[ubuntu-uk] Implications Of Secure Boot Lockout

[Simon Greenwood]

The point of the statement is that Microsoft and Microsoft alone have
relaxed the option for OEMs, that is hardware makers, to allow Secure Boot
to be disabled. I can see that this might lead to appliance-type machines
such as cheap Windows with Bing laptops being shipped 'locked' because they
are effectively subsidised by the use of Bing and the crapware that gets
stuck on them, and in fact I was rather surprised that this wasn't the case
all ready. However, there are few OEMs for whom the resulting negative
publicity would be outweighed by the advantage of just allowing Windows so
I can't see it happening as a default. Yes, it's possible that 'open'
machines may cost more (or, as is happening now, that appliance type
machines cost less) but the OEM is in the job of selling hardware and even
Microsoft are coming around to the belief that selling software isn't the
future for the company any more and that its ability to dictate to hardware
makers is diminished by the other players in the market.

s/

On 6 April 2015 at 12:38, Nigel Verity <nigelverity at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Hi
>
> I have been reading recently that Microsoft are removing the requirement
> for hardware manufacturers to provide a secure boot "off" switch, in order
> to gain Windows 10 accreditation. If this comes to pass it will place Linux
> distros entirely at the mercy of Microsoft to sign their authentication
> keys, otherwise they will be shut out from installation on mainstream
> computers.
>
> Given that Microsoft look like making a lot less money out of the Windows
> OS itself over the coming years, it seems reasonable to assume that they
> will seek to maximise whatever revenue they can generate. This points
> towards eventually shutting out even "approved" Linux distributions.
> Presumably Apple can do exactly the same to prevent installation on Macs.
>
> If this comes to pass I have to admit to not having a clear view of where
> this will leave us. The only possibilities I can see are:
>
> 1) Being confined to installing on Chromebooks
> 2) Being forced to use more expensive specialist hardware (e.g hardware
> designed primarily to be a server)
> 3) A move to ARM-powered devices
>
> I stress I am not an expert on this so my outlook may be unduly
> pessimistic, but it would be interesting to get the views of anyone with
> more insight into the implications.
>
> Could something akin to Wubi be a way around the problem, albeit far from
> ideal?
>
> I suppose ultimately I am looking for some reassurance that Linux on the
> desktop is not being forced onto a road to nowhere.
>
> Nige
>
> --
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> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk
> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
>



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