Windows 8 secure boot spells trouble for Linux

[boerd]

mjg59 | UEFI secure booting

Time will tell if this spells troubles for Linux or it will backfire on MS.
Start buying hardware from companies that support Linux.
System76 is one I know...

[csclifford]

I'm having a hard time believing that they wouldn't create a work around for Linux.

I can't imagine the backlash if you couldn't boot Linux also.

[boerd]

Originally Posted by csclifford

I'm having a hard time believing that they wouldn't create a work around for Linux.

I can't imagine the backlash if you couldn't boot Linux also.

I also think the problem is a bit exagerated.
Secure boot is not a new ideea. IF you fully implement secore boot under UEFI, then one can disable secure boot and boot Linux. After that you enable it and you can boot Windows which only starts in secure mode and with correct key(s). The thing is - these OEM sweat shops might implement UEFI half-way ("el cheapo version") and not provide the switch between secure (enabled by default) and non-secure. We will probably have to be aware of what we buy even more so than today.

[Greg]

How does this benefit the consumer? ... ... ... Anyone? ... ... ...

[boerd]

Originally Posted by Greg

How does this benefit the consumer? ... ... ... Anyone? ... ... ...

Probably not much in the long run. Look at the drm ...

[pengy_666]

Its a croc o sh*!.

Grr it angers me to think that they would do that.

[debguy]

Originally Posted by csclifford

I'm having a hard time believing that they wouldn't create a work around for Linux.

I can't imagine the backlash if you couldn't boot Linux also.

1% loss of consumers (according to the only statistics that are out there - knowing how flawed they are)? I doubt any vendor would care.
Remember, we're talking about desktop/laptop computers here. Of course, servers is a totally different story but I don't intend to put a rack in my flat.

Originally Posted by Greg

How does this benefit the consumer? ... ... ... Anyone? ... ... ...

Who said it benefits the consumer (except for the PR bods)?

Secure boot will come and it will come as locked as MS can make it without losing any lawsuits. $1 discount for every OEM license in return for a truly secure MS boot can be very tempting if you're a computer vendor.

[boerd]

Here is the most inetresting part of the article:
"Firstly, we'd need a non-GPL bootloader. Grub 2 is released under the GPLv3, which explicitly requires that we provide the signing keys. Grub is under GPLv2 which lacks the explicit requirement for keys, but it could be argued that the requirement for the scripts used to control compilation includes that. It's a grey area, and exploiting it would be a pretty good show of bad faith."
MS will use their philosophy "my users allow me to lock down the platform while your free people won't allow you - you're screwed" (you = open source)
We got to a point where people accept a corporation taking away freedom in the name of the "greater" good - security. Yeah, right.
Look at DRM mess. Is that what's next for software? Yuuuck!

[ratchetnclank]

It will be able to be turned on and off. Just it will need to be in the on state to have the win 8 sticker on.

[excalibur1814]

Wny is Microsoft fault again?