i know they cooperate with amd a lot so it’s possible right?

  • @chronicledmonocle
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    910 months ago

    The ME can be disabled. It cannot be removed.

    Source: I work for a company that builds hardware and works with firmware on Intel platforms.

      • @chronicledmonocle
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        10 months ago

        The vendor that makes the hardware/firmware has to configure it to be a toggle-able option.

          • @chronicledmonocle
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            510 months ago

            No. The UEFI/BIOS has to have the option to turn it off. Most hardware doesn’t have this option.

            • @[email protected]OP
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              fedilink
              010 months ago

              wait hold on bios can disable it? so coreboot can right? sorry explaib like im five from the top im nkt following

              • @chronicledmonocle
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                110 months ago

                There are coreboot projects that turn off the Intel ME. The old Thinkpad coreboot flashes for the T4XX series had a payload to turn off ME by destroying the flashable part of ME without completely bricking the CPU IIRC. Basically replaced everything except the absolute minimum to get the CPU to still initialize, but without any ME bits.

                The CPU has to support ME being disabled and the UEFI/BIOS has to know where the flag is set on the ME to tell it to turn off. Usually enterprise embedded platforms or server CPUs have that function, although I’ve heard some consumer chips do too. Everything I work on is embedded appliances that use Enterprise C3xxx and newer CPUs and they have this option exposed.

                • @[email protected]OP
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                  fedilink
                  110 months ago

                  wait so if you flashed that and used nouveau and linux would you have a totally foss system?