Reply #9: Linux and Windows 8's Secure Boot: What We Know So Far

[struggle4progress]

Sep 27, 2011 9:00 pm
By Katherine Noyes, PCWorld

... Microsoft's Windows Certification program will require that all certified Windows 8 systems have secure boot enabled by default, according to a blog post published late last week by Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows division ...

Further, as Garrett says, “Windows 8 certification does not require that the system ship with any keys other than Microsoft's. A system that ships with UEFI secure boot enabled and only includes Microsoft's signing keys will only securely boot Microsoft operating systems" ...

In fact, there is no requirement that certified PC makers give users the capability to disable UEFI secure boot, Garrett notes. And not only that, but "we've already been informed by hardware vendors that some hardware will not have this option" ...

Working with what we've seen so far, though, not buying a Windows 8 certified PC is certainly one obvious option for avoiding any potential problems, as is simply upgrading from Windows 7 on an existing dual-boot machine. Building your own machine is always an option as well ...

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/240685/linux_and_windows_8s_secure_boot_what_we_know_so_far.html