[Feature Request]: Print usable info at boot

[the-hotmann]

Currently, when the system boots up, users lack insight into how the application utilizes the underlying hardware. This issue is particularly pronounced when using containers, as they often restrict access to various hardware components of the host.

To enhance transparency, I propose implementing a check for key hardware components (AES/AES-NI & AVX512) during startup and logging this information to the log or stdout.

Why is this important? AES and AVX512 can significantly accelerate encryption tasks, sometimes by up to 7x on certain CPUs. Users might erroneously attribute poor performance of this containers to software issues, unaware that the hardware lacks essential integrated circuits or that the VM/container is unable to utilize them.

I've created a simple Go snippet using github.com/klauspost/cpuid to achieve this:

package main

import (
	"fmt"

	"github.com/klauspost/cpuid"
)

func main() {
	if cpuid.CPU.AesNi() {
		fmt.Println("AES-NI:\t✔️")
	} else {
		fmt.Println("AES-NI:\t❌")
	}

	if cpuid.CPU.VAES() {
		fmt.Println("AVX512:\t✔️")
	} else {
		fmt.Println("AVX512:\t❌")
	}
}

It is very simple to use and efficient. If you @pheiduck think this is adding value to the project, let me know and I will open a PR, when I have time, or just implement it youself - however you wish.

[the-hotmann]

If course, here the very same "script" in shell/bash, in case golang is not appreciated:

#!/bin/bash

# Check if AES-NI is supported
if grep -q '^flags.*\baes\b' /proc/cpuinfo; then
    echo "AES-NI: ✔️"
else
    echo "AES-NI: ❌"
fi

# Check if AVX512 is supported
if grep -q '^flags.*\bavx512\b' /proc/cpuinfo; then
    echo "AVX512: ✔️"
else
    echo "AVX512: ❌"
fi

(this works in a native /bin/sh Shell, aswell as in /bin/bash)

or this (untested) Node.JS implementation:

1. Install dependency

npm install systeminformation

2. Script

const si = require('systeminformation');

async function main() {
    try {
        const cpuData = await si.cpu();
        const aesNi = cpuData.flags.includes('aes');
        const avx512 = cpuData.flags.includes('avx512');

        console.log(`AES-NI:\t${aesNi ? '✔️' : '❌'}`);
        console.log(`AVX512:\t${avx512 ? '✔️' : '❌'}`);
    } catch (error) {
        console.error('Error:', error);
    }
}

main();

[pheiduck]

Yes, it can be a bit improved for ARM and x64_86 but feel free to make a PR :)

[the-hotmann]

Not sure if this make „sense“ due the AVX512 is only available on x64 and not on ARM.

AVX512 only beeing available to amd64/x64_86 is totally fine. Then it will reflect that with:
AVX512: ❌ on any arm based device.

I will open a PR as soon as I have time for.

[pheiduck]

But if both features aren’t available it should not prevent the user to be able to use the Container.
Should only prompt that the CPU don’t have any of these features.

[the-hotmann]

Yes, this is solely for logging things out and making them transparent. Maybe I also add a little note/link when features are not available to this very repo, which explains it.