> I am probably missing something, but access to both /dev/3dfx and (e.g.)
> /dev/mem is controlled by filesystem permission rules. Writing garbage to
> either will crash the entire machine. Why is one a security hazard and
> another is not?
Because if you want anyone to be able to play games, you give them 3dfx
access - ideally you'd want a group 3dfx[1]. If there's a way to crash the
system with 3dfx, then you're not providing 3dfx properly, and you're just
inviting people to introduce a security hazard.
The same is definitely not true of /dev/mem - access to that is definitely
restricted, and everybody knows that [or should].
David.
[1] or group d3fx, due to issues with quotas and users/groups starting with
numbers....
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