Richard Stallman Speaks About UEFI

An anonymous reader writes "Despite weaknesses in the Linux-hostile 'secure boot' mechanism, both Fedora and Ubuntu decided to facilitate it, by essentially adopting two different approaches. Richard Stallman has finally spoken out on this subject. He notes that 'if the user doesn't control the keys, then it's a kind of shackle, and that would be true no matter what system it is.' He says, 'Microsoft demands that ARM computers sold for Windows 8 be set up so that the user cannot change the keys; in other words, turn it into restricted boot.' Stallman adds that 'this is not a security feature. This is abuse of the users. I think it ought to be illegal.'"

I would have had first post!

[theswimmingbird]

But I couldn't boot into my OS.

Re:The Right To Read

[styrotech]

That's only because the bad guys look at what he fears for some good ideas.

Now if only RMS had've patented his ideas :)

Re:What instead of the boiling frog?

[DeathFromSomewhere]

Deathfromsomewhere's law states: sooner or later in any discussion, someone will commit an ad hominem attack when he runs out of useful arguments.

It is a fallacy. [wikipedia.org] Too bad if you don't like it.

Re:What instead of the boiling frog?

[DeathFromSomewhere]

all the way to the death camps

You know, using a slippery slope argument is a shockingly bad way to convince someone that a slippery slope isn't a logical fallacy. Just saying.

Re:Shackles

[smellotron]

Of course if their root key was compromised they're fucked, but that one is deep in the goblin-caves of Moria and the only place it'd come out would be in the pocket of a hobbit.

FTFY. The root key wants to be found.

Re:Shackles

[azalin]

arrrh! Deep in the Microsoft dungeons lies the one true key. Guarded by deadly traps, ancient trolls and "things" of utter darkness. Find it and the tablets will be yours, but beware of the guardians of Redmond and their wrath.

Re:What instead of the boiling frog?

[jpapon]

Socialism != Death Camps. That's Fascism or Dictatorships you're thinking of. There are many mildly socialist countries on the planet today, and none of them have death camps - not even mild ones.