Microsoft said its update wouldn't install on Linux devices. It did anyway.
  • Leaflet@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
    551·
    3 months ago

    The TLDR is that Microsoft released a secure boot update that blocked insecure versions of GRUB. This update was only meant to go out to Windows users since releasing it to dual booted users could break GRUB. However, it was accidentally also released to dual-booted users.

    The fix involves disabling dual boot, running a command to reset secure boot, then re-enabling.

  • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
    53·
    3 months ago

    Windows is best run in a VM in Linux. Who knows what the hell it does when it’s running on bare metal. Do you trust Microsoft not to poke around in your Linux disks when you boot into Windows? I don’t.

    • Emotet@slrpnk.net
      112·
      3 months ago

      Windows, as any operating system, is best run in a context most useful to the user and appropriate for the user’s technical level.

      • Need to run Windows apps/games and aren’t afraid to tinker around if and when something doesn’t work as expected or your software simply isn’t supported? WINE/Proton.
      • Need to run mostly light Windows apps and don’t want to tinker around? VM.
      • Need to run Windows apps/games that don’t rely on Kernel-Level Anti-Cheat, want direct hardware access and aren’t afraid to tinker around, especially if you only have one GPU, and when something doesn’t work as expected? KVM
      • Need to run any Windows app/game without things constantly breaking or the need to tinker around and staying on top of things? Dual-Boot from different disks, utilize LUKS/FDE and be done with it.
      • evranch@lemmy.ca
        7·
        3 months ago

        You’re missing one:

        • dedicated, air-gapped Windows box used for legacy industrial software

        Aside from “lightweight apps in VM” this is the only solution I use now. (Unless you count Proton, but having Steam games Just Work barely feels like a “solution” as it requires zero effort on my part)

        I don’t even trust Windows to dual boot off a separate disk without trying to break something anymore.

        • Cort@lemmy.world
          2·
          3 months ago

          What about running a Linux to go removable disk and just pull it when you need to boot windows?

          • evranch@lemmy.ca
            2·
            3 months ago

            This would work but assumes the primary use of the machine is Windows and derates your performance under Linux significantly due to USB speeds. Even if you’re storing your data on the Windows HDD, NTFS drivers are dog slow compared to EXT4 and other *nix filesystems.

            Also some BIOSes are a pain to get to boot off removable drives reliably so it really depends on what your machine is.

            I’ve used Linux as a primary dev system for well over a decade now, and with the current state of Windows I’d really recommend just taking the leap, keep your Windows box if you need Windows software and build a dedicated Linux workstation.

            • ReveredOxygen@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
              2·
              3 months ago

              You can keep only grub on the USB so windows can’t touch it. Avoids all those issues since the main install remains on the SSD.

              Personally I just boot windows from usb. Rufus has the ability to install it there

              • evranch@lemmy.ca
                2·
                3 months ago

                This is a pretty good idea, my wife dual boots and I’ll suggest it to her as Windows keeps trashing the EFI partition.

    • tibi@lemmy.world
      4·
      3 months ago

      I actually tried it before for my TV PC that I wanted to also use as a miniserver, with gpu pass through and everything. It was painful to get it working properly, was like 30-40% slower. I also had constant problems with USB peripherals not connecting properly, or going in a sleep state and not waking. Many games didn’t work properly.

      Then I decided to just buy a cheap second second hand PC and never looked back.

    • witx@lemmy.sdf.org
      3·
      3 months ago

      Well I have my Linux partition encrypted with a unique password. But I don’t dual boot anyway …

    • circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org
      5·
      3 months ago

      Same. It can’t even work correctly when I try and put it into a specific box.

      The ultimate issue is a distaste for giving any corporation any control over hardware that I, alone, own.

    • AndrewZabar@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      3 months ago

      I have been entirely M$ free for a while now with the exception of one machine which basically acts as a server at this point just hosting hard drives, a thermal label printer and the network scanning applet that my mfp talks to. Every machine I actually use is Linux and I’ve never been happier with the performance of my tech.

  • Daemon Silverstein@thelemmy.club
    27·
    3 months ago

    Simultaneously, Microsoft has been expanding their efforts so to require Windows users to upgrade to Windows 11, even those who own old machines that don’t have TPM 2.0, while those machines are prohibited to really upgrade to Windows 11, meaning that their owners would need to buy another PC/laptop. Several Windows users were using a cheat to install Windows 11 without TPM 2.0, but Microsoft has been patching it, so it’s going to be a no more. Users of Windows 10 will have two options: buy another PC or migrate to Linux. I’d bet Microsoft already knows the latter possibility. Several distros generally come with the option “dual-boot installation” as default, so there are many novel Linux users, migrating from Windows, that chose to keep Windows together with Linux (so to not lose files and configs they made on Windows). What if something broke Linux and these users that are trying to escape Windows are now forced to use Windows?

  • Eager Eagle@lemmy.worldEnglish
    261·
    3 months ago

    Secure boot borking systems? Windows assuming it’s the only OS on the machine? I’m shocked

    • Leaflet@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      56·
      3 months ago

      Windows assuming it’s the only OS on the machine

      That’s not the case. The update was only meant to go out to Windows users. But Microsoft messed up and accidentally released to all users, or at least some who weren’t supposed to receive it. My guess is that Microsoft usually doesn’t update secure boot stuff for dual boot users and instead waits for the distro to push the update.

  • gramgan@lemmy.ml
    11·
    3 months ago

    Newbie question: does this affect people using systemd-boot? Does anyone use systemd-boot?

  • SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world
    11·
    3 months ago

    I was planning to boot into Windows on one of my craptops in order to test a fix from a chip vendor whose configuration software only runs on Windows, but I guess I’ll just … not.