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Burt Alcantara
05-19-2007, 12:57 PM
Something you wont find in the Windows community. There is a movement to "standardize" hardware and software so nothing that is not registered with this standardization will work. This means no free software. I'm sure many of you use something like WinAmp, OpenOffice, any shareware/freeware program and others that I forget are used in Windows.

This standard is called TCPA, the Trusted Computing Platform Alliance. Please look at this link. It is for your own good unless you like being told what you can do, buy, use.

http://www.againsttcpa.com/what-is-tcpa.html

Burt

skip coyne
05-19-2007, 1:06 PM
Trusted computer group


https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/home/

John Schreiber
05-20-2007, 12:59 AM
Very interesting and worthy of debate. I was not aware of this until now.

This link to Against Trusted Computing seems to work: http://www.againsttcpa.com/

Lee DeRaud
05-20-2007, 1:19 AM
A few quotes from the TCG FAQ:

Can the Trusted Platform Module control what software runs?
No. There is no ability to do this. The subsystem can only act as a 'slave' to higher level services and applications by storing and reporting pre-runtime configuration information. Other applications determine what is done with this information. At no time can the TCG building blocks 'control' the system or report the status of applications that are running.

Is TCG creating specifications for just one operating system or type of platform?
No. Specifications are operating system-agnostic. Several members have Linux-based software stacks available. In addition to our work on the PC platform, we have specifications for Trusted Servers and mobile devices and are working to finalize specifications for other computing devices, including storage and infrastructure.

Does TCG require that software be certified to run on a TCG-enabled platform?
The TCG design does not have any requirement that software be “certified” in order to use it. The specification talks in some length about ways of using the platform to create certificates for keys that are provably secure and yet not identify the platform they came from. TCG’s technology has a passive role in a system. It can be used to securely record data and to securely store (and sign with) digital keys.
Of course, if you think they're lying, please feel free to get worked up about it.

Lee DeRaud
05-20-2007, 1:23 AM
Very interesting and worthy of debate. I was not aware of this until now.

This link to Against Trusted Computing seems to work: http://www.againsttcpa.com/The best quote from this site is the banner at the bottom:


AgainstTCPA.com | It began 2002 and will last as long as needed | Last updated: 05. October 2005 - 23:30

Glad to see they're on the job.