diff --git a/site/other.md b/site/other.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f5a4898 --- /dev/null +++ b/site/other.md @@ -0,0 +1,243 @@ +--- +title: Other coreboot distributions +x-toc-enable: true +... + +Introduction +============ + +Canoeboot is a *coreboot distribution* or *coreboot distro*, in the same way +that Debian is a *Linux distro*. Its purpose is to provide free/opensource boot +firmware, replacing proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware, and it +supports [many machines](docs/install/#which-systems-are-supported-by-canoeboot). + +It is a coreboot distro precisely because of its [design](docs/maintain/). +Canoeboot's build system automatically downloads, patches and builds all the +various upstream sources such as coreboot, GRUB, SeaBIOS, U-Boot and so on. +This automation is used to provide [binary releases](download.md), which the +user can [easily install](docs/install/). Coreboot is notoriously difficult +to configure and install, for most people, and you need a high degree of +technical skill to use it; distros like Canoeboot bridge this gap, making +coreboot accessible to non-technical users. + +It's thanks to the various coreboot distros that many people use coreboot today; +without them, many otherwise non-technical users might not use coreboot at all. + +Why list other distros? +----------------------- + +Over the years, several other coreboot distros have come and gone. It has been +decided that this page will be written, to document some of them. Not every +distro is listed; only those of high quality, or otherwise of interest, will +be listed. Quality over quantity. + +Canoeboot tries to support as much hardware as possible, and focuses on providing +the easiest possible experience for non-technical users; it's also +highly [configurable](docs/maintain/) for power users. + +Several other projects exist that target different kinds of users, and support +different types of hardware; for example, Canoeboot mostly doesn't target +Chromebooks, except for a few. + +Canoeboot's main priority is to provide users with free/opensource boot +firmware, to help more users achieve a higher level +of [software freedom](https://writefreesoftware.org/learn). + +Well, Canoeboot is great but it may be that Canoeeboot isn't for +you; these other projects may support features and mainboards that Canoeboot +doesn't, that you may find preferable. + +We in the Canoeboot project greatly admire and respect the other distros, and +will gladly work with them. + +Without further ado, + +List of coreboot distros +======================== + +In alphabetical order: + +Chultrabook +----------- + +Website: + +Git repositories: + +Provides a tailored EDK2(UEFI) payload on supported *Chromebooks*. You can use +this to replace ChromeOS with a regular Linux distro or BSD system - even +Windows - if you wish. + +The benefit of using *Chultrabook* is that it provides up to date EDK2, unlike +proprietary vendors who often provide old, CVE-ridden versions of EDK2 forks +such as InsydeH2O. + +With Chultrabook's guidance, you can have a completely up to date UEFI firmware +on your machine, and get good use out of your Chromebook for many more years, +with regular security updates. + +Libreboot largely avoids supporting Chromebooks, precisely because Chultrabook +and MrChromebox are perfectly viable options on these machines. + +Dasharo +------- + +Website: + +Git repositories: + +Supports many machines, with a choice of EDK2(UEFI) or Heads(Linuxboot) +payload in the flash. Some older machines may provide a SeaBIOS payload +instead. A lot of work that goes into the upstream coreboot project came +from the Dasharo developers. + +Dasharo provides their own fork of coreboot, with a specific tree *per board*. +Several coreboot ports (e.g. MSI Z690-A PRO) were implemented directly by +the Dasharo project, and later upstreamed into the regular coreboot project. + +Dasharo has a special emphasis on commercial application, providing tailored +coreboot images for each supported mainboard, with an emphasis on stability. +It's a very different approach than Libreboot's approach; Libreboot provides +a more generalised design in its build system and infrastructure. + +Heads +----- + +Website: + +Git repositories: + +Heads provides a LinuxBoot payload using U-Root, and has many advanced features +such as TPM-based MeasuredBoot. With combined use of a FIDO key, you can easily +and more reliably determine whether you boot firmware has been tampered with. + +The Linux-based payload in flash uses kexec to boot another Linux kernel. It +provides an easy to use boot menu, highly configurable and supports many +Linux distros easily. + +If you're the sort of person who needs full disk encryption and you have a +focus on security, Heads is for you. Perfect for use with something like Qubes. + +Libreboot provides its own [security mechanisms](docs/linux/grub_hardening.html), +but Heads is much more flexible and complete, in this regard. The only downside +to Heads's Linux-based flash setup, is that it's basically a Linux-only +coreboot distro (whereas Libreboot can boot BSD and even *Windows*, in some +cases). + +Another focus of the heads project is on *reproducible builds*. Its build +system bootstraps a toolchain that then compiles everything else, including +the coreboot crossgcc toolchain. The purpose of this is to provide matching +ROM hashes on every build; for this purpose, it also auto-downloads vendor +files such as Intel ME at build time, instead of requiring you to dump from +the original boot firmware. + +Heads's vendorcode auto-download logic inspired Libreboot's +own [vendorcode inject](docs/install/ivy_has_common.md) design; Libreboot +greatly expanded on it, on more machines. + +We in Libreboot have an affinity for the Heads project, and have worked with +them in the past, and they with us, helping each other back and forth. Many of +the machines supported in Libreboot are also supported in Heads, and vice versa, +but they target different kinds of users and use-case scenarios, with Libreboot +targeting a more general audience (while providing security hardening options), +whereas Heads specifically targets security-conscious users. + +Libreboot +--------- + +Website: + +Git repositories: + +Libreboot was the *first* coreboot distro ever, starting in December 2013. + +Canoeboot is a *special fork* of Libreboot; both Canoeboot and Libreboot are +maintained in parallel by the same developer, Leah Rowe. Canoeboot supports +far less hardware than Libreboot, but provides a *pure* free software coreboot +distribution, due to its [blob extermination policy](news/policy.html). As +a result of Canoeboot's policy, it currently only supports very old hardware. + +It otherwise has the exact same design as Libreboot, and is kept in relative +sync [at all times](about.html), often doing releases side by side on the same +days as Libreboot. + +*Libreboot* supports more hardware than Canoeboot, due to its more +pragmatic [Binary Blob Reduction Policy](https://libreboot.org/news/policy.md) +adopted on 17 November 2022; Canoeboot is a continuation of Libreboot from prior +to this, since Libreboot initially used the same dogmatic policy as Canoeboot. +A small minority of users demanded it post-November 2022, so Canoeboot was born. + +If you're an absolute Free Software fanatic, Canoeboot is for you. Otherwise, +if you want to use much newer hardware, Libreboot is a worthy choice. Since +Canoeboot only supports much older hardware, and uses Libreboot's *old* policy, +you could consider Canoeboot to be *legacy Libreboot*. Libreboot adopted the +Binary Blob Reduction Policy in November 2022, as part of a general desire to +support more - and newer - hardware. + +Libreboot also [includes CPU microcode updates +by default](news/policy.md#more-detailed-insight-about-microcode), on any given +x86 machine that both Canoeboot and Libreboot support; these updates improve +system stability and fix security issues. It is for *this* reason that all users +are in fact advised to use *Libreboot*, not Canoeboot. Canoeboot is meant only +as a proof of concept, and/or for purists who absolutely wish to have the purest +free software experience possible, regardless of these facts. + +MrChromeBox +----------- + +Website: + +Git repositories: + +Provides a tailored EDK2(UEFI) payload on supported *Chromebooks*. You can use +this to replace ChromeOS with a regular Linux distro or BSD system - even +Windows - if you wish. + +The benefit of using *MrChromebox* is that it provides up to date EDK2, unlike +proprietary vendors who often provide old, CVE-ridden versions of EDK2 forks +such as InsydeH2O. + +With MrChromebox's guidance, you can have a completely up to date UEFI firmware +on your machine, and get good use out of your Chromebook for many more years, +with regular security updates. + +Libreboot largely avoids supporting Chromebooks, precisely because Chultrabook +and MrChromebox are perfectly viable options on these machines. + +Skulls +------ + +Git repositories: + +Skulls provides simple coreboot images with SeaBIOS payload, on a handful of +Thinkpads. Libreboot *also* provides similar SeaBIOS configurations, on all +of the same machines, but Libreboot's design does mean that there are a few +additional steps for installation. + +If you just want the simplest, most barebones setup, Skulls is a great choice. + +The reason Skulls is simpler is that they include certain vendor files such +as `me.bin` pre-inserted into images; while risky indeed, this does in fact +make installation easier for users. Libreboot takes a more conservative +approach, excluding such files on release images and instead providing you with +an [automated script](docs/install/ivy_has_common.md) to insert these. + +Libreboot *also* provides U-Boot and GRUB, and has other ambitions. Libreboot +aims to provide ease of use while also providing great power and flexibility. +So Libreboot is aimed specifically at power users, while also trying to +accomodate non-technical users; Skulls largely targets the latter. + +System76 Open Firmware +---------------------- + +Git repository: + +Other repositories e.g. EC firmware: + +System76 provides their own special coreboot fork, that they tailor for +specific machines that they sell; they also provide free EC firmware. Jeremy +Soller of System76 maintains this firmware, and the work is regularly +upstreamed into the regular coreboot project. + +System76 provides the coreboot firmware, along with EDK2 UEFI payload. It can +boot Linux distros, BSD systems and even Windows perfectly. diff --git a/site/template.de.include b/site/template.de.include index 86a7ff9..3018291 100644 --- a/site/template.de.include +++ b/site/template.de.include @@ -71,12 +71,13 @@ $endif$
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