Brian's Own Embedded Linux, or BOEL as it is affectionately known, was created as part of the SystemImager Project. SystemImager is a tool used for, well, imaging systems and distributing live updates ...

That last line would be the last line printed by the kernel during normal bootup, after that, it handes control off to init to let finish the booting process.

The goal of a boot-level rootkit, or bootkit, is to inject malicious code into the early stages of the computer’s boot-up process before the operating system kernel is loaded.

Besides disabling the Windows 8 secure boot process, another option for Linux lovers is installing a signed version of Linux. But “this poses several problems,” Garrett notes.

Understanding the Linux boot process was crucial. Essentially the way it works is the firmware (BIOS/UEFI) loads a bootloader, which then starts the kernel.