Free software just got pwned

[oktalist]

If you buy a PC with Windows 8 pre-installed, and you want to install a non-Windows OS on it, it must be cryptographically signed by Microsoft, and OS vendors will have to pay $99 for this privilege while risking violating GPLv3 provisions concerning hardware lock-ins.

Source here: http://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/12368.html

I'm not sure if this is the beginning of a slippery slope, or the end of one that we have been slipping down for some time.

How is this not anti-trust? Oh, right, because last time that happened the US courts said MS could pretty much do what they wanted. Hope the EU courts will take a different view.

 

[thesilentman]

Thread Necromancy.

How the FUCK did Microsoft get away with this?

If you buy a PC with Windows 8 pre-installed, and you want to install a non-Windows OS on it, it must be cryptographically signed by Microsoft, and OS vendors will have to pay $99 for this privilege while risking violating GPLv3 provisions concerning hardware lock-ins.

Source here: http://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/12368.html

I'm not sure if this is the beginning of a slippery slope, or the end of one that we have been slipping down for some time.

How is this not anti-trust? Oh, right, because last time that happened the US courts said MS could pretty much do what they wanted. Hope the EU courts will take a different view.

It is anti-trust. It's just that we are in a different position than 10 years ago.

 

[Ruedyn]

Ach, Threadomancy? Why would you use such a dark, perverse magic such as this?! I have no will to be accomplice to your acts!

 

[aba1]

Pfft how is this even remotely a good idea nobody is going to do this who would switch there OS. All this is going to do is piss a bunch of people off and lose them support when Apple is finally gaining some ground.

Also how is this even legal it is our computer we can do what we want with it.

 

[Rastien]

Also how is this even legal it is our computer we can do what we want with it.

Same way that Sony locks down their PS3 or any games console... they tend to get a bit shitty when you put custom firmware onto them as it lets you run home brew or even pirated games.

I know that a PC is not a games console but i believe the principle is the same unfortuntley.

 

[thesilentman]

Ach, Threadomancy? Why would you use such a dark, perverse magic such as this?! I have no will to be accomplice to your acts!

Oh shush, tech threads are always interesting! I'm a weird necromancer [sub]and a complete novice so yay for me[/sub], friend.

Also how is this even legal it is our computer we can do what we want with it.

Same way that Sony locks down their PS3 or any games console... they tend to get a bit shitty when you put custom firmware onto them as it lets you run home brew or even pirated games.

I know that a PC is not a games console but i believe the principle is the same unfortuntley.

@Rastien, it's the other way around for most of us PC users. We pretty much rely on outside sources to play our games (Exhibit A: Mods) for games like Dark Souls, which is pretty shit by PC standards[footnote]Dark Souls never bugged me that much; in fact, it's one of the only games that never had any hardware or software issues with my computer. I run Vista. Yeah. Fortunately, when Vista acts up, I can always run Ubuntu. [/footnote] and to rekindle our interest in games that could have been massively better, like Skyrim. There's also the fact that PC was always about choice, and now it's being taken away... :-(

@abal,

Microsoft has a legit reason to put in Secure Boot, but if they enforce this, the tech world is going to get darker. There is no reason we should report our actions to a corporation that makes a hell load of money. We are entitled to privacy, but it's a shame that MS doesn't get this fact straight when it saw a lot of other things.

OT- Unfortunately, since Microsoft has been afflicted with the same disease of "let's dumb everything so much, that our most important users have trouble running our OS for their professional and business needs!" that Apple's been struck with[footnote]Apple used to be AMAZING for liberal arts majors as they had some insanely good software. Now it's just iOS integration, which no one gives a donkey's ass about.[/footnote], it's inevitable for some changes to happen, but to enforce a Secure Boot enabled by default in the name of security is going to suck for Linux and free software such as OpenOffice and LibreOffice.

Captcha- lets roll

Nonono, MS. Not cool with us Linux users. Let's just stick with software okay, MS?

 

[Esotera]

It doesn't have to be signed with Microsoft, and Linux distributors are finding ways to get round this. Secure Boot is an industry standard that really needs to be implemented, it should just be very easy to disable it if you require certain programs to run at boot.

Also, I think it's only on ARM Windows 8 devices? And there will definitely be a hack to get round it.

 

[Rastien]

@Rastien, it's the other way around for most of us PC users. We pretty much rely on outside sources to play our games (Exhibit A: Mods) for games like Dark Souls, which is pretty shit by PC standards[footnote]Dark Souls never bugged me that much; in fact, it's one of the only games that never had any hardware or software issues with my computer. I run Vista. Yeah. Fortunately, when Vista acts up, I can always run Ubuntu. [/footnote] and to rekindle our interest in games that could have been massively better, like Skyrim. There's also the fact that PC was always about choice, and now it's being taken away... :-(

Funnily enough i'm mostly a PC gamer rarely touch my consoles i was just pointing out that consoles can do that legally there is no reason PC's can't they just don't which is cool. When your steam rating is consitantly 10 kinda indicates you spend way to much time PC gaming x)

 

[SciMal]

Thread Necromancy.

How the FUCK did Microsoft get away with this?

From the discussion further down the link:

"You only need to pay anything if you want to distribute an OS with a modified kernel or bootloader and have it run on other Windows 8 certified hardware without having to reconfigure the firmware. Use and distribution requires no payment."

Basically the only reason you'd need to spend $99 for a key is if you intend to distribute an OS you make and distribute it to other people who have Win8 pre-installed on an ARM device.

Also... Apple has been using similar techniques for a while...

"Ducklin said the good news for the Microsoft approach for Windows PCs was that the chipset protection on x86 would not be mandatory and inflexible like it is on Apple iDevices." - http://www.itwire.com/business-it-news/security/55783-secure-boot-apple-came-first-says-a-v-expert


So, yeah, I guess if you're going to sue MS, you might as well sue Apple as well.