brick
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libreboot20230319_update.md
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freedom.md
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libreboot20230319.md
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usa-libre-part3.md
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% Leah Rowe
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% 19 March 2023
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**UPDATE: `t440pmrc_12mb` and `w541mrc_12mb` images were deleted from the
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release; PLEASE DO NOT USE THEM AS THEY DO NOT BOOT.**
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**The images of target `t440p_12mb` and `w541_12mb` boot just fine, and these
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use the libre MRC replacement for raminit. The `t440pmrc_12mb`
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and `w541mrc_12mb` images use blob MRC. More info about that is below, and
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you can read this follow-up news article about the retroactive deletion, see:**
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**[libreboot20230319_update.md](libreboot2023019_update.md)**
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Libreboot provides boot firmware for supported x86/ARM machines, starting a
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bootloader that then loads your operating system. It replaces proprietary
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BIOS/UEFI firmware on x86 machines, and provides an *improved* configuration
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% T440p ROMs using mrc.bin deleted from release (libre MRC setups retained)
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% Leah Rowe
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% 23 March 2023
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Introduction, and warning
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=========================
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Haswell machines (T440p/W541 ThinkPads) have the following targets in lbmk,
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and these were available in as ROM images pre-compiled in the recent
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Libreboot 20230319 release. They are:
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* `t440pmrc_12mb`: uses `mrc.bin` for raminit / peripherals (binary blob)
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* `w541mrc_12mb`: uses `mrc.bin` for raminit / peripherals (binary blob!)
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* `t440p_12mb`: uses Angel Pon's experimental libre replacement of `mrc.bin`
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* `w541_12mb`: ditto (uses Angel's code)
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The `t440p_12mb` and `w541_12mb` images are *still available*, in the
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Libreboot 20230319 release images. HOWEVER:
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The `t440pmrc_12mb` and `w541mrc_12mb` images have been *deleted* from rsync,
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for the Libreboot 20230319 release. The previous 20221214 release also had
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these as `t440p_12mb` and `w541_12mb` because in that release, only the blob
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MRC was available (Angel's libre replacement appeared in the 20230319 release),
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and they've been deleted there aswell.
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If you downloaded pre-built `t440pmrc_12mb` or `w541mrc_12mb`, please DO NOT
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USE THEM AS THEY DO NOT BOOT. The cause is being investigated.
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Essentially, we believe that there are differences between these two things,
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in terms of the resulting image after MRC blob insertion:
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* Coreboot's own build system logic, for inserting MRC blobs. This is what
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Libreboot uses when compiling these images, on those targets. **This boots
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just fine.**
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* Libreboot's own `blobutil` which is used to re-insert MRC blobs on release
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images (which have the MRC blobs scrubbed, prior to release). **Does not
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boot, resulting in a brick.**
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So it is these differences being investigated first. If you want to reliably
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boot and use `t440pmrc_12mb` or `w541mrc_12mb`, please compile them yourself
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using the [Libreboot build instructions](../docs/build/) - otherwise, if you
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want the libre MRC version, using `t440p_12mb` or `w541_12mb` images, then
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that's OK and you can use the pre-compiled images from Libreboot 20230319.
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Context
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-------
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When building T440p or W541 ROM images directly, from `lbmk` (Libreboot's
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automated build system), MRC images are inserted if required (depending on
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the build target). These images are scrubbed from release images, and a script
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is provided (documented) to re-download and re-insert these into the image.
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**Scenario one, compile from lbmk (using `mrc.bin`) - BOOTS FINE:**
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Booting T440p/W541 images generated by running lbmk directly (or using source
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tarballs from releases to build them), on an image that uses the `mrc.bin`
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blob, will boot perfectly and work just fine.
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**Scenario two, release roms (using `mrc.bin`) - DOES NOT BOOT:**
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However, it was discovered that when inserting these blobs into the ROM images
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on release images, using Libreboot's `blobutil`, the resulting ROM would not
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boot when flashed, resulting in a brick.
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**THEREFORE, if you downloaded Libreboot images that require `mrc.bin`, please
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do NOT use them, please instead compile from source using `lbmk`, or use the
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release images from 20230319 of target `t440p_12mb` or `w541_12mb`; these
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versions will work, but the blob MRC ones named `t440pmrc_12mb`
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and `w541mrc_12mb` are currently BROKEN, in the release.**
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For the time being, Libreboot will *not* provide Haswell images that
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use the *blob* `mrc.bin`. It will *only* provide the images that use libre MRC.
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If you want to use a setup with the blob `mrc.bin`, please compile Libreboot
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yourself.
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I apologise to anyone who flashed using `blobutil` to insert `mrc.bin`. This
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was reported online but I initially shrugged it off, until I tested it myself
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this evening.
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At the time of publishing this post, some of the rsync/https mirrors still
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have the offending images, but some have already synced the deletion on my end.
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