[ubuntu-uk] heads up - Secure Boot Problems for Linux Users Are Here Already

[Alan Bell]

On 30/10/11 16:45, Andy Braben wrote:
>
> I would also think it unlikely to be UEFI that is causing the problem.
it is UEFI causing the problem, or more strictly speaking it is Ubuntu's 
imperfect support for UEFI on the 32bit desktop iso that is causing the 
problem. It isn't secure boot, which is an optional feature of UEFI. It 
isn't BIOS settings because this machine does not have a BIOS, it has 
UEFI instead.

UEFI is not in itself evil stuff, it is the next generation of BIOS, 
rather different to BIOS and that can cause issues with loading, but we 
just have to support the standards properly to do that bit (and the OEM 
has to be supporting the standards correctly too). The thing that has 
the potential to scupper us is the Secure boot feature of UEFI, which 
could be used to lock the hardware to only boot images signed with 
pre-loaded keys. This could potentially be used to make a machine that 
will only boot Windows 8 (or above). Such a machine would not boot any 
unsigned bootloader, which could include Ubuntu, Windows XP and Windows 
7, which is on the machine in question, so secure boot would not appear 
to be involved in this problem.

Alan.