*countable infinities only

[Chris Smart]

On 01/06/12 02:22, Peter Jones wrote:
> 
> Next year if we don't implement some form of Secure Boot support, the
> majority
> of Fedora users will not be able to install Fedora on new machines.

Is that actually true though?

If Fedora does not implement some form of Secure Boot support, 100% of
Fedora users will still be able to install Fedora on new machines, after
they disable Secure Boot, if their computer even has it at all (and
personally, I think the majority of Fedora users will simply buy
hardware which does not have Secure Boot). I know I would.

Sure, maybe you can't install Fedora _as easily_ but it's certainly not
an "inability to install Fedora, full stop."

Now, if there was an inability to disable Secure Boot or manage keys
then that would be a different kettle of fish (and in my mind a
different argument).

This issue seems to be simply about ease of installation out of the box
(unless I'm missing something). Currently though, installation out of
the box isn't completely straight forward anyway. Users have to download
an ISO image, verify it, burn a CD/DVD or create a USB stick, set the
boot order and partition their machine in order to install Fedora. Not
to mention getting their MP3s to work.

Will requiring users to turn off secure boot really by such a big deal I
wonder?

Bottom line - I'm not convinced that we actually need to support Secure
Boot.

That aside, as to the argument about loss of freedom if Fedora does
support Secure Boot, this interests me given that I'm involved in
creating a Fedora remix.

To me, it's something like this:
If Fedora does _not_ support Secure Boot, then neither Fedora nor
remixes boot on computers with Secure Boot enabled (that's obvious).

If Fedora _does_ support Secure Boot however, then remixes still can't
boot on computers with Secure Boot enabled (loosely speaking).

So actually, there's not really any freedom lost downstream is there?
You couldn't run on Secure Boot machines anyway, whether Fedora
supported Secure Boot or not. The only advantage is that Fedora can (and
you could too, if you get a key).

-c