On 15Sep14:1712-0500, Paul Gilmartin wrote:

> On Mon, 14 Sep 2015 10:28:54 +0800, Timothy Sipples wrote:
> >
> >(a) The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). UEFI features
> >something called "Secure Boot." To summarize, even open source operating
> >systems must be cryptographically signed with an unrevoked key in order to
> >boot. Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft has "persuaded" the industry
> >(OEMs) to make Secure Boot mandatory. This is quite controversial, it's
> >fair to say. You don't have to "jailbreak" a mainframe just because you
> >want/need to run a modified Linux kernel in an emergency, for example --
> >and it's probably not even possible to "jailbreak" Secure Boot.
> >
> So where does this leave Linux for the x86 platform?  Is Microsoft trying
> to kill Linux?  The FTC should have much to say about that, perhaps
> prodded by such as Google.
> 
> Of course, I understand Google makes its own hardware (or contracts
> it to spec).  And any OEMs could go it alone; not sign the Secure Boot
> agreement.  But they'd be abandoning the Windows market, perhaps
> not economically viable.  And could Microsoft leverage DHS/DMCA to
> block even that?
> 
> Who maintains the key registry?  (I have a plausible guess.)  Will
> OSF be able to afford (a) key(s)?

Take a look a rEFInd (0.9.1 was just released), an open source UEFI
Boot Manager that is a product of Roderick Smith (http://rodsbooks.com).
His prodigious explanations of all things EFI and Secure Boot have
persuaded me the future is not as bleak as it might seem.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/refind/files/0.9.1/
-- 
<not cent from sell>
May the LORD God bless you exceedingly abundantly!

Dave_Craig______________________________________________
"So the universe is not quite as you thought it was.
 You'd better rearrange your beliefs, then.
 Because you certainly can't rearrange the universe."
__--from_Nightfall_by_Asimov/Silverberg_________________

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