Linux: Booting Via UEFI Can Brick Samsung Notebooks 232
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."
Quality engineering (Score:5, Funny)
Kernel developers are discussing a change in the samsung-laptop driver.
To be fair, they didn't realize anybody would actually implement the HCF instruction.
Re:Typical Samsung... (Score:0, Funny)
Off your meds again? Paranoid schizophrenia is serious.
Good. Good. That what's we want you to think.
Re:Typical Samsung... (Score:5, Funny)
Or it could be that the project leader inserted such code because he was told to by his werewolf leaders to block the use of the laptop by occultist vampires, who due to their niche market, have to rely on rebranded Linux distros for their neffarious deeds. At the same time, they would be blocking use of the laptop by robot leagions by preventing them from installing an OS that doesn't give them nightmares. I don't know how the pirates (real pirates) fit into this.
The idea that Samsung is in control by werewolves, with Linux usability caught up in the perpetual war between werewolves, vampires, and robots, is not a good possibility, but it hasn't been entirely eliminated yet either.