New SecureBoot Concerns Arise With Windows 10

[mf2000]

First time reported someone for trolling on Phoronix.

Well I wasn't trolling. You should read the quoted message... They guy practical says we should buy a "notebook" from system76 to be called real linux user. First of all, notebook? seriusly? Does Linux distros only run on notebook? more important, does the notebooks from system76 comes with coreboot? For me was a spam(publicity) message. Second, Does is the first time for you to read similar Facist messages(Like Use X or you are Y)? And I wasn't saying that all linux users are facist, but probably you already know and you just want to spam and troll and calling trolls to others.

[k1l_]

We have already seen this on the Arm area with Smartphones and Tablets. Once the manufacturers knew how to lock a Bootloader suddenly there were locked phones like the Motorola milestone (while the US Version "droid" wasnt locked).
Now luckily we see some manufacturers offering to get an unlock code from them.

So i would not count on the manufacturers to "do the right thing" in their own but to put your money there where the open Bootloaders are.

[Migamake]

Natural evolution towards totally locked-out devices and no user rights...

It seems to be natural step for a corporation to try to totally lock out users from any ability to change operating system.
Remember that it is even hard to de-install crapware provided by vendor on some Android-based phones.

Now Lenovo Yoga 2 Tablets come locked out of possibility to install OS from any USB device, in order to assure that the only source of OS it the hard disk.
That makes it much harder to change status quo, and currently it seems that using Android version (of a different, silver, color and with less builtin SSD) is the only _easy_ way to install windows.
And this is currently the onl cheap device with LTE option that is not a phone, and could be used with Ubuntu Touch instead.

If EU or US antimonopoly offices do not step in, with protecting user freedom, we will have completely locked tablet market within next few years.

[not.sure]

Oh darn, I wish we would have seen *that* coming!

[duby229]

Well that is completely fucking retarded.

As a PC repairmen, it isn't possible to repair windows in many situations without booting to linux. They are screwing the repair industry. Oh well, every time I see a board without a secureboot option It'll give me a chance to sell a new board. It'll piss a lot of my customers off, but they can blame MS for that.

[xeekei]

This sucks. And no, I can't buy System76, or any other US-centric Linux laptop brand. I need a 105-key keyboard, a nordic one.

[tuuker]

Everyone should have possibility to create own key or reset protection from physical switch that malware cannot control.

If everything else fails then demand keys or bios source code from company. Hardware what i buy must be in owner control not by some company.

[DebianLinuxero]

If cannot be disabled then just flash bios version that has secureboot eliminated/disabled

This!

Now this would be like smartphones.
If you want to install Cyanogen you must root the mobile.

Now, they'll drive us to do the same on PC's.

[roasted]

Well that is completely fucking retarded.

As a PC repairmen, it isn't possible to repair windows in many situations without booting to linux. They are screwing the repair industry. Oh well, every time I see a board without a secureboot option It'll give me a chance to sell a new board. It'll piss a lot of my customers off, but they can blame MS for that.

^^ This. Long before I even got into running Linux full time, I was utilizing a multitude of Linux based utilities to repair Windows systems. While I am fortunate enough to be working in an environment that is extremely saturated with Linux, I still find that when working with our Windows machines having issues, Linux based utilities are almost always the go-to tool if you want it done.

While this news is of course concerning, at the same time it's kind of whatever to me. If any OEMs decide to remove the option, we'll simply not use them, both on a home and work level. Given the number of systems that we work with, with purchases often reaching a thousand systems in one shipment every so many years, OEMs are often fighting for business and slashing prices to get their foot in. If they are foolish enough to remove this feature and thereby shoot themselves in the foot to lose a big deal, that's on them - we have other vendors to choose from. Given the recent news of System76 coming with a 599 dollar laptop next month (admittedly, with 1366x768/i3/14.1" hardware, though that seems to still be on par and/or slightly cheaper than some other big name vendor's offerings), we could always look towards them as well.

[duby229]

This!

Now this would be like smartphones.
If you want to install Cyanogen you must root the mobile.

Now, they'll drive us to do the same on PC's.

Yeah, but rooting your phone doesn't unlock the bootloader. Same thing on a PC, switching users to root won't disable secureboot.