Newbie General Question regarding Windows 8 and the future of Linux
 

Hello,

I'm still pretty much a Linux newbie. I'm currently running Slackware 13.37 on an older computer that I obtained for the sole purpose of learning about Linux. I recently learned that Windows 8 will only install on chips that have a new type of security feature, and that this is causing considerable worry among the Linux community. I am told that the new security feature will be potentially destructive for the Linux community.

Here is my question. Are all chip manufacturers going to lock out their chips? Are there no chip manufacturers that want to serve the Linux community? For example, I know that Apple uses Intel chips in their machines. Clearly, they are buying custom chips that serve their needs. Would the chips that Intel sells to Apple be available to individuals who want to build Linux machines?

Just curious,

Mark

There has been much speculation about this, but, from what I've heard on my Linux podcasts (and I listen to lots of them), as this point you will find only speculation.

AFAIK, UEFI will lockdown ARM devices that run MS products but that won't worry the home desktop market that much at the moment. Any motherboard manufacturer that uses UEFI will do good to have a switch to allow/disallow this function. MS have said UEFI will make Windows very secure - well at least until you boot it :)

I think I also read somewhere recently that UEFI had been compromised anyway :)

There's still a lot of speculation out there, I guess time will tell.

This is about the replacement for BIOS: UEFI. This has the facility for setting a secure boot: it checks that the boot loader has a signature to prevent a fake copy of the operating system being used. Microsoft require that Windows 8 is installed with the secure boot feature, but it can be turned off. ARM-based systems will not be able to run Windows with secure boot disabled, but how many people have Windows on ARM-based systems anyway? Some have speculated that Microsoft might try to get all versions of UEFI issued without the off switch, but that is not going to happen. Firstly, it would be illegal under competition laws in may countries, including the EU. Secondly, any computer manufacturer who produced Windows-only machines would be unable to sell in a lot of markets.

I think a lot of the concern is because persons don't trust Microsoft's motives.

I really cannot imagine why that may be . . . .

Neither can I.