Stand up for Linux. Stop Microsoft from attempting to kill ubuntu and other Linux Distros.

[Ubuntu Lists]

On Sun, 25 Sep 2011 17:52:17 +1000
Ian Chennell <ian at chennell.com> wrote:

> Isn't this possibly all a storm in a teacup, at this early stage...??
> 
> I can see a perfectly legitimate corporate use case for supplying PCs
> locked at BIOS level so they can't boot anything other than an
> SOE-approved and digitally signed OS image. This will remove the
> ability for corporate PCs to be "hijacked" with a non-SOE OS, which
> I'm sure will have many CIOs and SysAdmins breathing a little easier.
> 
> But I don't think this will be the type of box/config you'd have to
> get as your home/personal PC. I imagine we'll just get a plain new
> PC, plus Windows 8 in a box, as a non-OEM option.

when I watched Microsofts //Build/ Windows 8 presentation I didn't see
anything much corporate, rather it looked pretty much aimed at 'gadget
user' M/m/r/s wannabe.

> The box might come
> with W8 preinstalled, but it won't have to be a signed and locked
> version. Then we'd partition it up and set up Windows and Linux
> multiple-boot as per usual. Or just buy a box with no OS on it at
> all, and Linux all the way.

....

> AFAIK, the option to REQUIRE signed OS
> images is just that, one possible option in the system
> configuration...

You're right, however probably not an OPTION, but a requirement on most
systems.

Corporations already have the ability to lock down their systems and
most do. Their problems occur when they allow exceptions ... much like
an apple ;-)