What is the status on UEFI and secure boot

[michel]

I'm nowhere near needing to replace my laptop and installing Kubuntu on a UEFI enabled machine but one day it will happen and I would like to know:

- What is the status on this damming situation.
- What can be done on a Linux wide basis to pressure hardware makers, governing bodies or M to open UEFI for Linux installation.
- What can be done to encourage one or more hardware makers to work closely with the Linux community to make Linux friendly UEFI machines.

Michel

[rybnik]

As I understand it:

You can disable secure boot through the uefi if you bypass several threatening warning messages.

But I'd like to broaden the question a bit:

As Canonical and Fedora paid microsoft to be able to run with secure boot enabled, does that also mean that kubuntu/lubuntu/xubuntu can also be run with secure boot enabled, or just plain ubuntu? Because kubuntu isn't canonical any longer, right?

[michel]

As I understand it:

You can disable secure boot through the uefi if you bypass several threatening warning messages.

But I'd like to broaden the question a bit:

As Canonical and Fedora paid microsoft to be able to run with secure boot enabled, does that also mean that kubuntu/lubuntu/xubuntu can also be run with secure boot enabled, or just plain ubuntu? Because kubuntu isn't canonical any longer, right?

I did not realize that Canonical had PAID M! That is horrible!
Michel

[Teunis]

I use two Lenovo's with UEFI, one is my year old W520, the other the companies very new T430s.
On both I have never had any UEFI related problem installing Kubuntu.

Yes, Canonical has stopped sponsoring a KDE desktop version, others like Blue-shell have taken over and with remarkable success.
No, the desktop (KDE, Unity, Gnome) has normally nothing to do with the boot process.
So I would not worry about UEFI, especially when it's your own computer you are free to disable it to your liking.

Canonical seems to have bought a (US$99.-) certificate at the administrator of the UEFI system (yes, Micro Soft), under circumstances this would allow the booting of a Canonical blessed kernel.

Others have build a so-called shim for free operating systems, call it a pre-loader and it also has has a UEFI certificate.
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/news-...em-open-source

There is noise that some (RH) have suggested including a UEFI approved binary/module into the kernel but reading Linus' take on it that'll not happen in his lifetime
http://www.zdnet.com/torvalds-clarif...on-7000011918/

[michel]

So can we safely assume that the secure boot / UEFI is now a non issue for savvy Linux users? But will it hinder Linux adoption in general?

Michel

[michel]

I see system 76 offers Ubuntu laptops and desktops. Are there any vendors that would install Kubuntu or other distros?

Michel

[Teunis]

At the hardware level Kubuntu=Ubuntu.

Buy an Ubuntu computer,
boot it up,
do a

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

and follow it up by

sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

(or kubuntu-full).
Log out and in to Kubuntu and you have a Kubuntu computer.

[michel]

Thanks for the info! But will I have tons of unwanted Ubuntu stuff on the computer?

Michel

[bsniadajewski]

That depends on what you want and don't want. Are there any programs on a default Ubuntu install that you'd use (Firefox, T-bird, etc.)?

This leads me to a question for the guys here. Will future mini-CD iso's bew able to install to UEFI PC's (with or without SB)? (That is, have /boot/efi64 (I think)?)

[Teunis]

Thanks for the info! But will I have tons of unwanted Ubuntu stuff on the computer?

Michel

There will be a significant amount of Ubuntu Unity style desktop around.
So the option to do a clean Kubuntu install is attractive.

On the other hand, just having it available does not make it run and consume processor cycles or RAM, it just sits there in the root.
Be aware hardly any Kubuntu install is pure QT, like when you install the typical medibuntu stuff a lot more is pulled in.

[michel]

That depends on what you want and don't want. Are there any programs on a default Ubuntu install that you'd use (Firefox, T-bird, etc.)?

This leads me to a question for the guys here. Will future mini-CD iso's bew able to install to UEFI PC's (with or without SB)? (That is, have /boot/efi64 (I think)?)

There might be but I would rather start from a fresh slate as if it was a fresh Kubuntu Install.

Thanks,

Michel