machwon - Slashdot User

Linux: Booting Via UEFI Can Brick Samsung Notebooks 232

Posted by Unknown Lamer on Wednesday January 30, 2013 @10:10AM from the like-openfirmware-only-it-sucks dept.

wehe writes "Heise News reports today some Samsung notebooks can be turned into a brick if booted just one time via UEFI into Linux. Even the firmware does not boot anymore. Some reports in the Ubuntu bug tracker system report that such notebooks can not be recovered without replacing the main board. Other Linux distributions may be affected as well. Kernel developers are discussing a change in the Samsung-laptop driver." It appears even Samsung is having trouble tracking down the problem (from the article): "According to Canonical's Steve Langasek, Samsung developers have been attempting to develop a firmware update to prevent the problem for several weeks. Langasek is advising users to start Ubuntu installation on Samsung notebooks from an up-to-date daily image, in which the Ubuntu development team has taken precautions to prevent the problem from arising. It is, however, not completely clear that these measures are sufficient."

Comment Re:How is this different? (Score 2, Insightful) 246

by machwon on Tuesday May 04, 2010 @01:30PM (#32088782) Attached to: Microsoft<nobr> <wbr></nobr>.Net Libraries Not Acting "Open Source"

This one was supposedly run and supported by the biggest software company in the world, not by a high school student in his basement.

Comment Re:Killer ap (Score 1) 570

by machwon on Tuesday February 15, 2000 @11:48AM (#1271242) Attached to: What the Linux Community Needs to Grok

Well, maybe not a killer app, but how about a killer use?

With all the talk about smart devices in your house (fridges that call repairmen, washers that know when they're broke), maybe the next big thing will be something to control all these devices.

I can almost imagine a house as a small business, with a single, larger computer sitting in the basement, and all these "smart" appliances connecting to it. Maybe we could even get rid of the self-contained PC and use (gasp!) thin clients as access terminals in multiple places in the house.

It seems to me that an inherantly multi-user OS such as Linux, could be adapted for this type of use.

I want something has to act as a filter between my house and the world, or else we'll be getting advertisements every time we open the fridge, or do a load of laundry.

just a thought.

machwon
pragmatic optimist - I'd be happy if I cared.

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