Eric Schultz3d ago

RE: https://social.treehouse.systems/@wwahammy/116264430375745593

I want everyone who says "this is the law, distros need to comply" I want you to explain a plausible set of circumstances to lead to the following:

* That the AG of California will sue a random Linux distro which has effectively no money
* Prove who the OS distributor actually is (is it the committers? Committers of what part? Their bank account with $12 in it?)
* Prove by preponderance of the evidence how many children used the OS in order to set the fines
* get a judge and jury to think this isn't a massive waste of their time
* That it isn't just a violation of the law but is a "negligent" or "intentional" violation
* all the while, the OS maker and everyone else having effectively zero knowledge of who uses it since there's no continuing relationship with users.

How does all of this happen?

Show threadIvan Sagalaev 
@wwahammy none of this is going to happen, not likely. Currently main Linux distros are graciously allowed to boot by Microsoft letting them use Microsoft-signed binary for the Secure Boot process. California AG could just facilitate uhm "cease of continuation" of this practice.
Mar 21 at 5:05amWeb
Show threadEric Schultz3d ago
@isagalaev why would the California AG do that? Seems like a waste of resources.
Show threadIvan Sagalaev 3d ago
@wwahammy can't say. What I mean there's a simple technical way to coerce distros rather than a complicated legal one.
Show threadEric Schultz3d ago
@isagalaev it's not a non-zero risk and there's of course lots of issues with Microsoft controlling the SecureBoot crap. I don't think it's a major risk but really who knows?
Show threadfcalva3d ago
@isagalaev @wwahammy Every PC out there has the option to disable secure boot, and BIOSs are very rarely updated. And even if California/the US or whoever passed a law to mandate always on secure boot, why would the mostly chinese and taiwainese motherboard manufacturers oblige ?
Ofc we need to fight back against all of this shit, but the PC should remain "free" for a while longer.