Microsoft tries to block Linux off Windows 8 PCs

[Mel Wilson]

On 11-09-23 01:06 PM, Colin McGregor wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 11:57 AM, Scott Elcomb<psema4-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org>  wrote:
>> On Wed, Sep 21, 2011 at 5:18 PM, Thomas Milne
>> <thomas.bruce.milne-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org>  wrote:
>>> http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/microsoft-tries-to-block-linux-off-windows-8-pcs/9572?tag=mantle_skin%3Bcontent
>>
>> Here's Microsoft's response and explanation (I haven't read it yet):
>>
>> <http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/22/protecting-the-pre-os-environment-with-uefi.aspx>
>
> A Red Hat staff member has written a response to the above:
>
> http://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/5850.html
>
> in other words the Microsoft commentary, while technically correct is
> misleading.

MS seems to say basically that it's up to the hardware OEMs to allow 
the end-users to disable UEFI or not.  Given that MS are who they are 
and want what they want, that's pretty much what you'd expect them to say.

As far as I can see, the soft underbelly here is that every kernel and 
driver upgrade will have to be signed at some level.  With such 
industrial scale signing going on world-wide, it's a matter of time 
before at least one of the private keys becomes known by the wrong 
people, and the security scheme is undermined.  Multiple levels of 
signing can slow this down, but won't prevent it.


	Mel.
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