Hi,

Another paper on 'Secure Boot' and issues invovled when one needs or wants to install another OS on piece of hardware that is intended to run Win/8. 2013: Installing Linux on Windows 8 PC is still a pain

Personally, I do not care to have a 'Surface' and I will select hardware that does use 'UEFI' protocol and the OEM provides the means to enable or disable 'Secure Boot' or allow the means to include my key (KEK) so to use the 'UEFI' to secure my Gnu/Linux on that hardware.

People who say 'I purchased the equipment and I should be able to install whatever on it', not so. Jail break it or do not buy restricted equipment with expectations to do as you wish. Not if the hardware does not provide the means to modify. Buy equipment that you know that can be used in a open environment via controlled means 'UEFI'. As a buyer you have the right to buy but if the hardware is known to be restricted then you have no rights under the license for that equipment. Buy from OEMs' that DO allow modification, most OEM now are known to provide the abilities to use the 'UEFI' as intended. Please understand that Microsoft must provide the means to certify Win/8 so you should be able to enable/disable 'Secure Boot' for a machine with a Win/8 logo on it. Not saying that 'UEFI' protocol with the subset 'Secure Boot' protocol can be disabled on all OEM machines but the to certify a Win/8 based machine the means to change will be necessary to get certifications from Microsoft.

Buyer BEaware!

Caveat emptor!

Gary

I have belonged to this forum for quite some time and usually have been able to find my answers just by browsing the threads. I am a bit stuck here.. I bought a new machine with the thought that I was going to run Linux mint, I am just marginally computer literate and Mint is very user friendly. My old machine runs XP and Mint. My new machine an Acer Aspire One, has
Win 8, and so far has defied my attempts to get Mint (14 64 bit) to run. Since it is a net book it has no DVD function, I changed the boot order and disabled secure boot. I copied an ISO image to a micro SD card and still cannot get the machine to boot into Linux. I read the article you included the link for at the top of the page, I also down loaded "Shim", but am not quite sure where to apply it.

Any help would be appreciated, or if this has been discussed a link to that thread.

Thanks
John

You did what now? The ISO is just an archive, like a zip file, it has to be extracted to the device that you want to use in the installation. You can't just copy the ISO file onto it and expect something to happen. Use something like lili or universal usb installer to create a bootable drive using the ISO.

Hi,

Sorry for the delayed reply, been away for a few weeks.

First you would not copy the ISO image to the SD but burn the ISO image to the SD/USB flash. Hopefully you can disable secure boot properly then perform the install by booting the SD/USB. I would prefer using a USB flash as long as your netbook can boot from USB in BIOS mode. Your device may not support booting from a SD. Be sure to check the specs for the machine.

Look at the referenced links in the first post, you will find several external links that can be useful. Most new machines with 'UEFI' do have the utility/facilities to disable secure boot and use 'BIOS'. Your machine does have a Win/8 logo? If so then you should be able to install via the BIOS mode.
HTH!

Windows 8 uses the UEFI BIOS see http://www.uefi.org/home/ and also uses the secure boot.

Computers before Windows 8 used the Legacy BIOS see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BIOS#O...ystem_services

Linux can be installed on a Windows 8 machine provided the maker of the machine has built in the capacity to change the BIOS from UEFI to Legacy. Secure Boot must also be disabled.

If you do this Windows 8 will no longer run on that machine also if you do want to reinstall Windows 8 back on that machine you will have to register and activate again as windows will think it is a new computer.

On the laptop I tried.

Hold shift when shutdown.
Pressed F10 key to boot of DVD.

Unfortunately, some companies don't play nice. Some will have the secure boot option grey out so you can't enable or disable it. However, I did read somewhere if this happens, you need to setup an administrator password on the BIOS to toggle secure boot on/off.