From ebfd00f13264cf12c0d31b1723508762bb923628 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Leah Rowe Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2023 19:57:49 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] e6400 announce --- site/news/MANIFEST | 1 + site/news/e6400.md | 70 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ site/news/gm45microcode.md | 3 ++ 3 files changed, 74 insertions(+) create mode 100644 site/news/e6400.md diff --git a/site/news/MANIFEST b/site/news/MANIFEST index 5ecc7a8..30cc2df 100644 --- a/site/news/MANIFEST +++ b/site/news/MANIFEST @@ -1,3 +1,4 @@ +e6400.md gm45microcode.md hp8200sff.md libreboot20230413.md diff --git a/site/news/e6400.md b/site/news/e6400.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..13585dd --- /dev/null +++ b/site/news/e6400.md @@ -0,0 +1,70 @@ +% Dell Latitute E6400 added (blob-free config) +% Leah Rowe +% 15 April 2023 + +Introduction +============ + +Today, Libreboot gained the Dell Latitute E6400 laptop port. This is a +blob-less port, courtesy of Nicholas Chin (`nic3-14159` on Libreboot IRC). +Nichael has worked extensively on this port, for several years, and it's in +a ready state for entry to Libreboot. + +The hardware platform is GM45, similar to ThinkPad X200, T400 and so on that +Libreboot already supports. + +You can learn more on the E6400 [installation page](../docs/install/e6400.md) +and the [hardware info page](../docs/install/e6400). + +This is a *blob-free* board in the boot flash. No Intel ME firmware needed, +and [microcode can be removed if you wish](gm45microcode.md) (you should still +leave microcode there, as is default, but some people remove it by choice that +we give them - see: [Binary Blobs Reduction Policy](policy.md)). + +*But wait.* There's more. A lot more of *them*, that is. + +Readily available on eBay etc, and cheap +----------------------------- + +Dells were much more popular than those ThinkPads, and more commonly used, +so there are still *several* of these available on sites like eBay. Enough to +keep people with an affinity for GM45 machines happy for a while longer (older +GM45 ThinkPad X200, T400 etc are very hard to find nowadays). + +This could very well replace X200, T400 etc, in terms of what certain people +want to use - nice enough screen/keyboard, and easy of installation just makes +this a very nice machine indeed. + +But wait.... It gets better: + +Software flashing possible! (no disassembly) +--------------------------- + +tl;dr Nicholas is a genius, but he spent time studying the board, finding that +the EC is hooked up to GPIO33 which allows for flash descriptor override. He +successfully reverse engineered a command that can be used to disable +protections, allowing installation of Libreboot. + +This is without needing to disassemble. No clip required. + +**That is to say, you can install Libreboot on this board without +taking it apart, and you can install it easily within 5 minutes.** + +This is done with the following utility from Nicholas Chin, which I merged +into lbmk: + + + +The original util, before Nicholas sent it to lbmk, is here (same util): + + + +It merges some code changes that I made myself, after Nicholas published it, +tidying up the code a bit (OpenBSD-like coding style adopted, for fun). See: + + + +Libreboot users should use the one in `util/` on Libreboot proper. + + +That is all! Read the manuals to know more about this machine. Thank you! diff --git a/site/news/gm45microcode.md b/site/news/gm45microcode.md index 6395c78..7cdd78b 100644 --- a/site/news/gm45microcode.md +++ b/site/news/gm45microcode.md @@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ % Leah Rowe % 17 April 2023 +UPDATE: This also applies to the Dell Latitute E6400 port, added on 19 +April 2023 to Libreboot. See: [E6400 announcement](e6400.md) + The change described in this article is *not* present in Libreboot 20221214, 20230319 or 20230413 - it will be present in the *next* Libreboot release.