Re: FreeBSD as read-only firmware

On Sat, Nov 3, 2012 at 9:08 AM, Alexander Yerenkow <yerenkow@gmail.com>wrote:

> Actually in my case, base system image r24243.vmdk, have exactly two
> partitions (gpt's freebsd-boot, and roots = freebsd-ufs), and second one is
> used only in read-only :)
>
> For virtual machines approach, base image can be even ISO, which will be
> implied RO for system, and upgrade is just switch ISO.
>
> For real hardware, it can be done with such approach - make two partitions
> with fixed size, and when you need upgrade - just `dd` new image to other
> partition, mark it as [bootonce] (And if all is ok, as [bootme]), reboot =
> and you have new OS very quick, with same configs (except for some LARGE
> changes which could happen in /etc and touch your configs), and with same
> packages.
>
> BTW, when you mount /etc-rw union over /etc, when you'll need upgrade,
> mergemaster could take less time, less places for errors - since you had to
> merge only changed files(which present on /etc-rw).
> I think these days with current hw, no one will complain against lost 1Gb
> to achieve clean and simple OS upgrade.
>
> I'm not saying about possible way to shrink it further (no debug, gzip,
> etc) - get lesser partition, but still RO, and get ability to make
> something dd if=/dev/gpt/rootfs bs=1M | sha256
>
>
> --
> Regards,
> Alexander Yerenkow
>

I am assuming that ANY SOFTWARE read-only protection , whatever it is , has
security vulnerability .
Therefore , the first approach should be to provide HARDWARE read only . If
this is supplied , the next necessity is that , programs in write-protected
part should not attempt to write anything onto
write-protected part .

Thank you very much .

Mehmet Erol Sanliturk
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