
Apple's new bootloader won't let you install GNU/Linux - pimeys
https://boingboing.net/2018/11/11/ring-minus-1.html
======
amaccuish
(Copying my comment from the last time this appeared)

This has been duped many times. And wrong. There is an option to entirely
disable secure boot.

See this for accurate info:
[https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/11/apple-t2-chip-cant-
boot-...](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/11/apple-t2-chip-cant-boot-linux)

Dupes:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18383250](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18383250)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18396925](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18396925)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18383512](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18383512)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18423560](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18423560)

~~~
ac29
This particular article doesn't claim the new Macs can't boot Linux, only that
you cannot boot Linux (or anything aside from macOS and Windows) with secure
boot on, because you can't load your own trusted keys. Pretty much all other
hardware in the price range allows you to load your own keys, and thus
securely boot anything you want.

~~~
amaccuish
> This particular article doesn't claim the new Macs can't boot Linux

Yes it does. And it references the also incorrect phoronix article as
evidence. It provides Chromebooks as an example with a hardware switch; the
new T2 has an equivalent software switch. But the article ignores this and
reads as if it's not possible to run Linux at all.

------
pocket
Pretty sure you can choose to disable the secure boot options… from only the
latest, to ones that were at one point trusted (old OSes), to no restrictions
- [https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208330](https://support.apple.com/en-
us/HT208330)

~~~
janoc
You can - but it also apparently disables storage access. So you can boot
Linux but not install it.

~~~
ChrisSD
Isn't that just a driver issue? Apple's T2 chip is a collection of customised
hardware, no?

------
bentona
I love the quality of apple hardware. I love knowing that the software was
built for the hardware (or vice-versa, whatever). I do not enjoy configuring
operating systems & desktop environments - I want to solve problems in the app
I'm developing, not my development environment.

I have been delaying upgrading my MBP and iPhone, however, because I'm scared.
I'm scared that the headphone-jack-removal, touchbar, locked-down-bootloader
philosophy will continue, and I'll have to buy a thinkpad. I want to keep
being an apple fanboy, but they're making it difficult.

------
asutekku
I mean the reason to buy Apple is the Software and hardware combination. Why
would you install Linux on a Mac when pretty much every other cheaper laptop
is more suitable for that?

~~~
tarboreus
I was issued a Mac Air by my employer. OSX feels like an operating system for
children. If this was in effect then, I would have just put the computer on
the shelf as the toy it is.

~~~
scarface74
OS X is real certified Unix. What can’t you do with OS X that you could do
with Linux?

~~~
moondev
off the top of my head:

* run containers natively

* customize / swap out the window manager/display manager

* run kvm virtual machines

* desktop fractional scaling

~~~
scarface74
What do you get from KVM virtual machines that you don’t get from the various
products available from the Mac - VMWare, Parallels, Virtual Box.

~~~
moondev
Run virtual machines in a more performant efficient manner.

Not needing to pay the licensing fees for vmware, parallells

Not needing to use a buggier hypervisor/manager such as virtualbox

Leverage qemu and all of it's benefits at full speed, such as emulating ARM
devices

~~~
scarface74
_Not needing to pay the licensing fees for vmware, parallells_

So you’re okay with paying at least $800 for the cheapest Mac that Apple
sells, but my development Mac would at least be $1100 - $2000, but you don’t
want to spend $79 on Parallel Fusion?

~~~
moondev
I do pay for vmware fusion, it's a great product. I'm simply stating
differences between kvm and other hypervisors as you requested.

There is also the integrated Hypervisor.framework that seems to be gaining
traction and I fully welcome that! But it's still not kvm:
[https://developer.apple.com/documentation/hypervisor](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/hypervisor)

------
the_duke
As if I needed more reasons to dislike Apple...

Let's hope there is enough community pushback to force Apple into making user
modifications to trusted keys possible.

~~~
village-idiot
You’ll need to find different reasons, this article is flat out wrong. You can
install Linux, you just need to disable secure boot.

Source: [https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/11/apple-t2-chip-cant-
boot-...](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/11/apple-t2-chip-cant-boot-linux)

