2014-04-26 10:52:28 -04:00
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firmware
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2014-04-26 11:54:15 -04:00
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/fermweir/ , n. Embedded software contained in EPROM or flash memory. It
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isn't quite hardware, but at least doesn't have to be loaded from a disk
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like regular software. Hacker usage differs from straight techspeak in that
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hackers don't normally apply it to stuff that you can't possibly get at,
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such as the program that runs a pocket calculator. Instead, it implies that
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the firmware could be changed, even if doing so would mean opening a box and
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plugging in a new chip. A computer's BIOS is the classic example, although
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nowadays there is firmware in disk controllers, modems, video cards and even
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CD-ROM drives.
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