End of the line for Lenovo?

Turbocapitalist · 09-21-2016, 02:36 AM

Preparing for an upcoming hardware purchase, I ran across this regarding Lenovo possibly locking out non- M$ systems at the hardware level:

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2337719&

https://i.imgur.com/B7gMpFL.png

It seems the natural progression from Secure Boot aka Restricted Boot.

Can anyone confirm the problem or provide information?

goumba · 09-21-2016, 03:57 AM

If you read the whole thread, there are users having trouble installing a "clean" Windows 10 on the same hardware.

I don't want to paint MS as good, but I can't see any significant number manufacturers playing into the "preventing other OSes from running" just for the sake of helping MS. Too many people are having issues with hardware from several vendors. People are having issues with Dell laptops and Dell is /somewhat/ Linux friendly last I knew.

The Linux community grows, word gets around and their hardware sales will suffer at some point. Enough bad press from the community and people going elsewhere is not good for the bottom line.

syg00 · 09-21-2016, 06:17 AM

On the other hand, why would anyone with a modicum of technical nous want to buy from a company with an appalling record of pre-installing (non-removable) virus on their hardware. And making them susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks by hacking ssl certificates.

Not this fella.

luvr · 09-21-2016, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goumba

I can't see any significant number manufacturers playing into the "preventing other OSes from running" just for the sake of helping MS.

I'm rather more suspicious. In my opinion, it would be dangerous to underestimate the pressure that Microsoft can still excert on poorly managed, incompetent, and short-sighted hardware vendors.

dave@burn-it.co.uk · 09-21-2016, 10:59 AM

Lenovo have always been restrictive about what you can run on their machines.
I have a Thinkpad and I had to install a "special" BIOS to allow me to use perfectly safe, but none approved hardware.
Disk drive, network card, to name just two.
I've also just today realized that TPSHOCKs.EXE,which is supposed to park the disk heads when dropped is actually sending private information back home - and I thought I had found all the spyware.

rokytnji · 09-21-2016, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Lenovo have always been restrictive about what you can run on their machines.

?

Code:

harry@biker:~
$ inxi -M
Machine:   System: LENOVO (portable) product: 2347DS2 v: ThinkPad T430
           Mobo: LENOVO model: 2347DS2
           UEFI [Legacy]: LENOVO v: G1ET41WW (1.16 ) date: 05/25/2012
Battery    BAT0: charge: 35.8 Wh 99.9% condition: 35.8/56.2 Wh (64%)
harry@biker:~
$ inxi -S
System:    Host: biker Kernel: 4.6.2-antix.1-686-smp-pae i686 (32 bit)
           Desktop: IceWM 1.3.8
           Distro: antiX-15-V_386-full Killah P 30 June 2015
harry@biker:~
$

Never mind.

dave@burn-it.co.uk · 09-21-2016, 03:38 PM

What does that lot mean??

rokytnji · 09-21-2016, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave@burn-it.co.uk

What does that lot mean??

32 bit pae Linux running on i5 3RD generation cpu, with 16 gig of ram , with UEFI bios.

Not picky at all. Everything works.

Edit: Oh, with picturess

Timothy Miller · 09-21-2016, 03:48 PM

Yeah, never had problems with Lenovo hardware. As mentioned earlier, if one reads the WHOLE article, the problem isn't Lenovo locking out linux users. It's Lenovo using hardware that linux doesn't support for their onboard RAID, and so until a driver is developed, linux can't see the drives to install to.

Emerson · 09-21-2016, 03:54 PM

IBM and later Lenovo used to rebrand Quanta hardware, and Quanta is good, good with Linux, too. Are they getting their laptops from elsewhere now?

Timothy Miller · 09-21-2016, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emerson

IBM and later Lenovo used to rebrand Quanta hardware, and Quanta is good, good with Linux, too. Are they getting their laptops from elsewhere now?

Probably not, just switched to a different onboard RAID controller to increase performance of the SSD('s) further.

rokytnji · 09-21-2016, 04:40 PM

More info

http://search.lenovo.com/search?w=li...view&fsearch=1

https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/pd031426

syg00 · 09-21-2016, 06:58 PM

And something from someone who actually knows what he's talking about - here.

Emerson · 09-21-2016, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

And something from someone who actually knows what he's talking about - here.

So the fix is easy, just add the new PCI ID to kernel AHCI driver. Any Linux user armed with a text editor can do it.

syg00 · 09-21-2016, 07:54 PM

When the kernel maintainer who wrote the shim to allow RHEL to boot on secureboot locked machines says it ain't possible (at the moment) I'll believe there is no "easy fix".