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WiFi-only flavors of the Chromebook Pixel have only just started shipping, but if you're already itching to install Linux on one of them, you're in luck. Not only have kernel patches been submitted for the hardware, but Google's Bill Richardson has now laid out exactly how to load up the devices with Linux Mint. Richardson says that part of the Chrome OS BIOS is read-only, so changes to it are generally exclusive to new hardware. Pixel, for example, has been tuned to support user-provided custom bootloaders thanks to an unverified BIOS slot. Unfortunately, Mint doesn't support the laptop's touchscreen and trackpad because it leverages the stock kernel. Adventurous types looking to boot a Tux-powered OS on a Pixel can hit the neighboring source link for step-by-step instructions.
Via: Android Central
Source: Bill Richardson (Google+)
With Windows 8 Microsoft is pushing manufacturers away from a traditional BIOS to UEFI with Secure Boot. But that poses problems for alternative OSes like Linux, because UEFI requires any software have a signed certificate. The Linux Foundation has been looking for a solution and thinks that it may have one. The proposed work around is a little convoluted and surprisingly involves obtaining a Microsoft signature for a new barebones bootloader. This wouldn't actually boot Linux or any other OS actually. Instead, it would then start a second bootloader, the one associated with your OS of choice. It's a little messy, but it should mean that the signed bootloader will be a catch-all solution for any operating system. Of course, it could take a while for the Foundation to actually obtain a signature from Microsoft. So "Designed for Windows 8" systems might not be able to run Linux right away, but rest assured a solution is on the way.
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
Linux Foundation proposes convoluted solution for UEFI Secure Boot originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 03:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Microsoft has been going into very exacting detail as to how Windows 8 works, but one area it hasn't explored much is what happens before you even see the Start screen. As user experience manager Chris Clark notes, the days of mashing F8 repeatedly to reach a pre-boot configuration are (mostly) over: you can invoke it either through an "advanced startup" in settings, through Start menu shortcuts or, if your PC is truly sick, let it show automatically. At least on systems blessed with UEFI instead of an aging BIOS, you'll get a lot more to tinker with as well, including going straight to the command prompt, recovering from a system image or booting from external storage. The emphasis on choosing your environment before you hit the power button is virtually necessary. A Windows 8 PC with a solid-state drive leaves just a 200-millisecond slice of time for any user input, and Microsoft would rather not have users caught in an infinite loop of restarting their systems as they unsuccessfully try to boot from USB drives. You'll likely discover the pre-boot space first-hand when the OS ships later this year, but for now you can check the source for more.
Microsoft details Windows 8's pre-boot world, helps you skip the F8 F8 F8 routine originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 23:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading Google demos Coreboot on Chromebook prototype, hints at Ivy Bridge support (video)
Google demos Coreboot on Chromebook prototype, hints at Ivy Bridge support (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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