Basically, in order to get Linux installed on this particular Samsung laptop, you have to burn a usbkey with the distro of your choice, insert it into a non-usb3 port, reboot, enter bios, change 2 settings, reboot, enter bios, change 1 setting, reboot, enter bios, change 1 setting, reboot, install Linux. Pedantically speaking, I guess I agree with you that modifying the BIOS to be able to boot from USB in step#8, and modifying the BIOS so as to disable SecureBoot in step#2, are different subtasks -- within the overall task of trying to install Linux. So it is incorrect of me to pin the blame on SecureBoot *alone* as it is only one of the many BIOS-related hassles here.
In a larger sense, though, it seems flat wrong to say that the trouble was 'nothing' to do with SecureBoot, and furthermore that 'everybody' else in the world had 'no' difficulty whatsoever. Umm... perhaps we're not even talking about the same "discussion" here at all? I'm specifically referring to the amazon 41-strong review thread, and the sub-thread thereof which is the 37 replies to the review by Tony. (To be clear, this is the *only* discussion I've looked at, pertaining to this particular laptop -- I did not google the model and vendor to see what other folks had to say about the ability to install Linux and/or boot from USB. Just the amazon stuff, is all I ever looked at.)
While it's a long thread... [snip quotes and head-counts -- ask for them if you care]. Guessing aside, and amazon reviewers aside -- when you read these instructions, translated from the Russian, and then further patched up later on, does it *really* sound like something Aunt Tillie(tm) could handle by herself:
1. When you turn on the laptop and press F2 to enter setup BIOS. 2. In BIOS'e, tab Boot, change the value of Secure Boot for Disabled (and the system will issue a warning, click OK). 3. Will be extended OS Mode Selection, select "UEFI and Legacy" OS (and the system will issue a warning, click OK). 4. Press F10 in the dialog box, select Yes (the laptop will reboot.) 5. Press F2 and enter in the BIOS. 6. In BIOS'e, tab Boot, select Boot Device Priority and F5/F6 keys to set the required boot device to the top of the list. Update: You should see your USB stick listed and you can put it to the top of the boot order (my defaulted to be the 1st device anyway). Update: make sure your USB stick is NOT in one of the blue USB 3 ports. It will NOT work if it's in a USB3 port. 7. Press F10 in the dialog box to select Yes (the laptop will reboot.) 8. In BIOS'e laptop, tab Advanced, disable Fast Bios Mode, save the settings (F10-> Yes), exit the BIOS and then will be available to download from USB. To boot from the CD, paragraph 8, you can not perform.
Not mentioned in the instructions -- burn your bootable usbkey and insert it into the non-usb3 port at the appropriate point! More importantly, to my mind, no mention of how to re-configure SecureBoot with your own pubkeys (or your distro's pubkeys). Just straight from win8 into InsecureBoot, which gives Linux a bad name.
Re: SecureBoot setting, versus SecureBoot philosophy
In a larger sense, though, it seems flat wrong to say that the trouble was 'nothing' to do with SecureBoot, and furthermore that 'everybody' else in the world had 'no' difficulty whatsoever. Umm... perhaps we're not even talking about the same "discussion" here at all? I'm specifically referring to the amazon 41-strong review thread, and the sub-thread thereof which is the 37 replies to the review by Tony. (To be clear, this is the *only* discussion I've looked at, pertaining to this particular laptop -- I did not google the model and vendor to see what other folks had to say about the ability to install Linux and/or boot from USB. Just the amazon stuff, is all I ever looked at.)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B009SJCX68/ref=cm_cr_pr_btm_link_next_5?ie=UTF8&pageNumber=5&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
While it's a long thread... [snip quotes and head-counts -- ask for them if you care]. Guessing aside, and amazon reviewers aside -- when you read these instructions, translated from the Russian, and then further patched up later on, does it *really* sound like something Aunt Tillie(tm) could handle by herself:
1. When you turn on the laptop and press F2 to enter setup BIOS.
2. In BIOS'e, tab Boot, change the value of Secure Boot for Disabled (and the system will issue a warning, click OK).
3. Will be extended OS Mode Selection, select "UEFI and Legacy" OS (and the system will issue a warning, click OK).
4. Press F10 in the dialog box, select Yes (the laptop will reboot.)
5. Press F2 and enter in the BIOS.
6. In BIOS'e, tab Boot, select Boot Device Priority and F5/F6 keys to set the required boot device to the top of the list. Update: You should see your USB stick listed and you can put it to the top of the boot order (my defaulted to be the 1st device anyway). Update: make sure your USB stick is NOT in one of the blue USB 3 ports. It will NOT work if it's in a USB3 port.
7. Press F10 in the dialog box to select Yes (the laptop will reboot.)
8. In BIOS'e laptop, tab Advanced, disable Fast Bios Mode, save the settings (F10-> Yes), exit the BIOS and then will be available to download from USB. To boot from the CD, paragraph 8, you can not perform.
Not mentioned in the instructions -- burn your bootable usbkey and insert it into the non-usb3 port at the appropriate point! More importantly, to my mind, no mention of how to re-configure SecureBoot with your own pubkeys (or your distro's pubkeys). Just straight from win8 into InsecureBoot, which gives Linux a bad name.