--- title: Flashing the Dell Latitude E6400 x-toc-enable: true ... Introduction ============ Initial flashing instructions for the E6400. DO NOT flash the Nvidia GPU variant. This page pertains only to the Intel GPU variant. This guide is for those who want libreboot on their Latitude E6400 while they still have the original Dell BIOS present. This guide can also be followed (adapted) if you brick your E6400, and you want to recover it. This board can boot entirely blob-free in the flash. The hardware is similar to that of ThinkPad X200, T400 etc where no-ME setup is possible. A note about GPUs ----------------- Models with Intel graphics are GM45, and fully supported in Libreboot with native initialisation; ROM images are available since. **The Intel video initialisation is libre, implemented with publicly available source code via libgfxinit, from the coreboot project.** Flash chip size {#flashchips} =============== Use this to find out: flashrom -p internal We believe most/all are 4MB (32Mb) flash sizes, but larger ROM images are provided for people who wish to upgrade. MAC address {#macaddress} =========== The MAC address is part of the ROM image that you're flashing. You can change it at any time, before or after you've flashed Libreboot; you can also change it in the *Dell* BIOS, if you really want to. This is for the onboard gigabit ethernet device. Refer to [mac\_address.md](../hardware/mac_address.md). It is recommended that you run *nvmutil*. See: [nvmutil usage manual](nvmutil.md) The `nvmutil` software is specifically designed for changing MAC addresses, and it implements a few more safeguards (e.g. prevents multicast/all-zero MAC addresses) and features (MAC address randomisation, ability to correct or intententionally corrupt(disable) GbE sections if you wish, swap GbE parts, etc). You can *also* run ich9gen, if you wish: [ich9gen usage manual](ich9utils.md) Intel GPU: libre video initialisation available =============================================== Libreboot uses coreboot's native `libgfxinit` on this platform, for variants with Intel graphics. How to flash internally (no diassembly) ======================================= Warning for BSD users --------------------- BSD *boots* and works properly on these machines, but take note: Nicholas's [e6400-flash-unlock](https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/plain/util/e6400-flash-unlock/e6400_flash_unlock.c) utility has not yet been ported to BSD systems. The `flashrom` software is available on BSD systems. Libreboot's build system has not yet been ported to the BSDs. BSD users could run Linux from USB to run `flashrom` and `e6400-flash-unlock`. Virtualisation is available in BSDs, where it should be feasible to run the Libreboot build system, in Linux, under virtualisation. Flashing from Linux ------------------- MAKE SURE you boot with this Linux kernel parameter: `iomem=relaxed` - this disables memory protections, permitting `/dev/mem` access needed by flashrom. The flash is memory mapped and flashrom accesses it via `/dev/mem`. You can flash Libreboot directly from the vendor (Dell) BIOS, without taking the machine apart. It can be done entirely from Linux. It will probably also work on BSD systems, but it has only been testing on Linux thus far. Check `util/e6400-flash-unlock` in the `lbmk.git` repository, or releases. Go in there: cd util/e6400-flash-unlock make With this program, you can unlock the flash in such a way where everything is writeable. Information about how to use it is in the `README.md` file which is included in that program's directory, or you can read it online here: Literally just run that program, and do what it says. You run it once, and shut down, and when you do, the system brings itself back up automatically. Then you run it and flash it unlocked. Then you run it again. The source code is intuitive enough that you can easily get the gist of it; it's writing some EC commands and changing some chipset config bits. The EC on this machine is hooked up to the `GPIO33` signal, sometimes called `HDA_DOCK_EN`, which sets the flash descriptor override thus disabling any flash protection by the IFD. It also bypasses the SMM BIOS lock protection by disabling SMIs, and Dell's BIOS doesn't set any other type of protection either such as writing to Protected Range registers. When you flash it, you can use this command: flashrom -p internal -w libreboot.rom Where `libreboot.rom` is your E6400 ROM. *Make sure* it's the right one. If flashrom complains about multiple flash chips detected, just pick one of them (doesn't matter which one). On *most* Dell machines, the most correct would probably be this option in flashrom: `-c MX25L3205D/MX25L3208D`. So: flashrom -p internal -w libreboot.rom -c MX25L3205D/MX25L3208D When you see flashrom say `VERIFIED` at the end, that means the flash was successful. If you don't see that, or you're unsure, please [contact the Libreboot project via IRC](../../contact.md). BACK UP THE FACTORY BIOS ======================== The `-w` option flashes `libreboot.rom`. You may consider *backing up* the original Dell BIOS first, using the -r option: flashrom -p internal -r backup.rom -c MX25L3205D/MX25L3208D Do this while in a flashable state, after the 2nd run of `e6400-flash-unlock`. Make sure the `backup.rom` file gets backed up to an external storage media, not the E6400 itself. With this method, you can probably flash it within 5 minutes. Again, zero disassembly required! How to flash externally ========================= Refer to [spi.md](spi.md) as a guide for external re-flashing. The SPI flash chip shares a voltage rail with the ICH9 southbridge, which is not isolated using a diode. As a result, powering the flash chip externally causes the ICH9 to partially power up and attempt to drive the SPI clock pin low, which can interfere with programmers such as the Raspberry Pi. See [RPi Drive Strength](spi.md#rpi-drive-strength) for a workaround. Have a look online for videos showing how to disassemble, if you wish to externally re-flash.