RE: [crosspost] Stand up for your freedom to install free software!

On 18/10/11 11:14, Aidan Gauland wrote:
> Sorry for the crosspost, but I think this is important enough to warrant it.
>
> "Free Software Foundation warns about the danger of computers becoming
> Windows-only, calls for signatures to defend the freedom to install free
> software "
>
> https://www.fsf.org/news/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot-in-windows-8
>
> If we do nothing, things could get very ugly for those of us using free
> and open-source software (FOSS), and, even worse, make it harder to get
> people using FLOSS.
>
> --Aidan

I'm not too concerned - so much so I probably won't even sign the partition.

 Of all my computer systems only one runs on desktop WinIntel hardware. I have Linux is in my TV, Linux on my router, Linux in my WD-Live Media Player, Linux is on my Amazon EC2 cloud server, I run uClinux on my FPGA dev board, and I'm eagerly awaiting the "Raspberry Pi" to start shipping so I can have an low-power all solid state web browser...

There is a coming flood of "cheap and cheerful" non-Windows non-Intel systems about to hit the market in such things as Android tablets and Smart TVs, and a lot of them are running FOSS based systems. End users are realising that Windows a is not the only answer, and corporate are starting to agree.

The manufactures of these new devices won't care, as long as the hardware sells - they aren't like the current first tier vendors where Microsoft has leverage over them by revising OEM licensing discounts if they don't comply.

The domination of Windows as the "OS for end devices" looks like it is coming to an end, quite possibly to be replaced with the "Linux in the appliance" age.

Mike

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