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Chito · May 28, 2005, 07:06 AM

How many of you have set an open firmware password on your Powerbook? Any reason not to?

chabig · May 28, 2005, 08:21 AM

I have. It's just another barrier to someone if you ever lose your Powerbook or it's stolen. I can't think of a good reason not to do it.

Chris

amazing · May 28, 2005, 10:17 AM

Once your laptop is stolen, it's not gonna be "returned" because you've got open firmware password protection installed. It's gone.

Perhaps you wanna inconvenience the thieves after the fact? Either they're knowledgeable enough to disable OFP or they'll fence it someone who is.

OFP makes sense in school lab or high-security situations, but for the common user it's just another barrier that makes trouble-shooting a pain. Especially since most users set a password and then promptly forget it. Once they get into trouble they turn to you for help, and you attempt to boot off a DVD only to find out they can't remember the password.

osxisfun · May 28, 2005, 11:25 AM

If i found a powerbook i would return it to an apple store where they could find the owner.

Not all of us are theieves.

I plan on turning on my open firmware password soon but plan on using the "banner" features so it can display my phone number etc "Reward: call 444-5555"

If you have your lifes work on there then every level of security should be used.

(you can find the banner tip at macosxhints.com)

amazing · May 28, 2005, 11:43 AM

Well, I'd turn in a "lost" PB also. And, since I'd be turning it in, I wouldn't be attempting to boot from a DVD or from an external device, so I'd never even see the OFP features.

Question is, what's the proportion of "lost" PBs to the "stolen" PBs?

I'd say the proportion is overwhelmingly on the "stolen" side.

If you have your life's work on the laptop, the only thing that'll help is a recent backup.

osxisfun · May 28, 2005, 11:57 AM

oh agree about about the whole / lost to stolen thing... its just math. I want to do everything i can to increase the odds even if its small.

and yes. everyone. back up. I back up every morning using "folder syncronizer" simple but does the job to an external FW drive that i then keep in a firebox.

if you have a PB and are not backing up to an ex. FW then you are increasing your chances of having a very bad day down the road.

kisol007 · Jul 14, 2005, 01:10 AM

Can you remove your open firmware "protection" after you have set it? If so how do you do this if you can't boot from the DVD or anything?

Thanks.

chabig · Jul 14, 2005, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by kisol007

Can you remove your open firmware "protection" after you have set it? If so how do you do this if you can't boot from the DVD or anything?

Thanks.

You remove the protection using the Open Firmware Password Utility, the same utility that sets the password. But you uncheck the box that says Require password to change Open Firmware settings".

Chris

kisol007 · Jul 15, 2005, 06:49 PM

Thanks.

By the way, the Open Firmware 1.0.2 that I used to set it didn't work... I had to use the Open Firmware utility on the Tiger DVD...