Growing in the market by addressing the roots of the problem

Summary: Linux (kernel) developers turn their attention to UEFI imposition by convicted monopoly abuser Microsoft

THE controversy around UEFI is being further addressed, this time by Linux developers. SJVN writes: “We all know that Windows 8 PCs will come locked up tight Microsoft’s UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) secure boot on. This will prevent you from easily installing Linux or any other operating system, such as Windows 7 or XP, on a Windows 8 system. What we don’t know is exactly how original equipment manufacturers (OEM)s will be implementing UEFI, never mind secure boot, on these new machines. To address this problem, James Bottomley, chair of the Linux Foundation’s Technical Advisory Board, has released a version of the Intel Tianocore UEFI boot image and some code that Linux programmers can use to get around Windows 8′s Secure Boot restrictions.

“Intel Tianocore is an open-source image of Intel’s UEFI. Until recently this image didn’t have the Authenticode that Microsoft uses for Secure Boot (PDF Link) but now Tinocore includes this functionality as well.

“Bottomley’s work is important because, as Bottomley says, it will “widen the pool of people who are playing with UEFI Secure boot. The Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board have been looking into this because it turns out to be rather difficult to lay your hands on real UEFI Secure Boot enabled hardware.””

If workarounds are found that neither involve antitrust complaint nor an attack on bootloader freedom, Red Hat and Canonical might end up looking rather silly. Later today I will release my conversation with Richard Stallman on this subject. █

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