[OLPC-devel] Secure BIOS on the OLPC

[Carl-Daniel Hailfinger]

Tushar Adeshara wrote:
> On 8/31/06, Carl-Daniel Hailfinger <c-d.hailfinger.devel.2006 at gmx.net>
> wrote:
>> Tushar Adeshara wrote:
>> > On 8/30/06, Joshua N Pritikin <jpritikin at pobox.com> wrote:
>> >> On Tue, Aug 29, 2006 at 12:02:18PM -0400, Jim Gettys wrote:
>> >> > "Belt and Suspenders" feels right to me.
>> >>
>> >> Even if kids are going to blindly follow directions about "Hold this
>> >> key combo
>> >> down to reflash the BIOS", that's good because then they'll know that
>> >> _something_ is happening. Mystery invites investigation. More kids
>> will
>> >> discover the BIOS and its humble purpose.
>> >
>> > I think we need to also think about situations where there will be
>> > many such laptops (100 to 500) that need BIOS update. Best way to do
>> > that here would be no physical interaction with machine for BIOS
>> > update.
>>
>> At some school: "Hey kids, please press spacebar now!"
>>
>> Laptops are inteded to stay with the kids all the time. BIOS updates
>> should hopefully be something needed at most once or twice, unlike
>> regurlar kernel updates. So telling kids once in their lifetime to
>> press a specific button while they are at school is no significant
>> problem.
> 
> I suggested something that I would like in a device if I have to
> ensure that all laptops are updated. If we require physical
> interaction for BIOS updates, we ensure that updates can't be
> automated if need arises later on.
> 
> I would like to know about problems you can think of with the above
> approach.

It has already been written in this thread a few mails ago, but let
me repeat:
* BIOS updates are only needed in case of incorrect hardware setup
* This will not happen regularly
* Automation has the potential to brick thousands of machines overnight

And now the most important point:
* OLPC was designed to make your scenario (service center where
  hundreds of machines are reflashed/updated) unneeded

If we suddenly find out that machines need an update, it will affect
not only a few hundred machines, but something like a million machines.
You can't rely on the mesh network to reach every machine at the same
time (and many meshes will be completely disconnected from the rest
of the world), so you have to visit schools anyway. And then there is
really no problem telling kids to press a key.

Regards,
Carl-Daniel
-- 
http://www.hailfinger.org/