> From: Matthew Jacob <[email protected]> > Date: 1999-06-24 15:03:56 -0700 > To: [email protected] > Subject: System unique identifier..... > Delivered-to: [email protected] > X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG > > > I was talking about this on linux-kernel, but it also applies to *BSD... > > What're folks' motions of a settable system unique identifier, available > prior to mountroot? This identifier has to be 64 bits or better and must > be persistent across reboots. This could start a long discussion :-}.
Some systems just take the IEEE MAC address from the motherboard, or that of the first interface it finds. Others use some algorithmic variation on that value, but it generally boils down to the same thing. For newer Intel boxes, you could just use the CPU chip... well, never mind. The main issue, I think, is that of persistence. How persistent do you want it? I'd bet that no matter what source you use, there's always the problem of "it broke; I had to replace it; now what?". Kind of like your grandfather's axe, which has had six handles and two blades over its lifetime, but it's still your grandfather's axe. Regards, Justin -- Justin C. Walker, Curmudgeon-At-Large * Institute for General Semantics | Manager, CoreOS Networking | When crypto is outlawed, Apple Computer, Inc. | Only outlaws will have crypto. 2 Infinite Loop | Cupertino, CA 95014 | *-------------------------------------*-------------------------------* To Unsubscribe: send mail to [email protected] with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message
