Irenes (many)2d ago

when Intel introduced a cpuid instruction, around 1998 or so

there was a debate on the Linux kernel mailing list as to whether Linux should provide a way to call that instruction

you know, because of its potential uses for surveillance and how that was sharply at odds with the idea of computers being owned by their users

Show threadIrenes (many)2d ago
the resolution, at least for a while, was that Linux would implement an interface for programs to invoke the instruction, but would also add an interface that allows the user to instruct the kernel to lie and return a user-specified identifier instead
Show threadgaytabase2d ago
@ireneista that's kind of funny. i'm glad we can use cpuid though, a lot of my performance gaming relies on it.
Show threadIrenes (many)2d ago
@dysfun sure, but you understand it relies on it in the sense that DRM and anticheat look at it, right? it's not a feature that helps with graphics or anything like that
Show threadgaytabase
@ireneista of course i understand, it's just there's quite a downside to saying no.
Mar 19 at 9:33pmWeb
Show threadIrenes (many)2d ago
@dysfun yes, that makes sense. thanks - we weren't actually sure what level of understanding people had about that, so it's good to know.
Show threadgaytabase2d ago
@ireneista well i don't know that i qualify as average for these purposes...
Show threadIrenes (many)2d ago
@dysfun fair fair 💜