ASUS LINUX+Free BIOS support

[Zygomorphic]

Hello all ROG users and @asus people!

In light of Microsoft's actions towards the "Secure Boot" technology integrated
into the UEFI of Windows 8 certified computers, the LINUX community is working
on trying to find methods of creating signed open-source boot-loaders.
Considering that it was ASUS who started off the netbook craze (remember that
lol :p) with LINUX as the operating system, might it not be time to consider
supporting officially a LINUX distro on at least a few different computer lines?
There are companies presently selling systems with LINUX pre-installed and
supported, but the computers are universally underpowered and/or low quality.
ASUS makes quality hardware as we know, and so I would like to see quality
LINUX-based computers in the future.

Even more, the Free Software Foundation is advocating for a "Free BIOS" and I
think that this might be a potential market for ASUS to consider. Offer a
high-quality laptop that can run with a GPL'd BIOS, and then officially sanction
a completely LINUX distro on it. You might be able to gain some recommendations
with the Free Software Foundation/Community over this, which would be awesome!
There would then be a real quality alternative to Microsoft Windows-based PCs.

While I am well aware that the potential market for this is small, it might be
enough to be profitable if ASUS manages to jump the gun and take over that
market entirely, before any of the potentially major contenders enter this
market. I am a strong LINUX fan, so I would like to see LINUX become mainstream
on the desktop, and if quality hardware vendors push, it could happen.

I am positive that Microsoft would not certify any computer that allowed the
user to have access to the BIOS source code, since that would allow people to
install alternative operating systems. While we can presently disable the
"Secure Boot" by configuring the settings in the BIOS, we should all remember
that initially Microsoft was going to prevent any platform from being
able to install LINUX, and only backed down after several LINUX vendors
threatened a lawsuit. Their certified ARM systems still cannot install
alternative operating systems, even after Microsoft reversed the decision on the
x86 platform.

As a result of the limited market, I would recommend potentially creating
systems that have the ability to run with either the Microsoft-signed "Secure
Boot" and are sold with Windows, and then versions with the GPL'd "Free BIOS"
running a completely free LINUX distro. The FSF recommends the Trisquel (Ubuntu
derivative) distro for new users, which is something that ASUS should take into
consideration.

Thanks, and just as a note, I am not a member of the FSF, nor affiliated with
them in any way. Just a LINUX user worried about the tactics that Microsoft is
using to force other operating systems out of the market.

[DaemonCantor]

Very good thoughts there Zygo! I fully support this Idea and I had stated the same thing 10 Years ago but nobody listened then and I do hope they do now that the Deification has hit the Rotary Oscillator! I for one would love it if Microsoft had a Real Competitor! it just might make them start to give the People what they want instead of what MS thinks they should have!

[Zygomorphic]

DaemonCantor wrote:
Very good thoughts there Zygo! I fully support this Idea and I had stated the same thing 10 Years ago but nobody listened then and I do hope they do now that the Deification has hit the Rotary Oscillator! I for one would love it if Microsoft had a Real Competitor! it just might make them start to give the People what they want instead of what MS thinks they should have!

Amen! I would love to see LINUX support! We will just have to wait and see what the @ASUS guys think about this, considering that it is they who will have to end up lobbying for it internally at ASUS. However, if we get enough people to voice their support, it may be a sporting possibility that it will one day appear. 🙂

[Myk_SilentShado]

Linux on RoG? I wholeheartedly accept that!! 😄

I first heard about Linux back in '98 and got pretty excited about it...I mean who couldn't get excited about a completely customizable OS? My Family on the other hand, didn't like it, because I had win 98 dual booted with a Red Hat Distro...they were not happy about being presented with 2 choices on what to load up(boo hoo I say :p) But, I remember back then the Kings of Linux back then, were Red Hat, Mandrake, Debian and a couple others. I tried out Red Hat(obviously) and Mandrake...my personal preference was Red Hat.

I bought several pocket books that came with Distros of Linux and I learnt as much as I could (you can only learn so much on dialup before the slow azz speeds piss ya off lol :p)...but, sadly, it's been so damn long since I played around with Linux, I actually do miss it...and from what I hear....there are more different Distro's than you can poke a stick at lol 😛


ASUS bring on Linux!!!! make some of us nerds happy 😛

[Zygomorphic]

Myk SilentShadow wrote:
Linux on RoG? I wholeheartedly accept that!! 😄

I first heard about Linux back in '98 and got pretty excited about it...I mean who couldn't get excited about a completely customizable OS? My Family on the other hand, didn't like it, because I had win 98 dual booted with a Red Hat Distro...they were not happy about being presented with 2 choices on what to load up(boo hoo I say :p) But, I remember back then the Kings of Linux back then, were Red Hat, Mandrake, Debian and a couple others. I tried out Red Hat(obviously) and Mandrake...my personal preference was Red Hat.

I bought several pocket books that came with Distros of Linux and I learnt as much as I could (you can only learn so much on dialup before the slow azz speeds piss ya off lol :p)...but, sadly, it's been so damn long since I played around with Linux, I actually do miss it...and from what I hear....there are more different Distro's than you can poke a stick at lol 😛


ASUS bring on Linux!!!! make some of us nerds happy 😛

There are a gazillion now, but of big-name distros there are only a few. Red Hat is still around (CentOS, Fedora), as is Debian (of course, lol :p), but now there are others, so there are more options to choose from. That is the greatest feature about the LINUX world, user choice. You can have what you like. I use OpenSUSE and really like it, and I plan to try out Debian at some point, just haven't gotten around to downloading the necessary files. Will do that in the next week or so.

[sectionate]

I ran slackware 3.4 like 20 years ago during the fun filled effnet script days - .teardrop . It will be cool to get support for *.nix

[Zygomorphic]

sectionate wrote:
I ran slackware 3.4 like 20 years ago during the fun filled effnet script days - .teardrop . It will be cool to get support for *.nix

Well then, install LINUX and start writing drivers! :cool: 😄 I would love to see ASUS support LINUX, it would be awesome for an alternative to MS.

Here is another thread:
http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?10749-Linux-drivers-and-atk-for-linux

[Gorman]

Well when you think about it the only distro that could really be taken would have to be Ubuntu, right?
With Steam for Linux being pushed by Valve, it could work...

[Zygomorphic]

Gorman wrote:
Well when you think about it the only distro that could really be taken would have to be Ubuntu, right?
With Steam for Linux being pushed by Valve, it could work...

I think there are other distros, principally OpenSUSE and/or another Debian derivative. Fedora's security is too high, and Ubuntu has the phone-home policy (and is often buggy now). Formerly, I would have agreed with you, but now...

[Myk_SilentShado]

Zygomorphic wrote:
I think there are other distros, principally OpenSUSE and/or another Debian derivative. Fedora's security is too high, and Ubuntu has the phone-home policy (and is often buggy now). Formerly, I would have agreed with you, but now...

:eek: isn't security supposed to be a good thing?