Infineon TPM chip not installed on iMac/MBP Core 2 Duo?

[illo]

The latest versions of the iMac and MacBook Pro computers (that is, the ones with merom inside) do not appear to include the Infineon TPM chip. Check with
# ioreg -x | grep TPM

Is it confirmed? Does it mean that the OSX kernel installed on those machines (and all the other kernels after that version) don't check for the Infineon to be installed before validating the boot sequence? Could it be the beginning of an OSX-on-every-pc era, or is it just that the platform check procedure changed?

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

Most likely the procedure has changed, or Apple & Intel have found another (new) way to ensure that OS X only runs on Mac hardware.

I would find it hard to believe that Apple would do anything at this point that would even remotely allow the possibility of OS X running on generic peecees........

 

[Shadow]

Not a Core 2 Duo but I'm interested:

What does it mean? How can I tell stuff?

 

[illo]

Not a Core 2 Duo but I'm interested:

What does it mean? How can I tell stuff?

That stuff means that an Infineon chip _IS_ installed on your machine. On new iMacs and MBPs that command doesn't show any output., i.e. no TPM chip installed.

 

[baxterbrittle]

I had read else where on this forum that the MacPro doesn't have one either. Nott sure if it's important but thought I should add it.

 

[arbitrarycode]

Damn it. I just bought a MPBC2D, and I actually WANTED the TPM! It would have actually made using a cryptographic loopback mounted filesystem practical, not to mention attestation for IDS, etc. Damn. Hmmm......are other manufacturers still including the TPM? (Lenovo was the last time I checked)

 

[dr_lha]

Is it confirmed? Does it mean that the OSX kernel installed on those machines (and all the other kernels after that version) don't check for the Infineon to be installed before validating the boot sequence? Could it be the beginning of an OSX-on-every-pc era, or is it just that the platform check procedure changed?

Mac OS X for Intel has never actually used TPM for anything, the encryption that they use to stop people installing it on generic hardware doesn't actually depend on TPM.

This is an excellent article on TPM in Mac OS X:

http://www.osxbook.com/book/bonus/chapter10/tpm/