
After Fedora, Ubuntu has now also announced
how it's going to handle the nonsense called "Secure" Boot. The gist: they'll use the same key as Fedora, but they claim they can't use GRUB2. "In the event that a manufacturer makes a mistake and delivers a locked-down system with a GRUB 2 image signed by the Ubuntu key, we have not been able to find legal guidance that we wouldn't then be required by the terms of the GPLv3 to disclose our private key in order that users can install a modified boot loader. At that point our certificates would of course be revoked and everyone would end up worse off." So, they're going to use the more liberally licensed efilinux loader from Intel. Only the bootloader will be signed; the kernel will not.
Member since:
2007-12-17
I agree with WereCatf and would add this reeks of 'Security Theater' to move an agenda forward that has more to do with control of revenue opportunity then real security.
Not to say that boot security is not a concern without veracity, but the aggressive move to adoption, lack of anything that resembles peer review, and obvious pressure from the Vole -- just smells bad.