87 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
87 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
Canoeboot
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=========
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Find canoeboot documentation at <https://canoeboot.org/>
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The `canoeboot` project provides
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[libre](https://writefreesoftware.org/) *boot
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firmware* that initializes the hardware (e.g. memory controller, CPU,
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peripherals) on specific Intel/AMD x86 and ARM targets, which
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then starts a bootloader for your operating system. Linux/BSD are
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well-supported. It replaces proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware. Help is available
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via [\#canoeboot IRC](https://web.libera.chat/#canoeboot)
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on [Libera](https://libera.chat/) IRC.
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Canoeboot is maintained in parallel with Libreboot, by the same developer.
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You are strongly advised to use *Libreboot*, but a certain minority may
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prefer Canoeboot, which is essentially a *censored* Libreboot (no binary
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blobs allowed, so only few boards supported whereas Libreboot supports more
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boards while minimising the number of blobs to zero when possible).
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Canoeboot is provided for the purists who absolutely wish to have no proprietary
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software of any kind. Regardless of any other firmware that exists outside of it,
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the boot flash on your system will be *entirely free software* if you install
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Canoeboot on it. That includes a complete lack of CPU microcode updates, as per
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FSF policy.
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More specifically: Canoeboot is engineered to comply with the GNU Free System
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Distribution Guidelines. It has, as of November 2023 releases, been strictly
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audited by FSF licensing staff (Craig Topham lead the audit), and it is listed
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on the FSF's own Free Software Directory.
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Libreboot previously complied with that same policy, but changed to a different
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one permitting binary blobs in limited circumstances, so as to support more newer
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machines. Canoeboot is, then, a continuation of the traditional Libreboot
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project prior to that policy change. Some users still want it, so, Canoeboot
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releases are rigoriously maintained, re-basing on newer Libreboot releases over
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time, just like how, say, Trisquel, re-bases itself on each new Ubuntu release.
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Project goals
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=============
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- Obviously, support as much hardware as possible (within the limitations
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imposed by GNU FSDG, and using what coreboot happens to have in its source
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tree - Canoeboot also heavily patches coreboot, sometimes adding new
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mainboards out-of-tree).
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- *Make coreboot easy to use*. Coreboot is notoriously difficult
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to install, due to an overall lack of user-focused documentation
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and support. Most people will simply give up before attempting to
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install coreboot. Canoeboot's automated build system and user-friendly
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installation instructions solves this problem.
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Canoeboot attempts to bridge this divide by providing a build system
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automating much of the coreboot image creation and customization.
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Secondly, the project produces documentation aimed at non-technical users.
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Thirdly, the project attempts to provide excellent user support via IRC.
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Canoeboot already comes with a payload (GRUB), flashprog and other
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needed parts. Everything is fully integrated, in a way where most of
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the complicated steps that are otherwise required, are instead done
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for the user in advance.
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You can download ROM images for your canoeboot system and install
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them without having to build anything from source. If, however, you are
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interested in building your own image, the build system makes it relatively
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easy to do so.
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Not a coreboot fork!
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--------------------
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Canoeboot is not a fork of coreboot. Every so often, the project
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re-bases on the latest version of coreboot, by virtue of maintaining sync
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with Libreboot releases (minus un-GNU parts), with the number of custom
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patches in use minimized. Tested, *stable* (static) releases are then provided
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in Canoeboot, based on specific coreboot revisions.
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LICENSE FOR THIS README
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=======================
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It's just a README file. This README file is released under the terms of the
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Creative Commons Zero license, version 1.0 of the license, which you can
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read here:
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<https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode.txt>
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The documentation in Canoeboot will use a mix of other licenses, so you should
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check that for more information.
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