this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2024
72 points (96.2% liked)

Linux

48180 readers
1334 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
72
Where does the computer branding in KDE settings come from? (sopuli.xyz)
submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
23 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

The settings on KDE show this info about my computer after buying a used motherboard. Apparently it came from a prebuilt, though it is a standard ASUS board. Where does this branding come from and is it possible to remove it?

The branding also shows in inxi:

Machine: Type: Desktop System: PC Specialist product: Tornado R7S v: N/A serial: <superuser required> Mobo: ASUSTeK model: PRIME B450-PLUS v: Rev X.0x serial: <superuser required> part-nu: 1744753 UEFI: American Megatrends v: 4402 date: 12/13/2023

all 24 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)

From the system's DMI. You can check it yourself with dmidecode. Those values are largely unchangeable, and those that are, will probably require a tool from the vendor to change, which are usually for internal use only within their company.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

woaw that's pretty cool huh

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

You might be able to flash the retail BIOS to remove the OEM stuff, but often if it's running a specific OEM BIOS it'll block you from flashing a retail version.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Did you buy your motherboard used? I wonder if it came out of that system and the builder was somehow able to change the DMI information

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I did buy it used yes. That's interesting, I wonder if I can change that or did they order the boards from ASUS with their branding

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (2 children)

This is part of the motherboard and can only be changed with specific tools from the manufacturer. Back in the days there was AMIDEDOS as a dos tool to change it in AMI Bios. You would need to find out, what tool can be used to change it in your UEFI. However, it's possible that those tools are not available to the public.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

I thought TianoCore EDK 2 was open source? If your UEFI is EDK 2 its code should be wide open and availablem

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

@[email protected] I've found this (scroll down to #5 if it won't scroll automatically). It shows some tools that can be used to change DMI information for different Manufacturers.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Hmm I might try one from there, although it requires Windows. I'll see if it works on Hiren's boot cd.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

For WinPE, I like Sergey Strelec's build more than Hiren's: https://m.majorgeeks.com/files/details/sergei_strelecs_winpe.html

[–] [email protected] 48 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It can't be removed. That info comes straight from the hardware itself (UEFI and individual devices).

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago

I mean you could always hack the firmware...

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Look at kinfo or kinfocenter

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

kinfo doesn't show it but it does show in kinfocenter. It shows up in dmidecode -t 1 also.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Are just adding a 'k' to regular words like they with 'quantum' in Ant-Man: Quantumania?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Yes, it's kool

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

KDE was originally called "Kool Desktop Environment" until they renamed it, first to "K Desktop Environment" then to just "KDE".

It was the first Linux desktop environment that tried to make all its apps look consistent. Before KDE, Linux UI apps were very inconsistent, each one using whatever UI toolkit it wanted. They likely named all of them with a K to make the naming somewhat consistent too.

Gtk was released two years later, originally only used in GIMP (Gtk originally stood for for "GIMP ToolKit") and it took a while for other desktop environments to have a consistent look and feel like KDE did.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Gtk originally stood for for "GIMP ToolKit"

The "GNUs Not Unix Image Manipulation ToolKit" becomes Gtk (fucking autocorrect)

Naming shit on Linux is so fun

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

You forgot program. The P in GIMP

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

I mean it is useful. And they dont use "Kelvin" or something

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

kinfocenter is an application in Plasma where you can see all kinds of information about your system. So no, they are not just adding k to random words like quantum in Ant-man. :)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

So they didn't just add a k to infocenter? ;)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

The poster did not, no. Plasma had a habit, back in the day, of doing that, but not for a while now.