Well to summarize: The kernel should not dictate policy.
That's the end of that.
That being said, the pIII kernel patches have always had this config option
so this argument is really a moot point.
> I suggest the default be that the PSN be simply disabled at startup. A
> kernel parameter (optionally compiled into the kernel) could change this
> so that the PSN is read before it is disabled. The PSN could then be
> stored in a /proc variable (and also read through a (perhaps privileged)=20
> sysctl command). This variable could be modified (ala /proc/sys/*) if the
> user wishes (whether or not they actually have a PIII). The PSN would
> then become no more infringent on privacy than a variable MAC adddress.=20
That's all well and good except that enabling a PSN from a disabled state
requires a restart. Disabling a PSN from an enabled state does not.
In any case the question is moot. I may want to use a pIII serial number
when a mac address is likely to change and I still want to have a enterprise-
wide installation/upgrade system (and assuming of course that all machines
in that network support PSN). The kernel should never dictate policy. If
someone wants to hang himself in the opinion of someone else, it should
let him.
There are no checks in the kernel for unlink of / or /lib, nor should
there be.
-- Nathan Laredo
laredo@gnu.org
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