On Wed, 27 Jan 2016 04:49:59 -0500
Hendrik Boom <hendrik@???> wrote:

> On Tue, Jan 26, 2016 at 05:57:45PM -0700, Gregory Nowak wrote:
> >
> > I heard that M$ is forcing the laptop makers to enable TPM, and
> > prevent it from being disabled, else they aren't allowed to install
> > windows. Having a choice of OS to install is great, but doesn't TPM
> > mean that GNU/Linux can't be installed because TPM won't recognize
> > its signature, if it is signed in the first place? So, getting a
> > machine without windows on it is all well and good, but what about
> > the issue of disabling TPM, or is that not an issue?
>
> Last I heard was that Microsoft, after requiring it to be possible to
> disable secure boot to get Windows certifiication, has dropped that
> requirement. I haven't heard that they now require it to stay on.

This is exactly what I heard. Windows 8 compatibility required there be
Secure Boot, and it be disableable. Windows 10 compatibility dropped
the requirement that it be disableable.

>
> But there have been machines sold where you cannot turn it off and
> can only install a Linux distros that Microsoft has signed, which I
> believe are Redhat and Ubuntu -- for me a reason to avoid those
> distros.

This is the precise problem. If I were happy with Ubuntu, Redhat and
Debian, this would be a non-problem. But as we've all seen in the past
18 months, big distros can go very, very wrong, and in the absence of
small distros, this can create a world of hurt for people who want to
rule their machines rather than the other way around. Mandatory Secure
Boot pretty much forces you into Windows or a big Linux. This is why,
before purchasing a machine, the #1 most vital question is: Can I turn
off secure boot? If no, the machine's useless.

I may start buying used machines to avoid all this stuff.

>
> The fact that no one that sells computers in retail stores seems to
> even understand the question about TPM worried me.

Why should they? They're Windows-Weenies. It's not a problem for them.
It's just the tiniest bolt in a huge machine.

> THe mere
> existence of these recalcitrant machines provides an overwhelming
> anount ot FUD into computer purchases. Even having Ubuntu
> preinstalled doesn't mitigate it.

Yeah, I hadn't thought of that.

SteveT

Steve Litt
January 2016 featured book: Twenty Eight Tales of Troubleshooting
http://www.troubleshooters.com/28