Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you are absolutely correct with your assessment. I recall Alan Cox (welsh bloke, big beard, Linux kernel hacker (well: simply hacker in general will do)) posting on G+ about someone booting enough Linux on a hard disc to get a prompt. No not the disc itself, off the firmware on the controller. You may also like to consider that nearly all modern server systems have an iLO/iDRAC or whatever that can do all sor…
http://spritesmods.com/?art=hddhack&page=1
Thank you for this. Wish this is the kind of thing that was posted on HN more often.