https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11

 

I'll wait till the end. I still hate the bullshit 10 makes me do instead of keeping things where they were in 7 and were since like Windows 3.

 

I just started using Windows 10. Windows 7 was far easier to use, move things around and do things with. My new 4LTE mobile broad band modem won't work with anything less than Windows 10.

 

Atypically for Microsoft, Windows 11 doesn't mess with arrangement or use aspects of their interface. I can't tell the difference from Windows 10 in those areas.

MS has been silent on their motivation for creating this version. However, judging by their criteria for upgrade, I believe it was a security update that plugged a significant hole in the system at the chip level. They didn't talk about it perhaps because they didn't want to publicize the problem.

Their product announcements were carried out at the junior high level, suggesting the entire upgrade was a last-minute effort.

 

And MS claims to not leave Windows 10 folks behind immediately if you don't want to upgrade to 11.

 

Correct. In order to run Windows 10 the device must be UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) compliant; however, Secure Boot & TPM (Trusted Platform Module) are not required to be enabled. Windows 11 requires both Secure Boot & TPM to be enabled (which reside at the chip-set level of crypto-security).

 

I wonder how many government back doors are in there.

 

A VPN might help with that.

 

Actually, it will not at least in terms of getting a Windows 11 OS to boot.

A VPN is a point-to-point network tunneling protocol & operates at the OSI layer of the OS. You "can" employ a hard-wired (firmware) VPN which is often used for highly secure networks; yet, they too negotiate via the OSI layer of the OS (with BTW, no requirement for either TPM or Secure Boot).

A VPN will always assist in establishing one of the best methods for cryptographic point-to-point tunneling protocols but the primary issue which still remains (on almost all VPN configurations) is the fact it still operates at the OSI layer of the OS.

 

Things are getting better in terms of security; but, MS left themselves more vulnerable to low-level attacks when they developed ACPI. They allowed the OS to take control of the BIOS. Many (most) security folks saw this as a doomsday event - another ploy to remove hardware (firmware) based security from the chip-set & allow the OS to take control. It has proven a very unfavorable outcome and many hackers have found the many vulnerabilities associated with ACPI & how ACPI negotiates via the OS. There are good things to say about ACPI, except ACPI provided far, far, far too much control to the OS which is where the vulnerabilities reside. Now, they're playing catch-up - more or less. I believe (finally) MS saw their misguided mistakes by removing cryptography from the chip-set. Albeit, here they are working to establish hardware/firmware security at the chip-set level. They were told this years ago - it took some time for them to realize they were heading down an ill-fated path. That's my 0.02

 

I see I wasn't specific with my quip. It was aimed at Koda's remark.

 

Gotcha. I didn't realize your response was directed to John (Koda).

 

not to mention VPN will slow your network down bigtime, but if your paranoid or a torrent user have at it.

 

False.

 

Ok Chief, I tried pretty much tried all of them, express, ipvanish, vypr etc. do a speed test without, and without, its absolutely true especially if you pick another country, the farther away the server the slower, maybe your only using one from the same state lol where the speed only slows down a bit, but still slows down.

 

My name is not "bud". There are a plethora of both h/w & s/w configurations for a plethora of VPN clients with an equal plethora of cryptographic keys for VPN network configurations. Your statement is without regards to any VPN configuration factors. A dedicated VPN point-to-point tunneling network connection can be configured to and is capable of running as fast as you like without slowing down a network (which you have not defined) as well as an OS (which you have not defined).

 

I changed that before you posted.

 

Responding with my username or identified name is a much better way to engage in a conversation - we're trending in a positive direction (thanks for changing your original statement).

 

We can further this discussion if you are so inclined - you might actually be able to assist other CO members when/if other individuals have questions regarding W11 configuration issues - you seem to have some grasp of knowledge regarding bits, bytes & the like.

I've employed some of the world's most advanced T.S. (Top Secret) VPN network configurations on this tiny global sphere - none of which I would ever share on any public platform. I was a CISSP network management/monitoring consulting engineer with MS for 13 years.

You are (I'm guessing here) most likely referring to a very basic/generic VPN which your everyday (especially gaming) home user (on any OS platform) can configure on their own and traverse the Internet via that VPN solution. We are talking/discussing/referring to miles & miles of various select parameters which involve a dedicated point-to-point VPN solution. So, in a nutshell (again, guessing here) if you're running a basic/generic VPN configured via basic h/w & s/w parameters, you're going to see enormous variances in network throughput. Therefore, defining the milieu of required VPN parameters is essential in determining VPN throughput.

 

My bigest concern is the time line for the test. I must concentrate.

 

Oh sure, be picky.

 

It certainly would. I wonder how many more 11 has than 10.

 

This is why he's the Chief!

 

You know the saying: just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get ya.

 

John, we'd probably have trouble counting that high.

 

Well it sounds like you no what your talking about and you have some advanced networking skills, so I believe you, all I was trying convey is my experience with express vpn, or ipvanish, or vypr, most of us would be in this category since we don't have your skill set. Again sorry for saying "Bud" I don't no your name and I refer everybody to bud or bro, how I talk, I didn't mean to offend you.

 

No worries, we're good - let's move forward.

 

I loaded up Windows 11 on my MacBookPro (intel chip from 2018). I had to tweak it a bit to get around the TPM 2.0 and SecureBoot restrictions which the Mac violates. This box dual boots MacOS and Windows11 on Mac hardware via BootCamp. But I can also load up Windows11 as a virtual machine from inside the MacOS, it’s just a little slower than native booting.

Windows 11 works fine. Very similar to Windows 10 except for the graphical user interface where they more or less skinned windows 10 and messed with the Start Menu. Might be just a bit faster, not clear. If you have and like 10, wait a bit for 11 to mature. If you have a few hours to burn clean installing and configuring 11, go for it, but the change isn’t really that big. For you real techies out there, an important feature is that Microsoft is finally allowing a Linux GUI within windows.

As to back doors / privacy / tracking, it’s early days for all that Microsoft & others may be doing for tracking, but you can bet it won’t be less than 10.

Finally, I’m writing this from far away via a VPN back to my home, speed isn’t max, but from this hotel, it’s totally acceptable. Even while streaming local TV from home.

I see tweaking & configuring computers as a direct parallel to playing with the old cars - you can make it better and make it yours if you want to spend the time, $ and effort.

Cheers
cf

 

Good feedback cf. I loaded up a W11 VM in Hyper-V w/o issue.
You're running WSL inside W11 is that correct?

 

Quite right WSL2 in Windows 11 after a clean install.

Playing around with Ubuntu LTS in WSL 2. The headline is that MS is allowing an alternative GUI inside windows. They’ve made a real about face here. Historically MS has hated, hobbled, and generally crapped on Linux for a couple of decades. Suddenly now they’re letting Linux into the Windows tent.

Big difference between WSL in Windows10 (windows subsystem for Linux) and WSL2 in Win11 is the availability of the GUI. It’s not quite ready for regular computer users, but you can do it if you’re not too afraid of a terminal/command line. Fun to fire up Gimp in Windows.

As of last week you can download Ubuntu from MS Store, but they’re not making the GUI that easy and in typical Linux fashion there are some roll your own apps you have to dig around, find, install & configure. This will get easier, I just have no idea how fast since a Linux gui on windows code base is a direct threat to the windows GUI.

I’ve kicked around triple booting Win/Mac/Linux natively, but never bothered since Mac is Unix, Win is Win and there’s not much I need Linux for that the Mac can’t do. I’m in sort-of play mode with WSL at this point since I like GUI’s. I still remember all my VI commands from the 80’s/90’s, so command line doesn’t scare me, it’s just more pleasant to use a GUI.

As a Mac guy, the other piece I’m waiting for is Windows for ARM to work on the new Apple silicon, if/when they get bootcamp working on Apple silicon, it might be a great leap in gaming frame rates. But I’m a pretty casual gamer.

Chris

 

The ability to load WSL in W11 is actually a significant milestone for end-users. It's definitely a milestone regarding the amount of work required by developers to facilitate the ability to load a GINA structure specific to another OS into the MS OS. Very early in the evolution of Windows 2000, I had numerous customers who insisted they be able to load a Linux &/or UNIX GUI inside W2000. Those conversations/negotiations were beyond my pay grade and beyond my network monitoring/management requirements & skill sets. Those customers (50K+ end-users) got there way, of course. MS developers created a customized GINA (and attendant GINA Structures) for each customer. I'm not certain how WSL builds &/or integrates with the GINA, but I'm sure the GINA is changed via loading of WSL.

The only familiarity I have w/ ARM are the ARM32/ARM64 versions and some very rudimentary kindergarten knowledge. It isn't something I've kept abreast with. Good for you - you're pushing the boundaries.

 

I didn’t realize WSL request went back that far. Good to know. Win2k and 7 were good versions. I have a real problem with MS telemetry in Win10 and WIn11, but a million years of PC MS Office, Visio and the games keep me loading the latest just to keep my hand in it.

What’s a GINA structure? I worked mostly in consumer credit & insurance behavior modeling (credit scoring) and have never come across this acronym. If its proprietary to 3 letter agencies, please feel no need to elaborate. Here & there I glanced off government work, but never went down that path.

I’m pretty ignorant of ARM at this point, seems like just a different kind of RISC (reduced instruction set chip) computing to me, or just an alternative to X86, but if I can get 2 operating systems onto hardware I’ve already bought, why not?

 

LSA (Local Security Authority) & WinLogon manage security for Windows OS via SAS (Secure Attention Sequence) & SAK (Sequence Authentication Keys). GINA (Graphical Identification and Authentication) provides the GUI required for the end-user to negotiate the WinLogon operation & create the SAK "keys". GINA is a Dynamic Link Library (.dll) which provides the interface for an end-user to use the h/w &/or s/w loaded onto the computer and contained w/in the OS. Once SAK keys are established, SAK keys provide the ability for an authenticated user to use h/w & s/w loaded w/in the Windows OS. SAK keys follow the OS end-users every keystroke. SAK keys maintain the user's security context. A GINA STRUCTURE comprises the GINA.dll. It is the GINA STRUCTURE which begins facilitating the creation of SAS & SAK via WinLogon for the LSA. Albeit, in order to provide the ability to use WSL (as an application) you must negotiate LSA & WinLogon to use the WSL GUI. In a nutshell you can't use any h/w or s/w on any Windows OS unless you have been granted the authority. That authority begins w/ MSGINA (MicrosoftGINA). Let's say you wanted to write a complete customized GINA for the State Of Virginia. You might then call it the VAGINA. "Exactly" how MS is negotiating GINA for WSL I frankly do not know.