TLDR: Microsoft worked with Intel and AMD to develop Pluton which is basically a TPM chip designed to prevent running non-microsoft approved software. It will likely make it impossible to boot un-approved linux distros, bsd, and likely will make it very hard to run any un-approved software in the future.
This CPU "feature" is very likely to be a requirement for Windows 12 in 2024. Meaning nearly every computer available will have this and the majority of manufactures will not allow you to unlock the bootloader.
Similar situation to running LineageOS or PostmarketOS phones. For now, it can be "disabled" in bios on most of these computers, but that's simply a choice the OEM is making and will no longer need to make once this has become prevalent without any real pushback.
this is why open software is not enough. we must have open hardware as well.
The MNT Reform laptop is an example of just such open hardware, I'm excited to get the pocket version https://mntre.com/media/reform_md/2020-05-08-the-much-more-personal-computer.html
i.MX8
1099 EUR
:bugs-no: No, I don't think I will. :agony-shivering:
:yea: part of why I don't have one. They're about to support rpi cm4 with an adapter board though. And the pocket version is supposed to be cheaper.
He was such an insufferably smug prick the judge almost threw him out of the hearing too
:so-true: THE WHOLESOME PHARMACEUTICAL PATENT SOCIAL MURDERER EUGENICS IN AFRICA MAN!
Look, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said Bill Gates was doing great work helping people
I’d be kinda surprised if the EU doesn’t clamp down on this. Obviously the EU sucks but this is the exact type of anti-consumer stuff they tend to actually give a fuck about
State brokered product competition has always been a big thing for ordoliberals, I can't see this shit flying, especially in Germany
Yeah Germany is the big one, they don’t tolerate shit like this and honestly they’d probably start importing computers from Chinese manufacturers before they’d allow this
China is already abandoning Microsoft for all state infrastructure. Which is a massive market that will make sure there is plenty of hardware without this bullshit in it.
That’s exactly why I mentioned it! :some-controversy:
Netscape vibes. Exciting for Microsoft to be taking another tilt at that particular windmill.
lol I'm never buying this shit. it'll be like Cuban cars, just patching things up to keep them working
My understanding is that, funny enough, Google Pixels will probably always allow you to unlock the boot loader. Something about how Android developers need a phone they can do that on to properly develop apps, but idk I'm not a nerd.
In general the high end "flagship" devices have unlockable bootloaders, but the devices that the vast majority of people can afford do not. I expect to see a similar thing in laptops. If you can throw down 2-3,000 USD on a new XPS or Thinkpad X1C you'll likely get the privilege of an unlockable bootloader. For most of the non-US world that's a huge chunk of everyone (including developers) salaries.
When people discuss Framework laptops or whatever, this is what comes to mind. They're priced at a pretty inaccessible price point already and people tell me that Framework laptops being reliably sold at that price point is a success for upgradeability and right to fix laws because it shows there's demand for it, but it really isn't. What succeeded here was Framework establishing a "tinkerer" niche, one that grants you upgradeability and freedom to install whatever software you see fit without jumping through weird hoops at a premium. Cisco did this with WRT54G and WRT54G-L routers, the second had a steep price difference even though the hardware was essentially the same, just because it allowed you to flash in OpenWRT without using exploits. It's the same for enthusiast phones, most if not all of them allow you to flash in your own bootloader without exploiting, but most enthusiast phones are sold at flagship prices. It's just capitalism that's so incredibly good at spotting its own rot and commoditizing the solution.
I unlocked the bootloader on my cheapo Xiaomi phone but that's a feature that can be taken away quite easily because you need a Windows app that I haven't found an official source for, and it makes you wait a week.
It should be allowed to be unlocked by default. I use the official ROM because the unofficial camera apps aren't very good, but at least I got system-wide adblock and figured out how to get banking apps and Netflix to work.
I guarantee you this will be bypassable by some Chad siting on git hub right now maintaing a bunch of legacy shit for free.
They claim that this is for better security from malware or whatever which is clearly ridiculous considering they've had decades to improve Windows's security model by introducing some level of sandboxing, even just for the file system or something like that, but the closest they've gotten is UWP which was a flop, and now non-UWP non-sandboxed apps are in the Microsoft Store right next to the more secure ones, with no obvious distinction.
like how many people's computers have gotten malware, how many companies have been hacked, etc. and they haven't done a single real thing to address that other than promoting their anti-virus. Even though anti-virus software is the dumbest thing. All they have to do is provide a way to prevent Windows applications from accessing files that aren't part of the program. Allow regular .exe type applications to self-sandbox and have File Explorer show a little icon or something indicating it's a "secure app". But they won't do that. I think they probably like malware because they can get consulting fees or something like that from companies that are attacked.
nice, I just recently got a steam deck and have been having fun dicking around with it's Linux desktop environment, it's time to get Linux on my actual PC now I reckon
I keep looking at the Steam Deck, but the current prices in AU are eye-watering.
How is gaming on Linux now? Gaming is the only reason I'm still using Windows and there seems to be less and less justification for that every year.
ya, it's a bit title dependent how well things work, but a whole lot of stuff works just fine with minimal fuss (steam has an option to 'run with proton' built in to the UI for linux version)
if you have specific titles you play regularly, protonDB is worth a look to see how they run
I've been happy enough with the selection for a few years now
It works fine for me! There's a website I use, protondb.com with crowdsourced info about games and how they run on Linux, fixes on how to get them running, etc. It's been very handy!
