DAMN the reply button

[Kai Henningsen]

rob at current.nu (BadlandZ)  wrote on 11.11.98 in <364A5304.B7051AF8 at current.nu>:

> (IMHO, maybe CPU, but BIOS for the sake of discussion).  LINUX should
> read (and not "soft" read) a serial number out of the BIOS, and not hold
> it in software to be hacked.  BIOS manufacture might be easier to

Remember, people have the source to Linux. They can _always_ hack a serial  
number simulator into the kernel that simulates whatever serial number you  
want, including different numbers to different programs.

IBM created a hardware serial number for their big iron CPUs.

Then they wrote VM.

Which has a command to set that serial number to anything you like.

And yes, I've seen it used for software that looked at the serial number  
for license purposes.

I don't think it's worth it. It's far too easy to break. It's fake  
security.

MfG Kai