[LinuxBIOS] [RFC] Call for Action: LinuxBIOS foundations

[Stefan Reinauer]

* echelon at free.fr <echelon at free.fr> [070829 11:39]:
> Quoting Stefan Reinauer <stepan at coresystems.de>:
> 
> > I personally think we need to support more newer hardware in shorter
> > time to gain the momentum so LinuxBIOS can become the default firmware
> > on new mainboards that you buy. We can make this goal, and it has been
> > done in some cases. It's just a long way, as it was for Linux, too.
> 
> That would be _REALLY_ great but is this realistic?..

It is the only realistic scenario for LinuxBIOS becoming wide-spread
and, no doubt, we have been pretty successful so far. More than one
million computers out there are running LinuxBIOS. This is a far higher
number than a usual charge of mainboards produced by a manufacturer in a
series.

Unlike Linux, LinuxBIOS can not be "just tried with a live CD" or
something. So either it gets pre-installed or it will be something only
technically skilled people will ever use.

> Maybe this is sligtly off topic here (and a little bit paranoid..), but when one
> consider the fact that "trusted computing" becomes more and more prevalent in
> new systems (mandatory soon maybe?!), doesn't this outright kill the LB project?

The opposite is the case. LinuxBIOS is the _only_ chance out there that
allows controlling the restrictions. It does not restrict the vendor in
controlling the "bootblock" -- Since there is no such thing as the
bootblock in LinuxBIOSv2, I wonder what the technical meaning of that
part of the specification is supposed to be.

Stefan

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