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Comment Re:PCs turning into a closed platform... (Score 1) 809

One big, major problem with building your own box is this. Cut and copied from a discussion on Google+ about this article. From Intel on UEFI to Sourceforge.net The verification steps for images signed as described in section 1.4 are: 1. Authenticate the image’s format and structure. 2. If the image is unsigned: If its signature in in the authorized database (DB) and is not in the forbidden database (DBX), run the image, otherwise deny. 3. If the image is signed, check if its certificate has been authorized (for example, the image’s certificate is found in the KEK or the authorized database (DB), and is not in the forbidden database (DBX)). 1 If the image’s certificate is authorized, then unless the image’s signature is in the forbidden database (DBX), run the image If the image’s certificate has not been authorized, then check its signature. If its signature is in the authorized database (DB) and is not in the forbidden database (DBX), run the image, otherwise deny running the image. So it sounds like you could build a machine with signatures for every piece of firmware in DB, and then you'd be able to remove the microsoft keys from the KEK. But the simpler solution is probably going to be just to leave the MS keys where they are. If you don't run any microsoft code, then the chief danger that poses to you is that someone lifts their private key (unlikely) and even if they do the worst that happens is that you're back to pre-secure-boot security (not such a big deal, given it's doomed to failure anyway).
Red Hat Software

Submission + - Red Hat will pay Microsoft to install Fedora (dreamwidth.org)

ToriaUru writes: "Fedora is going to pay Microsoft to let them distribute a PC operating system. Microsoft is about to move from effectively owning the PC hardware platform to literally owning it. Once Windows 8 is released, hardware manufacturers will be forced to ship machines that refuse to run any software that is not explicitly approved by Microsoft — and that includes competing operating systems like Linux.

Technically Fedora didn't have to go down this path. But, as this article explains, they are between a rock and a hard place: if they didn't pay Microsoft to let them onto the PC platform, they would have to explain to their potential users how to mess with firmware settings just to install the OS.

How long before circumventing the secure boot mechanism is considered a DMCA violation and a felony?"

Announcements

Submission + - Canadian DMCA bill withdrawn from House of Commons (michaelgeist.ca)

ToriaUru writes: "The Canadian Minister of Industry, Mr. Jim Prentice has withdrawn the proposed Canadian Digital Millennium Copyright Act legislation that was due to be tabled in the Canadian House of Commons tomorrow. This is due to the overwhelming response by Canadians from every walk of life towards their Members of Parliament, the Industry Minister's office, and his counterpart at the Ministry of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages, Ms. Josee Verger. The story is taking hold in the main stream press of Canada, with stories here http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071209.WBmingram20071209191018/WBStory/WBmingram/ and here on CBC http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/12/10/tech-copyright.html/ The power of the people talking."

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"But what we need to know is, do people want nasally-insertable computers?"

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