Shuttleworth: Why Windows 8 made us ditch GPL Linux loader

Manufacturers must enable a feature called Secure Boot in their products' UEFI firmware in order to be officially labelled Windows 8 compatible. This mechanism will only start operating systems that have been signed with a digital key recognised by the motherboard's firmware.

Modifying the computer's start up process, such as installing a completely new operating system or updating the existing kernel core, will invalidate this signature and cause the firmware to reject the software until it is signed again by a trusted secret key.

Complete Story

Related Stories:

• Canonical proposes alternate UEFI Secure Boot solution(Jun 22, 2012)
• Implementing UEFI Secure Boot in Fedora - BY PAYING MICROSOFT?!(May 31, 2012)
• Making UEFI Secure Boot Work With Open Platforms(Oct 28, 2011)
• UEFI "Secure Boot" and Microsoft Windows 8: The danger for free software(Oct 17, 2011)
• Red Hat engineer renews attack on Windows 8-certified secure boot(Sep 27, 2011)
• Microsoft confirms UEFI fears, locks down ARM devices(Jan 15, 2012)