're read-only!

• And yes, @landley may see similarities to his [deprecated] Aboriginal Linux nee #FirmwareLinux ...

Still having like a #minimalist #Linux distro in Boot-ROM would be nifty, espechally when it comes to making a #SecureComputing "#SSH #Terminal"...

• Maybe @ActionRetro, @mos_8502 and others can point this question to people who are firm in boot ROMs and potentially even have something at hand.

(I don't expect something like a PCI(e Mini)Card but I'd not be against it!)

#RetroComputing #Hardware #Question #ix86 #amd64

Starting with #Microsoft's #palladium they theorized a new "#SecureComputing" model for allowing companies to reach into your computer long after you had paid for it and brought it home, in order to discipline you for using it in ways that undermined its shareholders' interest.

Secure Computing began with the idea of shipping every computer with *two* CPUs. The first one was the normal CPU, the one you interacted with when you booted it up, loaded your OS, and ran programs.

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