Is this something we (as consumers of FreeBSD) need to be aware of?

[Nomen Nescio]

Alejandro Imass <ait at p2ee.org> wrote:

> On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 3:52 PM, Dave U. Random
> <anonymous at anonymitaet-im-inter.net> wrote:
> > Polytropon <freebsd at edvax.de> wrote:
> >
> >> On Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:47:11 +0100, Matthew Seaman wrote:
> >> > Having to pay Verisign instead of Microsoft makes no difference: the
> >> > point is why should I have to pay anything to a third party in order to
> >> > run whatever OS I want on a piece of hardware I own?
> >
> > It's time to dump the Intel/Microshaft mafia forever. FreeBSD, OpenBSD,
> > NetBSD, and even Linux have ports to many platforms. Why stay on Intel? It's
> > an overgrown ugly mess.
> >
> > We need to stop buying Intel mafiaware with preinstalled Microshaft mafiaware
> > and run a free (or in the case of Linux "apparently free") OS on free
> > hardware.
> >
> 
> But this is more to do with the BIOS than with Intel as such.

Intel and Microshaft conspired together and now they get to decide what BIOS
they sell you. They figured out a way to make it harder for non-Winblows OS
to be installed on most commodity shitboxes made after this goes into effect. 

> Wasn't there a FreeBIOS, later LinuxBIOS, now coreboot I believe..? 

I can tell from your question it was a smashing success. Everybody uses
it. Somebody's heard of it?

> So replacing the BIOS entirely wouldn't suffice to override all this
> nonsense?

Probably but very few people can flash their own BIOS. Hell, they can't even
install a copy of Windows bought off the shelf...What if the BIOS has
protection against reflashing? Otherwise it won't be secure...

Just because smart people can work around something doesn't make it right.

Say "NO" to the Intel and Microshaft mafia, say "NO" to "secure boot" that
isn't.