[ On Monday, June 11, 2001 at 15:24:51 (+0200), Julio Merino wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: ctrl+alt+del
>
> I've been thinking about using the serial port. Designing a new
> hardware peripheral wouldn't be a good idea. But I have been thinking
> about ataching a mouse to it. Then, I would simply modify moused to
> catch mouse buttons and make it call 'halt' or 'reboot'.
> 
> I don't think it will be very difficult, cos it will be useful.
> 
> What do you think?
> 
> P.S. Note that I don't need high security in this way, because the
> router is acting at home... so no need to worry.

I think that's an extremely silly idea.

Why not just wire a little normally-closed push-button switch between
DTR and DCD on a spare serial port and have a tiny daemon process
sitting there with that port as its controlling terminal, waiting for
SIGHUP, and running "shutdown now 'Soft power shutdown requested'" when
it gets a SIGHUP?  It's much simpler, no protocols to interpret, and no
device attached that normally has a function radically different from
anything anyone would expect of it -- so radically different that any
attempt to use this as an excuse for security by obscurity is completely
bogus and wrong.

-- 
							Greg A. Woods

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