An unpleasant forecast

[dunsurfin]

I don't know if this is scaremongering but it makes interesting and scary reading to me:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/21 ... ion_fears/

[Fitzcarraldo]

I wouldn't worry: too many companies use Linux and Unix to make it likely. Not to mention the US government and the EU, which would not allow M$ to get away with it.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Some further reading on Windows 8 and UEFI:

MSDN Blogs > Building Windows 8 > Protecting the pre-OS environment with UEFI

Matthew Garrett - Supporting UEFI secure boot on Linux: the details

Matthew Garrett - UEFI secure booting (part 2)

The Register - MS denies secure boot will exclude Linux

ZDNet - Linux users threaten Microsoft with ACCC

[dunsurfin]

It doesn't make for happy reading.
Probably I'm overly pessimistic but the gargantuan financial clout of the huge "IT" companies (both hardware and software) promises less choice and far more effort and expense for end users. Another case in point is the throwing around of injunctions by Apple, Samsung et al.
My hope for salvation lies in our beloved devs (and those of other distros) who give their time and expertise to the thwarting of the power freaks.

[DeepDayze]

I sure hope mobo makers will make boards that are Linux friendly and I'm sure there will be a market for such boards. Microsoft's latest attack on OSS means they'll pretty much lock in the consumer PC market which means that such machines will be Windows 8 only. So the only route will be boards that have UEFI in "setup' mode so you can throw in your own keys easily.