lbwww/site/docs/install/t480.md

---
title: Lenovo ThinkPad T480/T480s information
x-toc-enable: true
...

Libreboot supports both the T480 and T480s variants. It is available in
the *Libreboot 20241206* release or later.

**[PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE INSTALLING](../../news/safety.md),
OR YOU MIGHT BRICK YOUR MACHINE: [SAFETY PRECAUTIONS](../../news/safety.md)**

<div class="specs">
<center>
<img tabindex=1 alt="ThinkPad T480" class="p" src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480.jpg" /></span>
</center>

| ***Specifications***       |                                                |
|----------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| **Manufacturer**           | Lenovo                                         |
| **Name**                   | ThinkPad T480                                  |
| **Variants**               | ThinkPad T480, ThinkPad T480s                  |
| **Released**               | 2018                                           |
| **Chipset**                | Intel Kaby Lake Refresh                        |
| **CPU**                    | Intel Kaby Lake Refresh                        |
| **Graphics**               | Intel or Intel+Nvidia                          |
| **Memory**                 | DDR4 DIMMs; max 40GB (T480s), 64GB(T480)       |
| **Architecture**           | x86\_64                                        |
| **Original boot firmware** | Lenovo UEFI firmware                           |
| **Intel ME/AMD PSP**       | Present. Can be disabled with me\_cleaner.     |
| **Intel Boot Guard**       | [Pwned](deguard.md). Disabled using the deguard utility.|
| **Flash chip**             | SOIC-8 16MB/128Mbit system firmware            |


```
W+: Works without blobs; 
N: Doesn't work; 
W*: Works with blobs; 
U: Untested; 
P+: Partially works; 
P*: Partially works with blobs
?: UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME
```

| ***Features***                                    |    |
|---------------------------------------------------|----|
| **Internal flashing with original boot firmware** | N  | 
| **Display (if Intel GPU)**                        | W+ |
| **Display (discrete CPU, SeaBIOS payload only)**  | N  |
| **Audio**                                         | W+ |
| **RAM Init**                                      | W* |

| ***Payloads supported***   |           |
|----------------------------|-----------|
| **GRUB (libgfxinit only)** | Works     |
| **SeaBIOS**                | Works     |
| **SeaBIOS with GRUB**      | Works     |
</div>

Regarding memory: T480s (S model) has 8GB onboard RAM, and an available DIMM
slot on which an additional 32GB SODIMM can be installed. The regular T480
has two DIMM slots, allowing 2x32GB DDR4 SODIMMs.

Thanks go to *Mate Kukri* who implemented both of these excellent coreboot
ports; he is also the author of the deguard utility, which is used to disable
the Intel Boot Guard on these machines; disabling the Boot Guard was necessary
in order to get coreboot working!

Introduction
============

**Unavailable in Libreboot 20241008 or earlier. You must [compile from
source](../build/), or alternatively an image from Libreboot 20241206 or higher.

Official information about the T480 can be found here:\
<https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PDF/ThinkPad/ThinkPad_T480/ThinkPad_T480_Spec.PDF>

...and information about the T480s can be found here:\
<https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PDF/ThinkPad/ThinkPad_T480s/ThinkPad_T480s_Spec.pdf>

This port is implemented in Libreboot by merging Mate Kukri's T480/T480s
patchset. See: <https://review.coreboot.org/c/coreboot/+/83274> - as of 5
December 2024, Libreboot's code matches that of patchset 22.

Absolutely unsigned Intel ME!
-----------------------------

Libreboot already disables the Intel ME by default, using `me_cleaner`, but
the T480/T480s specifically have an additional quirk:

One of the benefits of [deguard](deguard.md) for Intel MEv11 is that it sets
the ME in such a state where you can run unsigned code in there. This is how
the Intel Boot Guard was disabled, because it is the ME that enforces such
restrictions; more information about deguard is available on a dedicated page.

The deguard utility could also be used to enable the red-unlock hack, which
would permit unsigned execution of new CPU microcode, though much more
research is needed. Because of these two facts, this makes the T480/T480s the
most freedom-feasible of all relatively modern x86 laptops.

With deguard, you have complete control of the flash. This is unprecedented on
recent Intel systems in Libreboot, so it's certainly a very interesting port!

Libreboot uses both `me_cleaner` *and* `deguard` on the T480/T480s.

What works in this port:
-----------------------

Intel graphics, internal screen, ethernet, USB, WLAN, HDA verbs (e.g. headphone
jack), S3 suspend/resume, M2 NVMe SSDs and SATA, **all works perfectly**.
External video outputs and webcam also work. Microphone works, line-out works...
everything works. UART also available via line-out jack (jumpers required on
the mainboard).

There *are* a few minor exceptions as to what works; this will be covered in
other sections of this page. This port is *almost* perfect, but with some caveats.

Build images from source
========================

Please refer to the standard [build instructions](../build/) first.

The build target, when building from source, is thus:

	./mk -b coreboot t480_fsp_16mb
	./mk -b coreboot t480s_fsp_16mb

**NOTE: The T480 and T480s may be similar, but they do have several critical
differences in their wiring, so you MUST flash the correct image. Please
choose one of the above build targets accordingly.**

Installation
============

**Insert binary files (DO THIS FIRST)**
-------------------

**If you're using a release ROM**, please ensure that you've inserted extra firmware
required. Refer to the [guide](../install/ivy_has_common.md) for that. **(failure
to adhere to this advice will result in a BRICKED machine)**

Libreboot's build system automatically downloads and processes these files if
you build Libreboot from source, but the same logic that it uses must be re-run
if you're using a release image. This is to bypass certain restrictions on
direct distribution, for files such as the Intel Management Engine firmware.

The pre-compiled images do not contain an Intel ME, so you must first insert it
using the above guide. Libreboot's build system automatically grabs it, disables
it after boot with `me_cleaner`, and configures it with [deguard](deguard.md)
to disable the Intel Boot Guard - this automation is either applied at build
time, or you can use it on release images.

Again:

If you're [building from source](../build/) via Libreboot's build system, these
files are inserted during build. You only need to manually insert them, using
the above linked guide, on the pre-compiled release images!

Set MAC address
---------------

This platform uses an Intel Flash Descriptor, and defines an Intel GbE NVM
region. As such, release/build ROMs will contain the same MAC address. To
change the MAC address, please read [nvmutil documentation](../install/nvmutil.md).

**NOTE: If changing the MAC address, please give `ifdtool` the following
argument when using it: `--platform sklkbl`** - otherwise, ifdtool will
handle the IFD incorrectly!

Thunderbolt issue (READ THIS BEFORE FLASHING)
------------------

The thunderbolt firmware on launch units had a bug where certain debug
info is written on certain events, such as plugging in a charger to the USB-C
connector. This logging is stored in the Thunderbolt firmware's own SPI flash,
which is separate from the main SPI flash containing the system firmware
e.g. coreboot.

If that flash gets full, thunderbolt (on factory firmware) stops working and
fast charging stops working. It can be prevented by updating the Thunderbolt
firmware. You can do this from Lenovo's firmware, using these instructions:

<https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/gb/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-t-series-laptops/thinkpad-t480s-type-20l7-20l8/solutions/ht508988-critical-intel-thunderbolt-software-and-firmware-updates-thinkpad>

If you're already affected by the bug, you can restore it to a working state
by flashing the Thunderbolt firmware externally. For example this is where its
NOR flash is on a T480:

<img tabindex=1 alt="ThinkPad T480 NOR flash (thunderbolt firmware)" class="p" src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480tbspi.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480tbspi.jpg" /></span>

This page shows how to do that:

<https://gitlab.com/MobileAZN/lenovo-t480-thunderbolt-firmware-fixes>

You unbrick the Thunderbolt controller by pulling the firmware from Lenovo's
update, from Lenovo's update utility. Once extracted, you then pad it properly
so that it can be flashed manually, using a normal SPI flasher (the same one
that you would use to flash Libreboot).

Use the [25XX NOR flashing guide](spi.md) if you need to flash this chip. It's
the same guide that you will use for the main system flash, which is a separate
flash IC.

AGAIN: This is not the Libreboot flash IC. This is separate to the system flash.
Read on to know how to reprogram the main system flash!

Flash a ROM image (software)
-----------------------

If you're already running Libreboot, and you don't have flash protection
turned on, [internal flashing](../install/) is possible.

The default Libreboot setup removes all flash restrictions, allowing you to
flash internally, from a Linux or BSD systems running on the T480/T480. You must
also [disable /dev/mem protections](devmem.md) for internal flashing to work.

Flash a ROM image (hardware)
-----------------

**First, please assimilate all knowledge in
the [25XX NOR flashing guide](spi.md) - it shows how to program these flash
chips, using a dedicated flash programmer, which is something that you will
physically connect to the flash chip.**

Again: this is only necessary if you have Lenovo BIOS, or if you enabled [flash
write protections](../linux/grub_hardening.md) on an existing Libreboot setup.

**MAKE SURE to update the Lenovo UEFI firmware before installing Libreboot.
You must also make a dump of the NOR flash, before updating Lenovo's firmware,
and once again before flashing Libreboot, being sure you have good dumps.**

Please ensure also that you've already dealt with the Thunderbolt issue, which
is described above.

Find videos online of how to disassemble this, and/or find Lenovo's own
service manual online. Otherwise, observe:

<img tabindex=1 alt="ThinkPad T480 underside chassis" class="p" src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480bottom.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480bottom.jpg" /></span>

Remove all screws, and you can gently pry off the lower chassis and remove,
which then allows you to see the inner mainboard:

<img tabindex=1 alt="ThinkPad T480 PCB" class="p" src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480pcb.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480pcb.jpg" /></span>

**WARNING: PLEASE MAKE SURE to remove the battery before flashing. The T480
and T480s can both contain INTERNAL batteries, and the T480 has an additional
external battery. Remove the internal battery via the connector, like so (T480):**

<img tabindex=1 alt="ThinkPad T480 internal battery" class="p" src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480battery.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480battery.jpg" /></span>

On the T480s (S model) the internal battery is much larger, and the connector
on it is built into the battery, so it is necessary to carefully remove the
entire battery; on regular T480 (non-S model) the internal battery can be
isolated via the connector as depicted above.

This photo shows the flash:

<img tabindex=1 alt="ThinkPad T480 NOR flash (system firmware)" class="p" src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480spi.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480spi.jpg" /></span>

There is another flash, for the Thunderbolt firmware, which you are to briefly
ignore; we'll cover it later:

<img tabindex=1 alt="ThinkPad T480 NOR flash (thunderbolt firmware)" class="p" src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480tbspi.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/t480/t480tbspi.jpg" /></span>

To be clear: the system flash (16MB) is what you put Libreboot on. The
Thunderbolt firmware flash is much smaller, so you'll know because flashprog
will complain about wrong flash size if you're trying to flash the wrong one.

On the T480s (S model), the flashes are in slightly different places but in
both machines, the system flash (for Libreboot) is toward the centre, near
the memory.

Post-installation
=================

These next sections will tell you how to use certain hardware features, which
work a little bit differently due to idiosyncrasies of coreboot.

How to use the headphone jack
--------------

Sometimes the headphone jack might not work automatically. Simply install
the `pavucontrol` program. Under Output Devices, you can select the headphones
you've inserted manually.

If it says "Unplugged", try it anyway. The HDA Verb may be incorrect. This
will be investigated and a hotfix patch made to the Libreboot 20241206 images.

How to use HDMI audio
------------------

You can get audio from Displayport/HDMI, but you must select it manually.
For example, you can select it in `pavucontrol` if you're using PulseAudio or
PipeWire.

How to use backlight controls
-----------------------------

Backlight controls work, via software control (e.g. `xbacklight` utility), but
the Fn keys for it don't currently work, as of 6 December 2024.

You can set the backlight manually, or use a hotkey, depending on your window
manager or desktop environment.

UART
----

To our knowledge, this functionality is *only* available in coreboot-based
firmware such as Libreboot. It is completely unsupported on the original
firmware!

A serial console is possible via the line-out (headphone jack). Not yet tested
on the T480s (S model), nor implemented, but it is working on the regular
T480 (non-S model).

**TODO: show photo and wiring diagram here.**

Use baud rate 115200 in your favourite serial terminal client, e.g. GNU Screen.

Next to the headphone jack on the T480, you will find pads for two 0ohm jumpers,
normally unpopulated, but you can bridge each jumper yourself using a 0ohm 0201
jumper; alternatively, simply strip a bit a wire (30awg solid core) and carefully
solder the wire across each of the pad jumpers, then carefully using a pair
of side cutters to cut off the excess wire, being careful not to rip the pads!

If you do this, please make sure to have the latest EC firmware as of 5
December 2024 (do not use older than what was latest on this day, and don't
use newer versions), because the code for this in coreboot targets a specific
area of code within the EC firmware.

You can then wire a 3.5mm stereo plug. On the other end you will wire your
TX/RX lines as you wish, to a suitable UART adapter; any 3.3v-rated TTL
adapter should work. The Raspberry Pi Pico can be used for this, which is handy
because that can also be used as a serprog-based NOR flasher!

The T480s (S model) schematics is a bit different and the signals are
properly muxed. Note that this is not to be confused with `spkmodem`, which
has not been tested on these boards (but could theoretically be possible too).

Idea for 2nd NVMe mod
----------------------

Interestingly, on boards without the Nvidia graphics, the solder pads for all
the componentry (including the GPU) is still present, so you could theoretically
design a QSB that solders to the right pads, and use it to wire a 2nd NVMe SSD;
the port is still enabled in Libreboot even if nothing is plugged into it, so it
should just work. (this doesn't actually exist yet, but it is electrically
possible, quite feasible to design/manufacture and already supported in the
Libreboot firmware in principle, since than PCI-E lane is enabled in the devicetree)

Mate Kukri came up with this idea. It's a great idea, so it's written here.
This mod is possible on both the T480 and T480s, though on T480s there would
be less clearance; using a smaller internal battery and having a makeshift
NVMe caddy in the remaining space would be how to go about it there. On the
regular T480, the existing caddy area could easily fit two NVMe drives.

Errata
======

Some features either don't work, or are untested, when running Libreboot on
the ThinkPad T480 or T480s.

NFC support in T480
-------------------

Some T480 models might have NFC support but  this is untested in Libreboot, and
probably dosen't work in current Libreboot releases.

The PCH's NFC device is unsupported in Linux anyway.

Touchscreen on T480
-------------------

Some T480 machines have touchscreens. These are untested; the touch functionality
probably doesn't work yet, in Libreboot.

The digitizer is simply a USB device, which *is* enabled, but it's just untested.

Smartcard reader
----------------

The smartcard reader is enabled but it is still untested. If you have one,
please test it and report back to the Libreboot project.

Thunderbolt not supported yet
-----------------------------

Thunderbolt is a way to get PCI-E on a USB port. With it, you can use
high-bandwidth devices such as 10Gbps network interfaces.

The thunderbolt controller is currently unconfigured, so you can't use
Thunderbolt, but the thunderbolt and regular USB-C connector can both be
used for charging, and both can be used for video output (it shows up in xrandr
as a DisplayPort).

[t480-thunderbolt-20241206-unstable.patch](This patch) can be added, enabling
Thunderbolt, but be warned: it is completely untested, as of Libreboot 20241206.
This patch is *NOT* included in the release, because it breaks on S3 resume,
and may cause a kernel panic. Also: currently testing only reveals that the
ThunderBolt controller shows up, and it was confirmed that USB devices do
work on the port, but everything else is UNTESTED.

You also need the [gerrit patch](https://review.coreboot.org/c/coreboot/+/75286)
adding a Thunderbolt driver to coreboot.

To apply these patches, do the following in a fresh clone of `lbmk.git` and do:

```
git checkout 20241206-t480-thunderbolt-unstable
```

In it, you'll find this commit:

```
commit 3881160b863ff53df9064a29a25aab55c76ee9c4 (HEAD -> 20241206-t480-thunderbolt-unstable)
Author: Leah Rowe <leah@libreboot.org>
Date:   Tue Dec 10 23:35:47 2024 +0000

    experimental/unstable t480 thunderbolt support
    
    Signed-off-by: Leah Rowe <leah@libreboot.org>
```

This was created by the following steps, applying the patches referenced above
and amending the coreboot configs for T480/T480s, within lbmk, from a fresh
clone of lbmk (Git repository):

```
git reset --hard b910424b5df8ed7c931a7b8f5cc8e34eacf0ca3e # 20241206rev2
./mk -f coreboot next
cd src/coreboot/next
wget https://libreboot.org/docs/install/t480-thunderbolt-20241206-unstable.patch
git fetch https://review.coreboot.org/coreboot refs/changes/86/75286/12 && git cherry-pick FETCH_HEAD
git am t480-thunderbolt-20241206-unstable.patch
git format-patch -n2
mv 0001-drivers-intel-dtbt-Add-discrete-Thunderbolt-driver.patch ../../../config/coreboot/next/patches/0010-drivers-intel-dtbt-Add-discrete-Thunderbolt-driver.patch
mv 0002-thunderbolt-fix-ish.patch ../../../config/coreboot/next/patches/0011-thunderbolt-fix-ish.patch
cd -
./mk -u coreboot t480s_fsp_16mb
./mk -u coreboot t480_fsp_16mb
git add config/coreboot/next/patches/
git add config/coreboot/t480_fsp_16mb/
git add config/coreboot/t480s_fsp_16mb/
git commit -s -m "experimental/unstable t480 thunderbolt support"
```

You can now follow standard [build instructions](../build/).

The branch named `20241206-t480-thunderbolt-unstable` already has the above
patches applied, including the configuration changes made by `./mk -u`, and
you can follow the same build instructions. In this lbmk branch, that
gerrit patch above (`refs/changes/86/75286/12`) is already included.

Whether you use the lbmk branch, or you add the patches manually as above,
you can then flash the resulting image and boot it.

**AGAIN: This will likely cause kernel panics, and it will break on resume
from S3 (resume from sleep). If you do test this, please report whether
the Thunderbolt devices actually work, but remember that you must NOT suspend
or put your machine to sleep.**

Nvidia dGPU not supported
-------------------------

Nvidia dGPU doesn't work and is disabled as of 6 December 2024; the Intel graphics
are still available even on Nvidia models, so Intel graphics are used.

WWAN slot untested.

`thinkpad_acpi` issues {#thinkpad-acpi}
---------------------------------------

It has been reported that `thinkpad_acpi` does not load correctly on the T480.
This should also be the case for the T480s.

If you encounter this issue, check\
[this page](../../faq.md#thinkpad-acpi)
for details as to how to fix this.