Who is controlling us? A philosophical discussion.

[mjp29]

We as Ubuntu users should take control of ourselves.

Read link below to a thread I started:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1309982

[schauerlich]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coreboot

[the8thstar]

If only there were .deb files for it...

[schauerlich]

If only there were .deb files for it...

Flashing your BIOS is a bit more involved than installing XChat.

[mjp29]

This is a philosophical question. But if you read my last post in the link below you will begin to think about this more in depth.

In a nutshell, if I choose to run ONLY Ubuntu on my computer, then there is no reason that users like me should not be allowed to over-write BIOS as we have no need for ms windows or anything else.

Read my last post in link below to understand where I'm coming from.



http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1309982

[peculiar penguin]

http://www.coreboot.org/

What/who is stopping you?

[overdrank]

Please do not create multiple threads on the same issue. Threads merged

[Tipped OuT]

This is a philosophical question. But if you read my last post in the link below you will begin to think about this more in depth.

In a nutshell, if I choose to run ONLY Ubuntu on my computer, then there is no reason...

You don't use Windows, so you want to wipe your BIOS?

Wait what?! Am I missing something???

[Simian Man]

If only there were .deb files for it...
LOL, this is why Linux will get virus's once it becomes popular. You're going to a new BIOS by double-clicking a .deb file??

[hoppipolla]

You don't use Windows, so you want to wipe your BIOS?

Wait what?! Am I missing something???

I think he may be getting BIOS confused with the MBR o.O

[Tipped OuT]

LOL, this is why Linux will get virus's once it becomes popular. You're going to a new BIOS by double-clicking a .deb file??

Yeah, what's wrong with that? No need to make things over complicated.

In Windows you use .exe's to update the BIOS. Scarey, I know.

[mjp29]

http://www.coreboot.org/

What/who is stopping you?

Cause I ain't smart nough to do it - LOL - but seriously, I'm not.

The only reason this thought crossed my mind is because the 4 computers I have Ubuntu on, one of them makes me press F1 at the beginning of the boot process because a certain company (cough cough, Dell) has programmed the BIOS in such a way (or the motherboard company did so for them). Another computer, (cough cough HP), when it starts the BIOS reports that it is not connected to some timer, yet it boots into Ubuntu and there is no problem with time, date, etc...

It just seems to me that there is no BIOS standard for Ubuntu. In fact, the BIOS hickups I see is more likely due to the fact that ms windows isn't running on either cpu, because when it was neither BIOS bug occurred upon boot.

[the8thstar]

LOL, this is why Linux will get virus's once it becomes popular. You're going to a new BIOS by double-clicking a .deb file??

I don't see why it shouldn't be a simple point and click solution. This way the program takes care of its own dependencies, not me.

Anyway, I take pride in saying that I am a Linux user. But that doesn't mean I wanna become a hacker.

[BuffaloX]

So maybe this BIOS has a bug, maybe it's just as simple as configuring boot sequence properly in the BIOS?

If any firmware has a bug, you go to the supplier, same with all hardware.
A BIOS bug has nothing to do with 80's and Apple style hardware/software tie in.

If Dell only offer BIOS upgrades in a format that require Windows, that sucks.

But how is this a philosophical debate?

edit:
Oh reread your post,
So the philosophical question is if we should have the right to overwrite the BIOS, and use the BIOS of choice.

OK that's been possible on every computer I've had for at least the last 10 years.
Except when you do that, you are messing with firmware, and if you do it wrong, you may end up with a brick, with absolutely no one to blame but yourself.