Comment by semolino
4 days ago
Whether it's essential or not is up to the user, who should be able to load whatever operating system they want (enabling them to bypass the restriction) on their bootloader-unlockable device.
4 days ago
Whether it's essential or not is up to the user, who should be able to load whatever operating system they want (enabling them to bypass the restriction) on their bootloader-unlockable device.
Why should the bootloader come locked? That's restricting freedom isn't it by preventing those without a few minutes to unlock it from having true freedom.
I'm not sure how an unlockable bootloader that comes locked and a signed and verified software only that can be unlocked is actually fundamentally different.
> That's restricting freedom isn't it by preventing those without a few minutes to unlock it from having true freedom.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_liberty
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_liberty
Both are "true", to different people. Europeans tend to think our positive freedom to go bankrupt from medical bills is a bad one, for example.
Your freedom to unlock the bootloader and the general public's freedom from having to get a masters degree in cybersecurity to survive modern society are butting heads with each other.
Well, sure: a pre-unlocked bootloader and an offline-unlockable one are not fundamentally different in terms of freedom.
When the user decision to unlock (or "side"-load, for that matter) is required to be authorized by the vendor, though, is when I feel like I no longer have control over my own hardware.
I'm much more worried about the essential liberty of purchasing high explosives. Of all the hills to die on, why locked bootloaders?