https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/08/intel_software_defined_silicon_update/ [user] [user] Sign in The Register(r) -- Biting the hand that feeds IT [magn] [burg] [burg] Topics Security Off-Prem All Off-PremEdge + IoTChannelPaaS + IaaSSaaS (X) On-Prem All On-PremServersStorageNetworksHPCPersonal Tech (X) Software All SoftwareAI + MLApplicationsDatabasesDevOpsOSesVirtualization (X) Offbeat All OffbeatDebatesColumnistsScienceGeek's GuideBOFHLegalBootnotesSite NewsAbout Us (X) Vendor Voice All Vendor VoiceAdobeAmazon Web Services (AWS)Amazon Web Services (AWS) MigrationGoogle CloudGoogle Cloud's ApigeeGoogle Workspace LenovoNutanixRapid7Red hatSophosVeeamVirtru (X) Resources * Whitepapers * Webinars * Newsletters Situation Publishing * The Next Platform * Devclass * Blocks and Files Get our Weekly newsletter [front] On-Prem Intel updates mysterious 'software-defined silicon' code in the Linux kernel Yeah, right, Chipzilla: we totally believe your line this isn't a real plan, even though PCI supports it Simon Sharwood, APAC Editor Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 06:59 UTC 41 comment bubble on white --------------------------------------------------------------------- 41 comment bubble on white # reddit Twitter Facebook linkedin WhatsApp email [https://www.theregis] Copy Intel has updated the code it says allows the implementation of "software-defined silicon" (SDSi). Chipzilla dropped some code for SDSi into the Linux Kernel in September 2021, describing it as tech that allows users to activate dormant features in silicon. The code outlined a process for enabling new features by verifying cryptographically signed licences. A new post to the Linux Kernel Mailing List from David E. Box, a Linux dev who works at Intel, explains version two of Intel's SDSi code. [front] Box explained the update offers "changes to the current intel_pmt driver to give it broader support for Intel defined PCIe VSEC and DVSEC features. It moves the implementation from MFD to the auxiliary bus and creates a generic framework for enumerating the extended capabilities. It also adds support for a new VSEC, Software Defined Silicon (SDSi)." [front] [front] VSEC stands for "Vendor-Specific Extended Capability," in case you are wondering. And this PCI-SIG Engineering Change Notice (PDF) from 2015 states it "allows PCI Express component vendors to use the Extended Capability mechanism to expose vendor-specific registers." The Register asked Intel about SDSi in the wake of Box's first posts on the matter. Intel declined to offer details of its plans, and even told The Register SDSi might not have anything to do with an actual product and/or might never be used. * Self-driving towards an IPO? Intel unveils plans for Mobileye offering * Intel's recent Atom, Celeron, Pentium chips can be lulled into a debug mode, potentially revealing system secrets * Intel hopes to burn newly open-sourced AI debug tech into chips We were sceptical of that assertion because making the effort to add code to the Linux kernel without planning for it to be used is thoroughly counter-intuitive. It's also the sort of thing that annoys key Linux maintainers: Greg Kroah-Hartman fumed when researchers conducted an experiment by trying to add insecure code to the kernel and then testily pointed out that 80 developers worked to clean up the resulting mess. Intel knows better than to provoke that sort of ire. And now that it's bothered to refine its SDSi efforts, the non-explanation for its kernel contributions is even flimsier than before. [front] We've therefore asked Intel to again explain its SDSi ambitions. If we receive a meaningful response, we'll let you know. (r) Get our Tech Resources # Share reddit Twitter Facebook linkedin WhatsApp email [https://www.theregis] Copy 41 Comments Similar topics * Intel * Linux * Open Source * Server Broader topics * Linus Torvalds * Operating System Narrower topics * Alder Lake * Audacity * CentOS * Debian * Linux Foundation * Mobileye * OpenOffice * x86 * Xen Corrections Send us news --------------------------------------------------------------------- [front] Other stories you might like * Aircraft can't land safely due to interference with upcoming 5G C-band broadband service Expect flight delays and diversions, US Federal Aviation Administation warns Katyanna Quach Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 21:50 UTC 7 comment bubble on white The new 5G C-band wireless broadband service expected to rollout on 5 January 2022 in the US will disrupt local radio signals and make it difficult for airplanes to land safely in harsh weather conditions, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Pilots rely on radio altimeter readings to figure out when and where an aircraft should carry out a series of operations to prepare for touchdown. But the upcoming 5G C-band service beaming from cell towers threatens to interfere with these signals, the FAA warned in two reports. Flights may have to be delayed or restricted at certain airports as the new broadband service comes into effect next year. The change could affect some 6,834 airplanes and 1,828 helicopters. The cost to operators is expected to be $580,890. Continue reading * Canadian charged with running ransomware attack on US state of Alaska Cross-border op nabbed our man, boast cops and prosecutors Gareth Corfield Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 19:02 UTC 4 comment bubble on white A Canadian man is accused of masterminding ransomware attacks that caused "damage" to systems belonging to the US state of Alaska. A federal indictment against Matthew Philbert, 31, of Ottawa, was unsealed yesterday, and he was also concurrently charged by the Canadian authorities with a number of other criminal offences at the same time. US prosecutors [PDF] claimed he carried out "cyber related offences" - including a specific 2018 attack on a computer in Alaska. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that Philbert was charged after a 23 month investigation "that also involved the [Royal Canadian Mounted Police, federal enforcers], the FBI and Europol." Continue reading * German court rules cookie preference service that shared IP addresses with US firm should be halted Schrems II starts to be felt in Europe Lindsay Clark Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 17:20 UTC 9 comment bubble on white A German court has ruled that sharing IP addresses with US-based servers for the purpose of cookie consent is unlawful under EU data protection law and the EU Court of Justice Schrems II ruling. The university Hochschule RheinMain in Germany was this week prevented by Wiesbaden Administrative Court from using a cookie preference service that shares the complete IP address of the end user to the servers of a company whose headquarters are in the US. A complainant had alleged that the CookieBot consent manager from Danish provider Cybot transmitted data such that IP addresses were shared with US-based cloud company Akamai Technologies. Continue reading * Virgin Media fined PS50,000 after spamming 451,000 who didn't want marketing emails Data watchdog shows it's keeping its PECR up Gareth Corfield Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 16:37 UTC 12 comment bubble on white British telco Virgin Media is facing a PS50k financial penalty after spamming more than 400,000 opted-out customers urging them to sign back up to receive marketing bumf. Just one customer complained to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) about receiving the spam - but that was enough to spur the regulator into investigating. In a message disguised as a routine communication about tariff prices, Virgin told the unfortunate 451,217 recipients it knew full well they'd opted out of marketing emails but wanted them to opt back in. Continue reading * Microsoft signs settlement with US Justice Dept over 'immigration-related discrimination' claims Must revise visa evaluation process Richard Speed Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 15:37 UTC 7 comment bubble on white Microsoft has settled with the US Justice Department over immigration-related discrimination claims. At the heart of the investigation were allegations that the Windows giant discriminated against non-US citizens based on their citizenship status as well as against lawful permanent residents. The problem was the level of documentation the DoJ alleged had been asked for by Microsoft. In this case, it was more documentation than was legally required to show sponsorship for work visas were not needed, as well as repeatedly demanding evidence to reverify the continuing permission of employees to work in the US. Continue reading * Flash? Nu-uh. Windows 11 users complain of slow NVMe SSD performance Microsoft aware of the issue months ago, but not fixed yet Tim Anderson Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 14:41 UTC 18 comment bubble on white Users of Windows 11 are complaining about slow write speeds on NVMe SSD drives, a problem which persists even though it was acknowledged by a Microsoft engineer three months ago. Continue reading * Quill users advised to export chat history before servers turned off for Twitter buyout Yet another Slack rival goes offline, but text-adventure fans need not panic Liam Proven in Prague Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 13:47 UTC 6 comment bubble on white Twitter has acquired another dotcom - this time business-oriented, low-distraction text/audio/video chat service Quill.chat. Neither company said how much cash changed hands. Quill.chat - no, not that Quill - only stuck its head above the parapet in April 2020 and launched on 23 February this year, so it may not be missed by all that many. If you did use it and have anything you want to keep, you'd better be fast to grab your history - Quill said yesterday that customers only have two days to export their data. At 1pm on Saturday 11 December, it's shutting down its servers and deleting everything. All part of the fun of PaaS and cloud computing. Continue reading * 2033 is doomsday for 2G and 3G in the UK Surely the Great Coming of (Huawei-less) 5G will have happened by then Richard Speed Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 13:02 UTC 29 comment bubble on white The UK government has announced measures to phase out 2G and 3G networks by 2033 ahead of Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries' meeting with US Secretary for Commerce Gina Raimondo. The government also spoke of its "ambition" for 35 per cent of the UK's mobile network traffic to be carried over open and interoperable Radio Access Network (RAN) architectures by 2030. The former I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! contestant announced the plans as part of a wider ambition to bring in new telecoms suppliers to roll out 5G now that Huawei is a dirty word in Downing Street. Continue reading * Google launches lawsuit against a blockchain-enabled botnet Two Russian men and 15 Does named in Glupteba Enterprise case Laura Dobberstein Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 12:13 UTC 6 comment bubble on white Google says it has taken legal and technical action against Russia-based botnet Glupteba. "Botnets are a real threat to internet users, and require the efforts of industry and law enforcement to deter them," wrote Google's vice president of security, Royal Hansen, and general counsel Halimah DeLaine Prado. The ad giant claimed that its own investigation revealed that Glupteba encompasses about one million compromised devices worldwide, sometimes growing at a speed of thousands per day. Continue reading * Open hardware smartphone PinePhone Pro starts to ship - to developers only, for now New e-ink tablet, too. Open mobiles, tablets and laptops are coming... slowly Liam Proven in Prague Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 11:30 UTC 9 comment bubble on white Open-source-hardware vendor Pine64 has started shipping versions of its upgraded smartphone and new e-ink tablet - but so far, only to developers. There's more to affordable Arm hardware than the bare single-board computers (SBCs) from, for example, the Raspberry Pi Foundation, or TI's BeagleBone. Hong Kong vendor Pine64 started out with the crowd-funded $32 A64 SBC, but then started building this core design into laptops, smartphones, tablets, even smartwatches - with open designs that support multiple operating systems. Continue reading * We can unify HPC and AI software environments, just not at the source code level Compute graphs are the way forward Rob Farber Wed 8 Dec 2021 // 10:45 UTC comment bubble on black Register Debate Welcome to the latest Register Debate in which writers discuss technology topics, and you the reader choose the winning argument. The format is simple: we propose a motion, the arguments for the motion will run this Monday and Wednesday, and the arguments against on Tuesday and Thursday. During the week you can cast your vote on which side you support using the poll embedded below, choosing whether you're in favour or against the motion. The final score will be announced on Friday, revealing whether the for or against argument was most popular. This week's motion is: A unified, agnostic software environment can be achieved. We debate the question: can the industry ever have a truly open, unified, agnostic software environment in HPC and AI that can span multiple kinds of compute engines? Arguing today FOR the motion is Rob Farber, a global technology consultant and author with an extensive background in HPC and in developing machine-learning technology that he applies at national laboratories and commercial organizations. Rob can be reached at info@techenablement.com. Continue reading ABOUT US* * Who we are * Under the hood * Contact us * Advertise with us MORE CONTENT* * Latest News * Popular Stories * Forums * Whitepapers * Webinars SITUATION PUBLISHING* * The Next Platform * DevClass * Blocks and Files * Continuous Lifecycle London * M-cubed Situation Publishing The Register - Independent news and views for the tech community. 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