Microsoft Responds To Linux Concerns Over Windows 8 and UEFI Secure Boot

CSHARP123 writes "A few days ago, Red Hat employee Matthew Garrett speculated that OEM machines shipping with copies of Windows 8 may lock out support for Linux installations. Garrett highlighted Microsoft's new Secure Build OEM requirements for Windows 8 systems. Microsoft chose to directly respond to confusion surrounding Windows 8's use of the UEFI Secure Boot feature on Thursday. Tony Mangefeste of Microsoft's Ecosystem team said, 'Microsoft supports OEMs having the flexibility to decide who manages security certificates and how to allow customers to import and manage those certificates, and manage secured boot. We believe it is important to support this flexibility to the OEMs and to allow our customers to decide how they want to manage their systems.'"

Comments

Re:If you can't be bothered to RTF...

[neokushan]

Yes and they can also superimpose the windows logo on top of the screen so it's permanently there, no matter what you use it for. They could also install a flash chip that wipes the hard drive and installs windows every time you press the Windows key. They could also make it play a "BILL GATES OWNZ YOU!!!!" soundbyte upon startup. There's all sorts of things they could do, but that doesn't mean they'll do it. As has been stated several times before, all the Linux doomsday prophesies rely on the OEM removing the ability, not Microsoft. Until something actually happens in this regard, it's pure FUD and scaremongering from people who either just want to bash Microsoft for the sake of bashing them, or idiots who simply don't know any better. Or both.