On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 01:01:32PM -0800, suvayu ali wrote:
2008/12/23 Kam Leo kam.leo@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 2:54 AM, Dave Feustel dfeustel@mindspring.com wrote:
Will the use of GPU chips eliminate the need for video cards and/or eliminate the security vulnerabilities that the video cards introduce into operating systems?
Thanks.
No. Similar to what is already on the market. You have integrated video on many motherboards but still have a market for high performance (gamers, etc.) video.
I just bought a Radeon HD 4870 yesterday. Now until the day an integrated chip can match that, as Leo says, a market for high end graphics solutions will always exist.
However I don't understand what you mean by security vulnerabilities introduced by discrete video cards. Could you elaborate on that a little more?
Various OpenBSD developers have stated that there are OS vulnerabilities introduced by the use of video card hardware features by X. It's been a while since I read the details, but I wonder if the GPU chips might be able to run in user (non-priviledged) mode only, thus precluding the possibility of exploits based upon direct hardware access given the video card software.