852eb1db4f
Never, ever build images where GRUB is the primary payload. These options have been removed from target.cfg handling: * seabios_withgrub * grub_withseabios The "payload_grub" variable now does the same thing as the old "seabios_withgrub" variable, if set. The "grubonly" configuration is retained, and enabled by default when SeaGRUB is enabled (non-grubonly also available). Due to lbmk issue #216, it is no longer Libreboot policy to make GRUB the primary payload on any board. GRUB's sheer size and complexity, plus the large number of memory corruption issues similar to it that *have* been fixed over the years, tells me that GRUB is a liability when it is the primary payload. SeaBIOS is a much safer payload to run as primary, on x86, due to its smaller size and much more conservative development; it is simply far less likely to break. If GRUB breaks in the future, the user's machine is not bricked. This is because SeaBIOS is the default payload. Since I no longer wish to ever provide GRUB as a primary payload, supporting it in lbmk adds needless bloat that will later probably break anyway due to lack of testing, so let's just assume SeaGRUB in all cases where the user wants to use a GRUB payload. You can mitigate potential security issues with SeaBIOS by disabling option ROM execution, which can be done at runtime by inserting integers into CBFS. The SeaBIOS documentation says how to do this. Libreboot's GRUB hardening guide still says how to add a bootorder file in CBFS, making SeaBIOS only load GRUB from CBFS, and nothing else. This, combined with the disablement of option ROM execution (if using Intel graphics), pretty much provides the same security benefits as GRUB-as-primary, for example when setting a GRUB password and GPG checks, with encrypted /boot as in the hardening guide. Signed-off-by: Leah Rowe <leah@libreboot.org> |
||
|---|---|---|
| config | ||
| include | ||
| script | ||
| util | ||
| .gitignore | ||
| COPYING | ||
| README.md | ||
| build | ||
| projectname | ||
| projectsite | ||
| update | ||
README.md
Canoeboot
Find canoeboot documentation at https://canoeboot.org/
The canoeboot project provides
libre boot
firmware that initializes the hardware (e.g. memory controller, CPU,
peripherals) on specific Intel/AMD x86 and ARM targets, which
then starts a bootloader for your operating system. Linux/BSD are
well-supported. It replaces proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware. Help is available
via #canoeboot IRC
on Libera IRC.
Canoeboot is maintained in parallel with Libreboot, by the same developer. Strictly speaking, it is a fork of Libreboot, but with a twist:
Canoeboot is provided for the purists who absolutely wish to have no proprietary software of any kind. Regardless of any other firmware that exists outside of it, the boot flash on your system will be entirely free software if you install Canoeboot on it. That includes a complete lack of CPU microcode updates, as per FSF policy.
More specifically: Canoeboot is engineered to comply with the GNU Free System Distribution Guidelines. It has, as of November 2023 releases, been strictly audited by FSF licensing staff (Craig Topham lead the audit), and it is listed on the FSF's own Free Software Directory.
Libreboot previously complied with that same policy, but changed to a different one permitting binary blobs in limited circumstances, so as to support more newer machines. Canoeboot is, then, a continuation of the traditional Libreboot project prior to that policy change. Some users still want it, so, Canoeboot releases are rigoriously maintained, re-basing on newer Libreboot releases over time, just like how, say, Trisquel, re-bases itself on each new Ubuntu release.
Project goals
- Obviously, support as much hardware as possible (within the limitations imposed by GNU FSDG, and using what coreboot happens to have in its source tree - Canoeboot also heavily patches coreboot, sometimes adding new mainboards out-of-tree).
- Make coreboot easy to use. Coreboot is notoriously difficult to install, due to an overall lack of user-focused documentation and support. Most people will simply give up before attempting to install coreboot. Canoeboot's automated build system and user-friendly installation instructions solves this problem.
Canoeboot attempts to bridge this divide by providing a build system automating much of the coreboot image creation and customization. Secondly, the project produces documentation aimed at non-technical users. Thirdly, the project attempts to provide excellent user support via IRC.
Canoeboot already comes with a payload (GRUB), flashprog and other needed parts. Everything is fully integrated, in a way where most of the complicated steps that are otherwise required, are instead done for the user in advance.
You can download ROM images for your canoeboot system and install them without having to build anything from source. If, however, you are interested in building your own image, the build system makes it relatively easy to do so.
Not a coreboot fork!
Canoeboot is not a fork of coreboot. Every so often, the project re-bases on the latest version of coreboot, by virtue of maintaining sync with Libreboot releases (minus un-GNU parts), with the number of custom patches in use minimized. Tested, stable (static) releases are then provided in Canoeboot, based on specific coreboot revisions.
LICENSE FOR THIS README
It's just a README file. This README file is released under the terms of the Creative Commons Zero license, version 1.0 of the license, which you can read here:
https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode.txt
The documentation in Canoeboot will use a mix of other licenses, so you should check that for more information.