FSF warns of Windows 8 Secure Boot
19 October 2011, 13:32
FSF logo The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has launched a campaign that
calls on hardware manufacturers to build Windows 8 PCs in such a way
that PC owners can install any software on their computers. Microsoft
plans only to certify PCs as being compatible with Windows 8 if they
support the Secure Boot UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)
feature. Secure Boot blocks the launching of unsigned bootloaders which,
Linux developer Matthew Garrett fears, may prevent consumers from
installing Linux onto their systems.
Microsoft has passed the buck to the hardware manufacturers, saying that
the Secure Boot specification does allow unsigned operating systems to
start if this is supported by the UEFI firmware. This is what the FSF is
campaigning about: if the firmware doesn't allow an operating system
other than the pre-installed one to be booted, says the FSF, this
drastically curtails the user's freedom to decide which software to run
on their PCs. In the FSF's opinion, this turns Secure Boot into
"Restricted Boot". Users who want to support the campaign can sign the
FSF's campaign statement.
See also:
Windows 8 to include secure boot using UEFI 2.3.1, a report from The H.
http://www.h-online.com/news/item/Windows-8-to-include-secure-boot-using-UEFI-2-3-1-1335246.html
SIGN THE PETITION ....... BTW by the way, the new security feature by
Microsoft is claiming Windows security. We have heard all this 40
billion dollars ago in Bill Gates pockets. SEE Vista UAC User Account
Control defeated by malware now .....
Malware turns off Windows' UAC, warns Microsoft Computerworld
https://bluecollarpcwebs.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/vista-user-account-control-uac-finally-cracked/
SOURCE ARTICLE
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218916/Malware_turns_off_Windows_UAC_warns_Microsoft?taxonomyId=17
Further will be the boot nightmares of trying to access Windows to
eradicate malware infestation. The ending of BIOS will virtually lock
out all except the "Unscrupulous PC Repair Guy" the Better Business
Bureau and all intelligent sources on the World Web warn us of. The
American Public has been fleeced beyong belief by PC Repair shops
concerning malware removals who do not even report to Federal Cyber Law
Services when illegal botnets have hijacked the PC of their client's
they are "fixing". MONOPLY MONOPOLY MONOPOLY and Unfair Trade Restraint
! Period ! We have seen all these security promises 40 biilion dollars
ago in Bill Gates pockets.
------------/
SOURCE / QUOTED
http://www.fsf.org/news/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot-in-windows-8
Stand up for your freedom to install free software!
Read the truth behind so-called "Secure Boot" and sign the statement.
You are here: Home → FSF News → Free Software Foundation warns about the
danger of computers becoming Windows-only, calls for signatures to
defend the freedom to install free software
Free Software Foundation warns about the danger of computers becoming
Windows-only, calls for signatures to defend the freedom to install free
software
by Josh Gay — last modified October 17, 2011 15:24
BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA — Monday, October 17, 2011 — The Free
Software Foundation (FSF) released a statement open for public signing,
titled "Stand up for your freedom to install free software."
The statement, published at
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/statement,
is a response to Microsoft's announcement that if computer makers wish
to distribute machines with the Windows 8 compatibility logo, they must
implement a system called "Secure Boot." The FSF statement warns against
the danger that, if done wrong, this system would have to be called
Restricted Boot, because it could make computers incapable of running
anything but Windows.
The technology in question aims to protect against malware by preventing
unauthorized operating systems components from booting. Stopping
unauthorized tampering could be a feature, says the FSF, but only so
long as it doesn't prevent users from intentionally running and
modifying free software. If the boot system works in this fashion, then
it deserves the name many are already calling it, "Secure Boot."
However, the FSF is concerned that Microsoft and hardware manufacturers
will implement the system in a way that will prevent users from booting
anything other than Windows. In this case, the FSF offers the more
accurate name of Restricted Boot, explaining that such a requirement
would be a severe restriction on computer users and, by giving only a
remote third party control over what's authorized to run on their
computers, not a security feature at all.
"We're looking at a world in which it could become impossible for the
average user to install GNU/Linux on any new computer, so too much is at
stake for us to wait and see if computer manufacturers will do the right
thing. Secure Boot could all too easily become a euphemism for
restriction and control by computer makers and Microsoft — freedom and
security necessitate users being in charge of their own computers," said
FSF executive director, John Sullivan.
Those signing the FSF's statement urge all computer makers implementing
this system to resist any pressure to adopt Restricted Boot:
We, the undersigned, urge all computer makers implementing UEFI's
so-called "Secure Boot" to do it in a way that allows free software
operating systems to be installed. To respect user freedom and truly
protect user security, manufacturers must either allow computer owners
to disable the boot restrictions, or provide a sure-fire way for them to
install and run a free software operating system of their choice.
Signers of the statement commit to "neither purchase nor recommend
computers that strip users of this critical freedom," and to "actively
urge people in our communities to avoid such jailed systems."
"I have been astounded by the number of people reaching out to us from
all over the world, asking us to help build awareness and put pressure
on computer manufacturers," said FSF campaigns manager, Joshua Gay. He
added that "some of the people who contacted us expressed their
nightmarish scenario of having even more hardware being tossed in
landfills as a result of this," referring to the popular trend of
reviving older hardware with GNU/Linux — something that would no longer
be possible if more computers were locked by design into only running
Windows.
A more detailed overview of the issue can be found at
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/.
Organizations interested in adding a prominent notice of their support
should contact Joshua Gay at campaigns@fsf.org.
About the Free Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting
computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute
computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as
in freedom) software — particularly the GNU operating system and its
GNU/Linux variants — and free documentation for free software. The FSF
also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of
freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org
and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux.
Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at
http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.
About Free Software and Open Source
The free software movement's goal is freedom for computer users. Some,
especially corporations, advocate a different viewpoint, known as "open
source," which cites only practical goals such as making software
powerful and reliable, focuses on development models, and avoids
discussion of ethics and freedom. These two viewpoints are different at
the deepest level. For more explanation, see
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html.
Media Contacts
Joshua Gay
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
Phone: +1 (617) 542 5942 x20
Email: campaigns@fsf.org
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