lbwww/site/docs/install/e6430.md

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title: Flashing the Dell Latitude E6430
x-toc-enable: true
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**NOTE:** This installation guide also pertains to E5520, E6420, E6520, E5530
and E6530.

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

This guide is for those who want libreboot on their Latitude E6430 while
they still have the original Dell firmware present. This guide can also be
followed (adapted) if you brick your E6430, and you want to recover it.

**The Intel video initialisation is libre, implemented with publicly available
source code via libgfxinit, from the coreboot project.**

Only the intel GPU variants are supported. The Nvidia GPU variants are untested
and should be assumed *broken* by default.

Flash chip size {#flashchips}
===============

The internal flash size is 12MiB on this board; physically, an 8MiB and 4MiB
chip (two chips) but this distinction only matters for external flashing.

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) - E5530 users don't need to run this.

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
intentionally corrupt(disable) GbE sections if you wish, swap GbE parts,
etc). - **it is also the only software available for this. Please do not
use ich9gen on this board. This is an ivybridge board, not ICH9M.**

Intel GPU: libre video initialisation available
===============================================

Libreboot uses coreboot's native `libgfxinit` on this platform, for
variants with Intel graphics.

Libreboot releases after 20230625 will support this board, otherwise you can
refer to the [build instructions](../build/)

Nvidia GPU: Video BIOS Option ROM required
==========================================

UNSUPPORTED. DO NOT BUY THE NVIDIA VARIANT.

Only the Intel GPU variants are supported. It is believed that the Nvidia
variants still have Intel GPUs in them, configured via hardware mux, but this
has not yet been configured or tested in the coreboot code; you should assume
that the Nvidia models do not work.

How to flash internally (no diassembly)
=======================================

Please read the article:

[Internally flash Dell Latitude laptops](dell_internal.md)

Dell's original BIOS/UEFI firmware typically prevents write access, but it
has bugs which can be exploited, to enable Libreboot installation very easily.
You do not have to disassemble the machine.

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 chipset, which is not
isolated using a diode. As a result, powering the flash chip externally may
cause the QM77 chipset to partially power up and drive the SPI pins, 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.