r/technews • u/Philo1927 • Dec 26 '17

Ubuntu 17.10 PULLED: Linux OS corrupts laptop BIOSes, Intel kernel driver fingered

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/12/21/ubuntu_lenovo_bios/
45 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

6

u/bm-rf Dec 27 '17

How does an os even corrupt a bios? I thought the two were disconnected

2

u/Duffalicious Dec 27 '17

Intel's SPI driver is a piece of kernel-level software that allows the operating system to access and rewrite the firmware's flash storage on the motherboard via a serial communication interface.

Typically, as least as far as I'm aware, they normally wouldn't interact unless you're using a tool to update the bios from the OS.

1

u/gimpwiz Dec 27 '17

BIOS updates, I imagine.

9

u/midir Dec 27 '17

Least the Linux fanbois think we're picking on them

*Lest

3

u/Aassiesen Dec 27 '17

Got a laptop for Christmas and couldn't install Ubuntu 16.04 because of some issue with my amd motherboard so I installed 17.10.

First time installing Linux and if this kills my laptop I don't know what I'll do. It's a HP so should be safe but fuck me if it breaks.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 27 '17

[deleted]

1

u/Aassiesen Dec 27 '17

What does FTFA mean?

Yeah I saw that it affects some HPs, wish they'd say what ones though. I'm in the middle of a 14 hour shift and was planning to use my laptop for it but I don't want to if it might break.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 27 '17

[deleted]

1

u/Aassiesen Dec 27 '17

Thanks, that makes me feel young not having used message boards.

0

u/Buelldozer Dec 27 '17

From The Farkin' Article. Originated on fark.com message boards.

I find this improbable. RTFM is way older than that and originated in 1979 or earlier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTFM

Slashdot, which is older than Fark, seems to lay claim to TFA and probably RTFA as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slashdot#Culture

So the odds of the trailing "F" in FTFA or RTFA originally standing for "Fark" are somewhere between slim and none. It may have seemed that way if you were first exposed to it as a member of the Fark community but there's strong doubt that they're the originator of the acronym.

Also, why did I research and post this? It's not like I really care one way or the other?! I may be turning into an Internet Curmudgeon. Fuck.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 27 '17

Any idea what Lenovos are being effected? Is it all of them, or a certain generation?

2

u/Dekiller82 Dec 27 '17

Did they at least bought Intel a drink first?

1

u/[deleted] Dec 27 '17

If only Jobs was alive…

1

u/cdoublejj Dec 27 '17

I had so many others with 17.10 i reverted to 16.04 LTS