LXer: Linux Foundation presents Secure Boot solution
Published at LXer:
The Linux Foundation and its Technical Advisory Board (TAB) have presented a plan to provide an easy way to start Linux systems where UEFI Secure Boot is active. The plan involves the very simple "loader" pre-bootloader that will be signed with a key from Microsoft. Typical Secure Boot PCs will come with the corresponding public verification key that allows them to start Windows 8 in Secure Boot mode – they should, therefore, also be able to start the mini-bootloader for Linux when Secure Boot is active, unless the Loader is included on the DBX blacklist that is maintained by the UEFI firmware. Read More... |
Some solution ... giving in to M$. Disappointing.
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Why is making a free signed bootloader available and at the same time making sure that the necessary keys are deployed in the firmware giving in to Microsoft?
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1) They will pay M$ for it. 2) They now depend on M$'s key. Why didn't they just get their own key to be added and which they can use themselves to sign everything. It's just lame. They gave in to M$ instead of standing up for themselves. This sign of weakness will not go unnoticed. |
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Remember that most mainboard manufacturers and OEMs don't support Linux, so why should they implement those keys? It is another thing if Microsoft asks them. |
Everything may be OK for x86 devices with Secure Boot, as far as Linux is concerned. But what about ARM? MS ignore ARM until such devices start proliferating, then suddenly port Windows 8 to that architecture. And plan to lock any other OS out. They probably hope that they can seduce manufacturers of ARM devices into pre-installing 8, resulting in less or no choice for Linux users. Say that's FUD if you want, but I would rather err on the side of paranoia than trust Microsoft.
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It is simple as that: You want to use Linux on an Arm device? Then don't buy a Windows device, the same why you wouldn't buy an iPad to run Linux (or Windows 8) on it. |
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But even then, you don't want to have limited choice. OK, that is understandable. But why are you then insisting to be able to support the people that want to limit your choice in the first place? Wouldn't it make much more sense to only buy hardware that supports Linux, rather than basically making Microsoft a gift with buying their OS and then not using it? In many countries users don't have the choice to buy computers without Windows pre-installed and many people are complaining about this. This is not the case in the ARM landscape. You don't have to buy something with Microsoft software on it. But buying Microsoft devices to install Linux on them will make such a situation much more likely. |
It is definitely the easiest solution, but it is not the best one, and in the end it may make a big difference. I know that most mobile devices are locked down, be it from Apple, Google, or M$. I don't care about those, because I don't buy them. I care about x86.
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The situation nowadays with the ARM landscape is a completely different one: Microsoft are neither the first nor officially supported by a superordinate entity. They are not even a major player in that market. And their biggest problem: In the past they could use the massive amount of applications specifically written for Windows, together with their effort to be somewhat backwards compatible to older systems, to to fortify their stance as monopoly in the x86 market.But this massive amount of applications simply doesn't exist in the ARM market, in the contrary, there are far more iOS and Android apps. So Microsoft is lacking its major forces and can only compete with really being innovating. Now guess what is not one of Microsoft' s strong sides. |
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