The Return of Trusted Computing

[gjamie]

Trusted computing was a plan a few years ago that would stop your PC from running "unauthorised" software. At the time this was mainly about media and came from the darker days of DRM.

The new proposal seems to be that you PC will only boot signed code. This is just an early engineering proposal about the BIOS but reports suggest that MS could make it compulsory to be turned on for Windows 8. Even if this could be turned off in the BIOS it would make to conversion to Linux (or BSD or even MikeOS) start with the "now go to your BIOS setup" step.

I heard about this from Ross Anderson who is something of a personal hero (his book on Security Engineering is brilliant and readable by anyone who reads Linux Format - don't get bogged down by the maths in the first chapter). See his blog entry below.
http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2011/09/20/trusted-computing-2-0/

He also links to http://mjg59.livejournal.com/138973.html which is pretty informative.

[nelz]

More info here.

[Nerdy-ish]

A good idea to push the free BIOS project more.

I have a Android mobile, because it's the most open, except that it's not, it's locked down. There's been newer versions of the OS fixing bugs and wide open security issues, but they are not being pushed out to older phones. So you're supposed to buy a new phone or dare to brick the phone installing a non-official release?

This is what the manufacturers want, it's their plan of locking you into shift more of their stuff.

I would HATE, no, I would never buy in the first place, a computer that is locked down where you can only do what some software or hardware manufacturer "allows" you to do (Windows is going that way - and Win8 previews looks more of the same removing control from users).

We already have the locking of hardware nonsense with the BluRay format, and look how it's not taken off - so much so stand alone players have had to massively drop in price just to shift some stock. It's not working. People want to cut, copy, paste the media they legitimately paid for.

Shove their "Trusted Computer" model somewhere where the sun don't shine, because I don't trust a corporation, never have, never will.

[Dafydd]

I just stumbled upon an article about blocking non-signed OSes from booting. I was going to come and post it here and even registered an account on the forums especially to do it, but looks like the readers of Linux Format are eagle-eyed and have come across it already!

I agree with Nerdy-ish that I'd never buy a locked computer. The problem is that every computer I've ever installed Linux on has had a Windows sticker on it. People who I've converted to Linux have (usually...) been grateful, but there's no chance that I'd have ever convinced them not to buy a Windows-stickered box in the first place just in case in a few months time they realise that their computer is going down the pan because of its awful OS.

[bobthebob1234]

There's been newer versions of the OS fixing bugs and wide open security issues, but they are not being pushed out to older phones. So you're supposed to buy a new phone or dare to brick the phone installing a non-official release?

The problem is with the manufactures, rather than android. If you get a phone from some manufactures they do stuff with android, and when updates come along they can't be bothered to update their 'version' of android so you are stuck. You can get phones with 'pure' android on that will just update 'over the air' whenever a new release of android is released