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On 18/10/2021 18:51, comrade meowski wrote: > On 18/10/2021 18:31, Michael Everitt wrote: >> On 18/10/2021 18:28, Paul Sutton via list wrote: >>> Hi All >>> >>> I had an e-mail from a potential new Linux / Free software user in Cornwall, she >>> hasn't started with it yet, but I did suggest starting off with LinuxMint as it >>> seems to 'just work'. Plus for new users it is pretty easy to use, has good >>> support (forum,irc etc) as well as a strong user base. >>> >>> I just wondered if anyone in that area would be able to provide some install help >>> please. I know the install guide is at >>> >>> https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ >>> >>> But I don't know much about this EFI/UEFI thing. So if that needs disabling or >>> whatever you do. I can't help with that. >>> >>> Once it is installed myself and others can try and provide some support remotely. >>> >>> If anyone can respond who is local to Fowey, I can put you in touch. >>> >>> Thanks >>> >>> Paul >> How far into Cornwall - we have the Plymouth LUG approaching ... >> >> EFI should be mostly covered by the Mint installation procedure, although, >> getting to >> boot a non-native install media could be tricky. Who's conversant with the latest >> Windoze tom-foolery?! >> >> Cheers, >> veremitz/Michael. >> >> > > > EFI has got nothing to do with Windows... it's just the modern replacement for > crappy old BIOS firmware and has actually been the standard on all new PCs for well > over a decade. The last thing anyone wants to do is turn it off and willingly go > back to prehistoric firmware literally from the last century... > > It gets confused a lot with Secure Boot which is part of the UEFI spec: that's the > bit which mandates the system boots from a signed installation image and nothing > more. You can be the person who signed that image if you set it up that way but > more normally and in the default state it will indeed trust a valid Microsoft > signature. All of this is optional and can be disabled but even that's not > necessary as most of the sensible Linux distros have had support for Support Boot > as well for ages. Mint for example has supported the default installer image > booting with Secure Boot on since 19.1 a couple of years ago so there won't be any > problems. Unless you're mixing in an Nvidia CPU as well in which case there will be > problems but that's because of complicated Linux kernel tainting issues and is > actually a Linux/Nvidia problem, not a Secure Boot problem. > > So in short, any newish system probably shipped with EFI on and Secure Boot enabled > by default. As long as you're not using Nvidia and are using a mainstream friendly > distro like Mint, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora etc everything will work just fine left > like that. Loads of distros eschew Secure Boot though, probably more than support > it: off the top of my head Gentoo, Arch, Devuan, Void and NixOS don't. > > The new users biggest problem will probably be backing up and preserving her stuff > from Windows if there's a pre-existing install. It's fine to re-partition the > laptop's sole disk to make room for the Linux system if she wants to keep Windows > around for dual booting but don't try and re-partition the disk if it's been > bitlockered: the Mint installer should refuse to even try but if it does there will > be tears. Bitlocker has been enabled by default for years on Windows so if > repartitioning is involved make sure whoever walks her through the install > checks... > Thanks for the clarification about secure-boot. And we have a new gotcha from the M$ farm.. thanks for the tips re: bitlocker .. Ugh. veremitz/Michael.
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