Conspiracy theorists go berzerk: Win8/MS will ban Linux!

[Davros]

there is a nice automatic software delivery system on windows as well, called 'windows update' : wouldn't it be fun if attackers used that to install malware on your computer .

I read an article a couple of days ago (guessing the link came from bluesnews) someone claimed they could do that. ms claimed it was bs (something about stolen certificates or keys)

 

[ebola]

Apparently, Win8 will go big on Secure Boot.
Besides, if you bought a Win8 ARM tablet, you would not be able to install linux on it afterwards if it has Secure Boot.

This is really frightening.

Do people see this killing Linux off ?

(it's predicted most users are going to migrate to tablets / smartphones and leave all the real computing to servers?)

the scary thing here though is I DO actually want what microsoft is offering: an ARM tablet that is a "Propper Computer" out of the box. (the reason I want the option of Linux on android hardware is that..)

perhaps with iOS, Android, Microsoft thats actually enough commercial options (even too many causing fragmentation) but the internet surely deserves a true open source alternative. 'open source is the natural currency of the internet'.

 

[Kaotik]

The truth isn't as terrifying as people think.
It's up to OEM's and motherboard manufacturers to decide wether they want to continue support Linux or not - all it takes is a switch in BIOS/UEFI to enable/disable secure boot, as long as it's the user that switches it, it's ok for Microsoft too.
Also, retail versions IIRC won't require secure boot.

So if you buy that Win8 tablet, yes, it has to have secure boot - but if the manufacturer wants to give users possibility to install Linux too, they can include a simple switch in BIOS to enable/disable secureboot - as long as it requires user to switch it him/herself, there's no problems from MS's point of view.

 

[zed]

I dont think its linux that MS are directly worried about, its Android OS

It's up to OEM's and motherboard manufacturers to decide wether they want to continue support Linux or not

Of course MS have never strongarmed OEMs in the past, oh wait

 

[Davros]

Yes, i remember who owns the bootloader
http://www.birdhouse.org/beos/byte/30-bootloader/

 

[BoardBonobo]

MS will never give up the desktop space and they will never share it with anyone. That's a given. But they have showed that taken out of that context, and being forced to innovate for a change, shows up the particular weaknesses that others can exploit. Take for instance the mobile market, a massive fertile and explosive market that MS has only been able to exploit by parasitically feeding off those who have been successful. It's the whole PC space all over again but much faster, companies would rather fight with lawsuits than by being innovative or by catching the public's eye with a product that offers more than your rivals. And if your rivals show any hint of success sue them. It's a very sad state of affairs.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Mmmmm, you mean like every other business that exists or ever will exist? Every company borrows and innovates based upon the works of others.

Is every car company a parasite because it uses the seat belt first invented by George Cayley? Are all modern computers (Max, Linux, Windows) parasites because they use a mouse (invented in 1963, with a ball in 1968, shipped with computers in 1970) and windows on a desktop (hint implemented before the first Apple Mac).

By your arguements Apple is feeding parasitically off of Microsoft with the iPad as touch tablets with Windows OS's predate the iPad by quite a few years and hell possibly even touch tablet efforts by others before that. And Linux has been parasitically feeding off of Mac, Windows, UNIX, BSD, and any other operating system ever made. And Android is feeding parasitically off of a variety of efforts by other companies, ad nauseum.

If companies weren't allowed to incorporate ideas from past products and innovate upon them, we'd still be stuck in the stone ages since noone would have been allowed to use the concept of a wheel to produce better products.

And all those beer companies. How dare they each make the same basic beverage using the same basic ingredients. OMG, and don't even get started on restaurants or toys or books or planes or...hell anything made in the history of the world.

Regards,
SB

 

[Sxotty]

MS will never give up the desktop space and they will never share it with anyone. That's a given. But they have showed that taken out of that context, and being forced to innovate for a change, shows up the particular weaknesses that others can exploit. Take for instance the mobile market, a massive fertile and explosive market that MS has only been able to exploit by parasitically feeding off those who have been successful. It's the whole PC space all over again but much faster, companies would rather fight with lawsuits than by being innovative or by catching the public's eye with a product that offers more than your rivals. And if your rivals show any hint of success sue them. It's a very sad state of affairs.

Windows phone is actually well regarded, and fairly different. I would rather have one by far, but the carriers hate them so I have one choice of handset only. This affects the app market as well.

Otherwise as SB said.