On 09/21/2011 05:41 PM, George Patterson wrote:

On 21 September 2011 14:55, Chris Samuel <chris@csamuel.org> wrote:

...

This looks like something to keep an eye on.. Matthew Garrett (the guy who makes peoples laptops work with Linux and has to deal with EFI & Linux - makes you wonder what awful thing he did in a past life) writes about a worrying requirement for Windows 8 logo certification for hardware vendors..

http://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/5552.html

# Microsoft requires that machines conforming to the # Windows 8 logo program and running a client version # of Windows 8 ship with secure boot enabled. The two # alternatives here are for Windows to be signed with # a Microsoft key and for the public part of that key # to be included with all systems, or alternatively for # each OEM to include their own key and sign the # pre-installed versions of Windows. The second approach # would make it impossible to run boxed copies of Windows # on Windows logo hardware, and also impossible to install # new versions of Windows unless your OEM provided a new # signed copy. The former seems more likely. # # A system that ships with only OEM and Microsoft keys will # not boot a generic copy of Linux.

Ahhh Trusted (read Treacherous) Computing. I thought that idea was buried years ago. I guess the question will be, will the purchaser of the hardware be able to install a non-Microsoft OS? If not, I'm not sure who the hardware owner is under this model. Will we be reduced to mod-chipping "our" PCs in another five years.

On another note, what have the white boxes or build it yourself?

Regards

George

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Free software is a political concern. This is why I emphasise the need to create a demand for independence and freedom in computing, which is separate from creating a demand for specific software. Focusing on usability, whether "mum" can install Ubuntu etc, is exactly the attitude which is keeping adoption of Linux still in the single digit figures (and low single digit figures at that!) on the desktop. Controversial statement, I know. But it needs to be said.

On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 05:41:01 PM George Patterson wrote:

Ahhh Trusted (read Treacherous) Computing. I thought that idea was buried years ago. I guess the question will be, will the purchaser of the hardware be able to install a non-Microsoft OS?

It depends if the system is Windows 8 certified and ships with a *client* license of Windows 8 *and* if the hardware vendor has got around to implementing the ability to boot an unsigned boot loader. This update from Matthew Garrett states that Red Hat have already learned that some hardware will ship without that implemented, so in that case - no. It'll be Windows 8 or later only for those PCs. http://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/5850.html

If not, I'm not sure who the hardware owner is under this model.

Agreed.

Will we be reduced to mod-chipping "our" PCs in another five years.

Or supporting people who desktop PC's with other OS's on them, like VG Computing in Melbourne or ZAReason in the US.

On another note, what have the white boxes or build it yourself?

For other systems - it depends if it's Windows 8 logo certified or not. For build it your own you're probably OK. cheers, Chris -- Chris Samuel : http://www.csamuel.org/ : Melbourne, VIC This email may come with a PGP signature as a file. Do not panic. For more info see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenPGP