Every time you turn on your computer (PC), BIOS will be loaded into system memory, check the readiness of the hardware, then turn right into the operating system boot. This process took place over 30 years with every PC in the world. But it also comes on gradually in the past. The PC maker has been gradually replaced by UEFI BIOS. It seems UEFI boot process will help secure through Secure Boot feature. This feature only allows the PC to boot with a single operating system: Windows 8.
What is happening? UEFI is the only affordable way to Microsoft and its partners original equipment manufacturer (OEM) loyalty of the "giant" Hat Linux software and alternative operating systems out territory PC? To answer, let's find out what it means UEFI.
After decades, BIOS has now become obsolete. For example, the BIOS only 1,024 KB (Kilobyte) enforcement capacity. That means the BIOS is having trouble booting the most peripheral interfaces (USB, eSATA, Thunderbolt ...), the ports, and controllers on a newer PC. One frustrating thing is not possible BIOS boot devices to within 30 seconds after turning on the switch, your computer is ready for loading the operating system process.
The company knew the computer BIOS is outdated long before the 21st century began. However, until recently, they still can not put together out alternatives.
In 1998, Intel began to launch a new initiative - "Intel Boot Initiative" (IBI), then known as "extended firmware interface" - Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI). While EFI is used in Apple Macs running Intel processors, and HP with Itanium 2 processors in its servers to use, many other OEM manufacturers and of course the chip supplier Intel rival initially not interested in the application of EFI. By 2007, Intel along with AMD, AMI, Apple, Dell, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft, Phoenix Technologies and finally reached a consensus to use UEFI (EFI brand new) instead of BIOS.
But not only UEFI BIOS replacement.
UEFI is a minimalist operating system located above the hardware and firmware of the computer. Instead of being stored in firmware, such as BIOS, UEFI program stored in the / EFI / non-volatile memory (memory is guaranteed to not corrupt data when a power failure). So UEFI may contain NAND flash memory on the motherboard (mainboard) or also to the hard drive, or even a region even on shared network resources.
Even in the still small UEFI BIOS in order to help UEFI firmware boot sequence.
Advantage of UEFI
The advantage of UEFI systems is not only fast but also in the boot able to manage the storage device with large capacity. BIOS can not boot from the hard disk with larger capacity 2.2 TB (terabyte). This limit is due to new hardware from the Master Boot Record (MBR). In the BIOS MBR, maximum capacity for a drive by 2 ^ 32 x 512 (up to 2 ^ 32 sectors; size is 512 bytes per sector), which is equivalent to 2.2 TB. This is an addressing scheme for older hard drives. Thus, the computer can not boot with the hard drives larger than 2.2 TB. With 3 TB drives are becoming popular, OEM manufacturers have no choice but to move to UEFI on the high-end PC.UEFI using GUID partition table (Globally Unique ID), combined to provide alternative prey MBR and the partition address. Bring GUID booting from hard drive to larger size 9.4 ZB (zetabytes) - can be considered as infinite, set aside all worry about managing large hard drive with UEFI.
On the business perspective, BIOS has long been difficult for the repair and computer maintenance. Today, if the PC goes on strike can not boot, computer technicians will fix in place. BIOS too simple, does not support network connection should certainly be a lack of maintenance tools and remote troubleshooting. With UEFI, OEM manufacturers can be integrated networking capability and the basic engine repair. In terms of business, UEFI will provide better performance for the PC thanks to Quick Start and shorten the troubleshooting time with BIOS.
Where's ability to UEFI depends on chip supplier, OEM computer manufacturers, and each operating system version. Still, at least you can expect safety system boot, networking easier and faster access to all hardware components of the system. Can some vendors will develop versions of the operating system minimalist, to interact instantly via Web browser, for example, but not necessarily take the PC to boot an operating system load current.
Where problems?
If UEFI so great, why do you never heard of until recently when it emerged that the talk around Microsoft is trying to use the safety features of his boot to remove Linux from your computer ? Ironically, one of the reasons UEFI delayed for a long time is because Microsoft is not supported. Even now, 32-bit Windows does not support booting from a UEFI system. Lack of full support of Microsoft, the OEM manufacturer was not willing to move to UEFI.In addition, new UEFI is a skeleton. If an OEM manufacturer to fully support all hardware is a main board provides support and diagnostic tools, they have to create them. The cost for this is not low. The "big" Apple, HP, and IBM have made commitments, but the other vendors are still to wait.
A UEFI based systems do not require the designer it provides the diagnostic tools and controls in a GUI system, but some OEMs, such as Asus, are providing such types of functions.
Meanwhile, the Linux developers do not start having problems with safety. Indeed, the white paper: Making Secure UEFI Boot With Open Work Platforms (PDF), The Linux Foundation organization stated that, "Linux and other open operating system will be able to take advantage of safety boots if it is integrated with the hardware. "
It is important that Microsoft continues to dodge questions they will execute How Safe Boot. Microsoft does not exclude the possibility of a dual-boot support applies to Windows 8, including choosing safe boot and run any operating system compatible UEFI.
And if so, UEFI is not a panacea dose for rootkit problem and malicious software (malware) other low level.
Indeed, self UEFI is also for being a software and operating system so it is possible attack. The latest specification of the UEFI technology, version 2.3.1 (PDF), newly released in April, including some malware defense measures, such as device authentication has been registered and protected defense as the hash algorithm. However, while bringing UEFI boot faster, manage more storage capacity, better support, the threat of malware is still there.
UEFI boot help PC safety is great, but probably still only a dream!
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