Re: Laptops, UEFI, Secure Boot and Debian

[Deb <debianuser@gmx.com>]

On 05/28/2015 01:41 AM, Patrick Bartek wrote:
> On Wed, 27 May 2015, Deb wrote:
>
> > On 27/05/15 05:21 PM, deloptes wrote:
> > > Patrick Bartek wrote:
> > >
> > > > Researching a laptop purchase (within the next 6 months or so) to
> > > > replace my aging Desktop (1 to 8.5 years depending on which
> > > > parts).  Going to abandoned the Big Box forever.  Need to be very
> > > > portable in the next year or two. Two questions to begin:
> > > >
> > > > 1. Many laptops seem to only be able to turn off Secure Boot
> > > > through the OS, Windows 8.x, or so I've researched.  However, I've
> > > > read some makes (Asus, Lenovo, Dell and HP) can do it directly
> > > > through "BIOS" without needing to boot Windows?  True?  Any others?
> > > I recently replaced my old notebook Dell D520 for Dell E5440 ( 8GB
> > > RAM Intel i5 cpu).
> > > Everything is working great. Later models like E7*** use the
> > > DisplayLink technology for docking station and do not work with
> > > Linux at all.
> > >
> > > Secure Boot and all other options can be (de)activated/configured
> > > in the BIOS GUI.
> > >
> > > > 2. How UEFI compatible is Debian Wheezy?  What I'm running on the
> > > > Desktop. Or is Jessie the better choice.  Or something else
> > > > entirely?  Except Ubuntu variants (Hate it!).  I don't want to run
> > > > in Legacy mode for future compatibility.  I won't be installing a
> > > > desktop, just a window manager. Probably Openbox.
> > > I did not test UEFI, but should be supported and working.
> > >
> > > Other option I considered was HP ... I was looking for <1000€
> > > replacement/solution, but somehow I liked Dell over HP.
> > >
> > > regards
> > I just want to add that my Jessie 8.0 is fully UEFI-compatible and
> > boots UEFI with zero issues. So did the netinstaller. But I don't
> > remember whether I've ever seen Wheezy installed for UEFI boot.
> Figured Jessie was, just NOT Secure Boot compatible.  Have read
> some more and Wheezy can do UEFI, too, if you use Expert mode in the
> installer and set up the HD with a GPT.
>
> B
No, the "secure boot disabled" warning was a persistent aspect of Wheezy 
boots, and Jessie doesn't give that error message.