Linux Format forums

Ombra · Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 2:00 am Posts: 20

I'm seeking a list of all kernel configuration items, modules, tarballs, etc., containing Trusted Computing or Digital Rights Management, that have been added to the Linux kernel so far.
Anyone have such a list, able to refer me to a site providing one, or can offer any assistance?

Dutch_Master · LXF regular Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:49 am Posts: 2354

Just a counter question: why do you need that? I hope the entertainment industry doesn't expect us to hand them a list of everything they believe to be infringing their perceived rights?

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 11:21 am Post subject:

My first reaction was that no such thing exists.
DRM and TCP are by their nature non-open, so would not be compatible with the GPL.
But I was intrigued and found this link:
on TPM
DRM is also possible, apparently by using external keys (which are not in the kernel) with GPL code for accessing them.
It all gets rather complex.
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Ombra · Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 2:00 am Posts: 20

Ombra · Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 2:00 am Posts: 20

lok1950 · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:59 am Post subject:

Lots of things have found their way into the kernel and most distro's do not put every possible module into their default kernel that and several distros have no non-free policies that means that anything that is not GPL in not used.

Enjoy the Choice Smile

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:38 am Post subject:

What you should realise is that the Kernel itself is DRM free.
DRM keys are incompatible with the GPL.
However, drivers can be added to the kernel that allow external DRM mechanisms to function. So theoretically, for example, DRM protected media can be played without breaking the law.
This in itself does not mean that the kernel contains DRM.
The case with TCP and DEP is the same:they are just drivers for external modules that implement the functions.
I doubt that many of the freely distributable distros actually contain any of this code, simply because they would have to license it.

Proprietary Distros such as RedHat or Oracle may well do so.
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Rhakios · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 3:29 pm Post subject:

Juts beware of the fact that DRM also stands for Direct Rendering Manager, which is what I expect is the case for anything to do with Intel graphics.
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Ombra · Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 2:00 am Posts: 20

Ram · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 12:27 am Post subject:

This link maybe of use to you, have not read it all but the poster, Varsel is asking the same question.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1974909
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wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:56 am Post subject:

I that think your DRM paranoia is a little OTT.
I suppose that it depends how you define DRM.
The kernel does not contain DRM, but there are non free drivers and optional security measures.
CONFIG_INTEL_TXT , for example, is a security device which can be used to prevent changes to the kernel for security reasons. This is mainly intended for commercial implementations (i.e company servers), and requires an external program to implement it.
BUT the capability is actually built in to the hardware regardless, so you would need to boycott Intel processors to actually avoid it altogether.
Many of these tools could be misused if they were not optional, but outcry has seen that the option for the user to disable them remains.
UEFI secure boot is an example, It will be used on corporate servers, because it is a useful security tool, (which is why RedHat have opted for it) and on WindowsRT mobile devices, which is more controversial.
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Ombra · Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 2:00 am Posts: 20

Ombra · Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 2:00 am Posts: 20

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:19 am Post subject:

Your biggest mistake is to regard any hardware linked security measures as DRM.
As a sysadmin, being able to certify that my kernel is not tampered with is very important.
As a consumer, I would not be so worried.
Most freely distributable Distros probably do not contain much, if any of the code, that you resent.
However, even if you clear the Kernel, you cannot remove it from the hardware that you use.
HDCP is not supported under Linux, for example, and is largely irrelevant unless you want to play protected media such as Blu-ray disks.

I wish you luck with your investigations.

By the way, there is only one current version of the kernel, although it may be compiled differently by different distros to add or remove different functions. You can always compile your own from the source code and leave out all the stuff that you don't want.
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Rhakios · Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:22 am Post subject:

You could always start with gNewSense, if it's good enough for RMS it should meet at least some of your needs.
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