Windows 8 ARM tablet full **Linux

Windows 8 will be available in the second half of this year. Controversy about whether Windows 8 PCs can be installed and running Linux has been around for quite some time. Hardware vendors must enable Microsoft's newly introduced UEFI security boot function to obtain the Windows 8 Logo, but this feature will prevent There is no authentication and authorization of the operating system to start, which brings a lot of trouble for the installation of Linux on Windows 8 PC, of ​​course, according to Microsoft's argument, it is not impossible.

Hardware vendors can give Windows 8 users the option of disabling secure boot and running any operating system they want. However, this preferential policy seems to apply only to the Intel architecture, with the exception of ARM.

Microsoft today updated the Windows 8 hardware certification requirements for clients and servers. On page 116 of this document, Microsoft described: "On non-ARM systems, the Secure Boot service can be disabled via firmware settings. The user has the right to disable secure boot via firmware settings." However, "ARM system does not allow disabling secure boot".

"On ARM systems, it is not allowed to enable Custom Mode. Disabling Secure Boot is not possible on ARM systems." That is, on non-ARM systems (such as traditional PCs), disabling Secure Boot is Feasible, but the installation of GNU/Linux systems is not allowed on Windows 8 ARM devices.

Microsoft wants to block Linux on the Windows 8 ARM tablet? For this doubt, Microsoft has just given a response: “We cannot currently answer this question. At present, we have no more news to share with you.”