No Rescue Mode

They all have recovery mode.

The feature you don’t might not be the recovery mode as is.

I guess the feature you’re looking for isn’t the absence of a recovery mode. Instead, the feature you’re looking for… I am not sure has a clear name yet.

Do you want…?

  • A) Hardware-backed Full Disk Encryption (FDE): Encryption keys are stored in hardware (like a TPM or otherwise), meaning even if the disk is removed, it cannot be decrypted without the original device. Plus, (and/or)
  • B) Boot Device Lockdown: It shall not be possible to boot any other operating system besides the one installed on the internal, non-removeable hard drive? Plus, (and/or)
  • C) Bootloader Lock / Locked Bootloader: Common in iPhone / Android devices. Prevents flashing or booting of alternative OSes.

This kind of features - if hardcoded - come with issues. This adds obfuscation, makes malware analysis / malicious backdoor hunting almost impossible.

new wiki chapters (written just now):

Similar features A), B), C) can potentially implemented with hardware and firmware support but without obfuscating malware / backdoor analysis. The firmware needs a secure BIOS password implementation that safeguards boot device choice. Binding the internal hard drive to the device might be an optional opt-in feature but very far in the future, if at all.


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