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Comment by dhruvdh | Hacker News Reader

They are lacking in AMD options in most of their products I checked. Hopefully that's something that'll change in the future.

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You cannot neutralize PSP [0] in AMD CPUs, whereas you often can neutralize Intel ME [1].

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Platform_Security_Processo...

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Management_Engine#Commer...

Can this be bypassed by running virtualised operating system - e.g. having a bootloader that loads an encrypted virtual machine?

I guess it could still have access to keyboard and could read the password or if you used the usb key with authenticator.

Intel ME and AMD PSP run in ring -1 [0], below any virtualization. They have access to everything.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protection_ring#Hypervisor_mod...

I thought they did allow it in the end?

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AMD-PSP-...

Interesting link, thanks. I did not see anyone selling devices with disabled PSP. However, neutralizing and disabling are two very different things: https://puri.sm/learn/intel-me/.

Edit: But have a look at this reddit comment: https://teddit.net/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/7i6kl7/amd_lis....

From the 2020 interview with FLOSS Weekly, I gather that they're target higher mid-range (ThinkPad, MacBook).

Src: https://twit.tv/shows/floss-weekly/episodes/581?autostart=fa...

In this 2016 thread, they state that "ARM doesn’t offer high-enough power." I believe they mean processing power.

They chose Intel in anticipation of a possibly ME free chip in the future.

Src: https://forums.puri.sm/t/intel-ime-alternatives/235/8

In this more recent 2020 thread, they mention the lack of a GPU. When referred to the Apple ARM line, they state that the chip is not available to them;

Src: https://forums.puri.sm/t/alternative-cpu-for-a-librem-produc...

AMD, not ARM

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