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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Secure Boot on or off with Mint? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 day ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

29 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've seen people advocating for both options, but since I'm still new to Linux I'm not sure what to do. I'm currently installing Mint on my laptop to try it out, and I'm not sure if I should enable secure boot or not.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

No idea where you got this understanding from, but it's not accurate. In your example, if a distro has signed binaries, then it will work to verify code loaded during the boot process to help to verify system integrity. As OP asked about Mint, yes it technically does have signed pre boot and boot signed modules.

No, this will not prevent all code/processes that aren't signed from running. That's a ludicrous statement. It will prevent unsigned kernel modules from being loaded (see Nvidia's MOK process), and it will prevent a disk from being hit with sideload attacks perhaps (it should be encrypted anyway), but it absolutely does not prevent a user from running unsigned code, or even using root privs to run harmful code (like running random scripts from GitHub).

So at the end of the day does it help a standard user with security? I would argue no. As I said elsewhere, if this question were about HOW to improve security with SB, I'd have a different answer, but that's not the question OP asked.