UEFI Secure Boot and Linux: Where Things Stand

itwbennett writes "Assuming that Microsoft doesn't choose to implement Secure Boot in the ways that the Linux Foundation says would work with Linux, there 'will be no easy way to run Linux on Windows 8 PCs,' writes Steven Vaughan-Nichols. Instead, we're faced with three different, highly imperfect approaches: Approach #1: Create UEFI Secure Boot keys for your particular distribution, like Canonical is doing with Ubuntu. Approach #2: work with Microsoft's key signing service to create a Windows 8 system compatible UEFI secure boot key, like Red Hat is doing with Fedora." itwbennet finishes with: "Approach #3: Use open hardware with open source software, an approach favored by ZaReason CEO Cathy Malmrose." When you can't even use a GPLv3 licensed bootloader to boot your system, you might have a problem. Why is everyone so quick to accept the corpse of TCPA in new clothes?

Comments

Secure Boot won't catch on

[billcopc]

Approach #4: ignore UEFI Secure Boot. It's a blunt solution to an obscure problem. More importantly, it's such a huge pain in the ass, not just for Linux but for ALL system integrators, that anyone actually preventing the user from disabling Secure Boot will end up limiting their own marketability. Two things will happen:

1. It will be relegated to tiny niches where security trumps usability
2. It will be cracked

This is not an either/or. Both things will happen. This whole fiasco is nothing but a huge waste of time for everyone involved.

Re:Secure Boot won't catch on

[FranTaylor]

We used to call them "general purpose computers"

We dropped the "general purpose" part at some point, because it seemed redundant at the time.

Now maybe we need to bring back this term.

These machines you are talking about are not "general purpose" computers at all.

It once again goes to show that the Microsoft slogan is "Where do you want to be taken today"

Re:Approach no. 4 - Do nothing

[jkrise]

More than XP, I am thinking different flavours of Windows 8. System admins need to wipe off the OEM stuff and install their Enterprise License stuff on new kit. That could be a different flavour of 8 or earlier versions of the OS as well. If they can't do it, they will simply ignore Windows 8 and wait for the next version that removes the restriction of Secure Boot.

Re:Approach no. 4 File complaint to D.O.J.

[Anonymous Coward]

If this is not an example of Microsoft's monopolistic practices i don't know what is.