This appeared on the OMGUbuntu site earlier today: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/09/microsoft-attempt-address-windows-8-linux-worries/
james. On 23 September 2011 16:05, gazz <pmg...@gmx.co.uk> wrote: > > > On Thu, 2011-09-22 at 00:06 +0100, Alan Bell wrote: > > On 21/09/11 23:29, Bea Groves wrote: > > > Just read the following. Comments? > > > > > yeah, it is potentially very nasty. > > To be Windows 8 certified computers will have to be able to do this > > secure boot thing. Most will include an option to turn it off, exactly > > like the google chromebooks do, they have a switch to turn off the code > > signing requirement so you can run unsigned operating systems. The OLPC > > also has this exact same feature, but you can get a dev key and turn it > off. > > The problem is that some manufacturers might start not bothering to > > include an off switch. So that would creep in as a set of machines > > (probably quite mainstream high volume ones) that won't run anything but > > the pre-installed Windows 8 or above. > > The big problem is that Windows 9 might *require* secure boot to run. > > This means it won't run on older machines (driving hardware sales, the > > industry likes that) and means that more manufacturers will fail to > > include an off switch for the secure boot. If the market doesn't punish > > them by people avoiding these pre-bricked computers then they will keep > > doing it. Microsoft will carefully not require OEMs to fail to include > > an off switch, because that would be anti-competitive. Virtualbox and > > VMware and so on can include the public keys and provide a secure boot > > environment, or run unsigned code for developing drivers and running > > Linux, but you won't be running Linux on the hardware, only virtualised. > > It is kind of like the current trend for using up 4 primary partitions > > and not creating extended partitions to make dual booting harder, but > > this one you potentially can't get round. I can see a time when you have > > to get a laptop chipped to run Linux like you would a DVD player to do > > multi region. > > > > Alan. > > > > -- > > Libertus Solutions http://libertus.co.uk > > > > > Yes, agree this is what is likely to happen. It would effectively > confine Linux back to a small, techie ghetto - and that's assuming that > it will still be possible to buy motherboards without the keys or with > an 'off' switch. > > When I'm talking to voluntary sector orgs they frequently say to me that > Microsoft Windows is 'part of the computer' and if you change the OS it > won't work properly any more. This could make that current misconception > actually true! > > What's Canonical's view on this? It seems tempting to team up with a > producer such as Aleutia to ensure that unlocked PCs are still out there > - and with an 'eco' selling point. > > Paula > > > -- > ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk > https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/ > -- Dr. James Morrissey Senior Research Officer Refugee Studies Centre Department of International Development University of Oxford
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