From: "Timothy C. May" <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 18:07:32 -0800 (PST)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: ideal secure personal computer system
In-Reply-To: <l03010605aeab7149a687@[152.3.87.2]>
Message-ID: <v03007806aeb2d2482a72@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 3:10 PM -0500 11/15/96, Adam Gulkis wrote:
>a locked startup disk is not a good idea, if it is even possible.
>Most applications setup scratch space on the startup volume.  It would
>be a better idea to setup a partition for applications and lock it, if
>you feel that is necessary.  Norton DiskLock is a nice tool that
>provides a startup password protection as well as screensaver
>password.  It will request a password if the machine sleeps or to
>reboot after a crash.

Since others have mentioned Macs in this thread, and since I have a Mac, I
should point out that booting from a locked startup disk is possible, even
common. Namely, a CD-ROM.

What an OS would _like_ to write is not the same thing as what it _must_ write.

Also, for Unix systems there are similar approaches. Hugh Daniel has been
working on a "read-only" startup disk for Unix.

I don't know anything about DOS or Windows, except that every Intel chip
sale helps me financially.

--Tim May

"The government announcement is disastrous," said Jim Bidzos,.."We warned IBM
that the National Security Agency would try to twist their technology."
[NYT, 1996-10-02]
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1,257,787-1 | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."