I'm planning to install Arch Linux on a ThinkPad that comes without any operating system pre-installed. I'm curious if I'll be able to re-enable Secure Boot after the installation. Specifically, I want to know if I can still use PreLoader or shim, even though Windows was never installed on this machine.
1 Answer
Secure Boot can definitely get a bit tricky with Linux installations! You should be fine using PreLoader or shim since those are designed to work with signed boot loaders. What's important here is that they can chainload EFI binaries, regardless of whether Windows was installed before. So, yes, you should be able to use them without issues! Just make sure to follow the Arch Wiki for any specific instructions that might apply.
Thanks for the clarity! So it really isn't limited to having Windows previously installed? That's good to know!