"Intel Software Defined Silicon" Coming To Linux For Activating Extra Licensed Hardware Features

[phoronix]

Phoronix: "Intel Software Defined Silicon" Coming To Linux For Activating Extra Licensed Hardware Features

There has been talk of Intel moving to offer more license-able/opt-in features for hardware capabilities found within a given processor as an upgrade and now we are seeing the Linux signs of that support coming with a driver for "Intel Software Defined Silicon" to allow for the secure activation of such features baked into the processor's silicon but only available as an up-charge option...

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Intel-Software-Defined-Silicon

[sophisticles]

I wonder what kind of "features" they have in mind. I know that Intel makes Xeons with built in built in FPGA's and there was talk of introducing AVX-1024 to combat GPGPU and there's always Optane memory, maybe Intel has decided to simplify production lines by including these functionalities in all Xeons and use this as a way of product segmentation.

If they do this I wonder how long before someone figures out how to "hack" the licensing protections and enable all features on all Xeons?

[tildearrow]

By the name I almost thought this was like an FPGA inside the processor, but it appears to be more like.... yes, that previous failed upgrade program.

Did Intel seriously not learn from its past mistakes?

[Ironmask]

This and the bullshit Tesla pulls needs to be illegal. This is outright immoral. If I own a product, it should do everything it possibly can out of the box. They have no right to tell me what I can and can't do with my property. This is already spitting in the face of the rising Right To Repair laws.
I hate Intel more and more every day, I'm starting to see them as a bigger threat to society than Google now. At least Google makes helpful products sometimes.

[Danny3]

WTF is this ?
Isn't it enough that you bought their CPU ?
It's not like you're trying to run an unauthorized copy of their CPU.

[kbios]

They already tried this a decade ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Upgrade_Service

It didn't go well...

[kpedersen]

If the upstream Linux kernel refused to support it, what damage would it cause? Its not like Intel can drop Linux support and just suffice with Windows. Linux is too big now.

I almost feel like it is damaging to everyone (apart from Intel) for the kernel to accept this into its codebase. If everyone said no, Intel will have to at least wait another decade before they try this monetization (DRM) strategy again.

[whatever]

Unfortunately these hardware DLC features are already well established in the enterprise world. Companies like IBM/Lenovo have been doing it for years; when hardware RAID controllers were still a thing they would charge you to unlock RAID-6 capability, etc.
Yes, you "own" the hardware, but it as long as it works as advertised there is probably little leverage to enforce access to included but locked extra features. I think the only thing you can do to fight it is _not_ buying extra features. If it doesn't earn them money, they will stop doing it.

If everyone said no, Intel will have to at least wait another decade before they try this monetization (DRM) strategy again.

They can just ship the feature as separate out-of-tree kernel module.

[MadeUpName]

Great reason to buy AMD ... for now.

[kpedersen]

They can just ship the feature as separate out-of-tree kernel module.

I think this would be "good". This would cost Intel for maintenance and support. It will also be a faff for their customers to set up (likely requiring recompilation on kernel updates) reducing uptake.