Fedora 17 and Windows 8

A few months ago, I decided to put Fedora 17 on my computer.

Unfortunately, it wanted the disk to be GPT partitioned (I don't know why, so don't ask). With Fedora 16, when I had tried to have GPT partitions with that, it failed and would not boot. In retrospect, I think it may have been because I didn't have a partition for the EFI stuff.




Anyway, I thought that my computer was not able to use GPT disks, so I was always preventing the installation process from making them.

So I installed F17 with a GPT partitioned hard disk, and it worked (to my surprise). Later I decided to install Windows 8 (Consumer Preview or whatever it is).

Now my computer automatically boots to Windows 8 (and I can't change it back to Fedora without some fiddling).

You see, my computer is semi-UEFI capable, but does not really make it easy to change the default boot OS easily (I tried changing it two or three times in the bios).

So now when I open up the startup devices menu (either through F12 on initial start or by using the advanced start up options of Windows 8) I have a "Fedora" device and a "Windows 8" devices (F12 only).

I personally find this very interesting, and I will find out if I can get a better UEFI implementation for my laptop.

I do expect Fujitsu to deliver updates for laptops sold right now, but older laptops (like mine) might  be out in the cold.

If that is the case, then I may buckle down and decide to help the coreboot project out so I can use tianocore.


Anyway, my two cents on the upcoming change to UEFI + TPM hardware.
Luckily, my laptop came with a TPM.