UEFI On Linux Is Like A Pathogen

[phoronix]

Phoronix: UEFI On Linux Is Like A Pathogen

Red Hat's Matthew Garrett talked this week again about the troubles in supporting UEFI under Linux...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTA4NDA

[dimko]

Work mate got lappy, had XP Vista on it or smth. He wasnt verry happy with it. He tried to install Linux, but failed... He tried to install many Windows OS's, it just failed.

Than I got that thing to look at it. Took me many hours to realise WTF is that. Took me even more hours to get ubuntu installed on that thing...(silent failures installing boot loader all over it, Grub 2 just fails... Had to downgrade to grub1, thanks god I am gentoo user for many eyars, and things like chrooting don't scare me) Geek pride was at stake. I got it working eventually, but I know to be affraid of UEFI like a fire now.

[blacknova]

The only linux distro I were able painlessly install on UEFI is Fedora 16. Ubuntu and Arch just plainly failed to install correct boot loader.
Win 7 64 installed flawlessly, which were pretty much surprising given that it have been out for 2 years already (at the date of installation).
Most Linux distros ignored possibility of UEFI install though.

[locovaca]

The only linux distro I were able painlessly install on UEFI is Fedora 16. Ubuntu and Arch just plainly failed to install correct boot loader.
Win 7 64 installed flawlessly, which were pretty much surprising given that it have been out for 2 years already (at the date of installation).
Most Linux distros ignored possibility of UEFI install though.

I run Ubuntu 11.04 server on an Asus E-350 with UEFI. Installed in Native UEFI mode, bootloader shows up in the UEFI config as a valid choice. No issues at all.

[Tgui]

The Ubuntu Mac builds for 12.04 were the only ones that would install on my motherboard with UEFI.

[del_diablo]

I just wonder how many UEFI devices there will be that just barely passes the standards.
That means:
-Powermanagment is done via Hacks, and ACPI or whatever the power managment standard will be called will be mostly lacking
-Support for C-states for certain CPU series? Dream on.
-UEFI will allow windows to restore itself via a hidden 1st partition on the drive, but it won't work with a proper bootloader(?)
-Devices onboard has shit UEFI drivers, resulting in severe problems on non-Windows platforms(windows drivers will be poor hacks that void that)

Currently and in the past, these problems exist on Laptops regarding BIOS and ACPI and drivers. Does UEFI require anything that actually will make the situation better, beyond reduced boot time and a superior firmware ecosystem on working devices?

[garegin]

once windows 8 hits the shelves I'm confident that almost everything will be smoothed out. although OEMs do not give a rat's ass about QA. Couple of days ago I serviced an acer that even after a bios update did not have a working pxe.

[r1348]

The only linux distro I were able painlessly install on UEFI is Fedora 16. Ubuntu and Arch just plainly failed to install correct boot loader.
Win 7 64 installed flawlessly, which were pretty much surprising given that it have been out for 2 years already (at the date of installation).
Most Linux distros ignored possibility of UEFI install though.

On the opposite, the only distro that would install on my brother's iMac (don't ask me which gen) is Ubuntu, while all the others manage to install, but fail to appear as a boot option after.

[plonoma]

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGSSSSSSSSSS!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A new plague is upon us!
(Why aren't there test suites and test walkthroughs for such important things?

[uid313]

2214 page specification?
what the fuck?

Less is more!
Stop the bloat!
Do one thing and do it well.
Firmware should be minimalistic.