Irenes (many)3d 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)3d 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 threadgaytabase3d 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)3d 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 threadPhilippa Cowderoy2d ago

@ireneista @dysfun cpu-specific optimisation is a thing and dysfun does it fwiw

(and I was playing games that took advantage of it in the late 90s)

Show threadPhilippa Cowderoy2d ago
@ireneista @dysfun (you're not wrong about the DRM, but games weren't doing it that way for a lot longer)
Show threadPhilippa Cowderoy2d ago
@ireneista @dysfun (see also: most gamers don't want to recompile with every patch released!)
Show thread0xC0DEC0DE07EA2d ago
@flippac @ireneista @dysfun distribute your games as source, you cowards!
Original thought was DKMS for games, but that’s just distribute as source with an extra wrapper to rebuild as needed.
Show threadPhilippa Cowderoy2d ago

@c0dec0dec0de @ireneista @dysfun this would legit take some of the FGC's fun away, but I appreciate that's specialist

build times though, especially if you've been away a while and several games got big updates

Show thread0xC0DEC0DE07EA
@flippac @ireneista @dysfun yeah, there are reasons why I like binary package managers even though I have the skills and (sometimes) the patience to build things from source.
Dependency resolution is a bad level 0 for a puzzle game.
Mar 19 at 10:45pmWeb
Show threadPhilippa Cowderoy2d ago

@c0dec0dec0de @ireneista @dysfun giving lab monsters source is going to lead to players finding all kinds of ways your PvP game is broken faster than you can patch them, too

(fighting games always have execution and hopefully nontrivial strategy layers, but we'd like to avoid "everything is kusoge two days after launch")

Show thread0xC0DEC0DE07EA2d ago
@flippac @ireneista @dysfun I actually sorta forgot multiplayer games, mediated by a company-controlled server, were a thing…
Show thread0xC0DEC0DE07EA2d ago
@flippac @ireneista @dysfun I guess I need to turn in my Gamer label, huh