Censored Libreboot c20230710 announcement
Signed-off-by: Leah Rowe <leah@libreboot.org>c20230710
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censored-libreboot20230710.md
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audit.md
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e6400.md
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mirrors.md
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% Censored Libreboot c20230710 released!
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% Leah Rowe
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% 10 July 2023
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**[Click here for the uncensored version of this page](https://libreboot.org/news/censored-libreboot20230710.html)** -
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it shows what was removed from regular Libreboot, in order to make this release.
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This version of the release announcement is provided as an illustration of what
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such an announcement *would* have looked like, under previous Libreboot policy.
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Introduction
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============
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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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on [ARM-based chromebooks](../docs/install/chromebooks.html) supported
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(U-Boot bootloader, instead of Google's depthcharge bootloader). On x86
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machines, the GRUB and SeaBIOS coreboot
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payloads are officially supported, provided in varying configurations per
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machine. It provides an [automated build system](../docs/maintain/) for the
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[configuration](../docs/build/) and [installation](../docs/install/) of coreboot
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ROM images, making coreboot easier to use for non-technical people. You can find
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the [list of supported hardware](../docs/hardware/) in Libreboot documentation.
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Libreboot's main benefit is *higher boot speed*,
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[better](../docs/linux/encryption.md)
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[security](../docs/linux/grub_hardening.md) and more
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customisation options compared to most proprietary firmware. As a
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[libre](policy.md) software project, the code can be audited, and coreboot does
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regularly audit code. The other main benefit is [*freedom* to study, adapt and
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share the code](https://writefreesoftware.org/), a freedom denied by most boot
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firmware, but not Libreboot! Booting Linux/BSD is also [well](../docs/linux/)
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[supported](../docs/bsd/).
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Build from source
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-----------------
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*This* release was build-tested on Debian *Sid*, as of 9 July 2023. Your
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mileage may vary, with other distros. Refer to Libreboot documentation.
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KFSN4-DRE, KCMA-D8, KGPE-D16 re-added
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-------------------------------------
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FUN FACT: This includes building of ASUS KFSN4-DRE, KCMA-D8 and KGPE-D16
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boards, which were re-added based on coreboot `4.11_branch`. ROM images are
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provided for these boards, in this Libreboot release. The toolchain in
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this coreboot version would not build on modern Linux, so I spent time patching
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it. I want to use coreboot `4.11_branch` to study code differences between the
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D8 and D16 boards, which are mostly otherwise identical code-wise, so that I
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can port KCMA-D8 to Dasharo, and then use that for D8/D16 in Libreboot. Dasharo
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is based on a much newer coreboot version, with many new fixes/features.
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List of changes relative to Libreboot 20220710
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==============================================
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New mainboards supported
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------------------------
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These mainboards are now supported:
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* [Dell Latitude E6400](../docs/hardware/e6400.md)
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* [ASUS Chromebook Flip C101 (gru-bob)](../docs/install/chromebooks.md)
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* [Samsung Chromebook Plus (v1) (gru-kevin)](../docs/install/chromebooks.md)
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Build system changes
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--------------------
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A main focus has indeed been on build system auditing, utilities and
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general polishing:
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* [MASSIVE build system audit](audit.md) - the entire build system was
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re-written in a much cleaner coding style, with much stricter error handling
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and clear separation of logic. A *lot* of bugs were fixed. A *LOT* of bugs.
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Build system auditing has been the *main* focus, in these past 12 months.
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* `cros`: Disable coreboot-related BL31 features. This fixes poweroff on gru
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chromebooks. Patch courtesy of Alper Nebi Yasak.
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* `u-boot`: Increase EFI variable buffer size. This fixes an error where
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Debian's signed shim allocates too many EFI variables to fit in the space
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provided, breaking the boot process in Debian. Patch courtesy Alper Nebi Yasak
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* Coreboot build system: don't warn about no-payload configuration. Libreboot
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compiles ROM images *without* using coreboot's payload support, instead it
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builds most payloads by itself and inserts them (via cbfstool) afterwards.
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This is more flexible, allowing greater configuration; even U-Boot is
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handled this way, though U-Boot at least still uses coreboot's crossgcc
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toolchain collection to compile it. Patch courtesy Nicholas Chin.
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* `util/spkmodem-recv`: New utility, forked from GNU's implementation, then
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re-written to use OpenBSD style(9) programming style instead of the
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originally used GNU programming style, and it is uses
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OpenBSD `pledge()` when compiled on OpenBSD. Generally much cleaner coding
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style, with better error handling than the original GNU version (it is forked
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from coreboot, who forked it from GNU GRUB, with few changes made). This
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is a receiving client for spkmodem, which is a method coreboot provides to
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get a serial console via pulses on the PC speaker.
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* download/coreboot: Run `extra.sh` directly from given coreboot tree. Unused
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by any boards, but could allow expanding upon patching capabilities in lbmk
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for specific mainboards, e.g. apply coreboot gerrit patches in a specific
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order that is not easy to otherwise guarantee in more generalised logic of
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the Libreboot build system.
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* `util/e6400-flash-unlock`: New utility, that disables flashing protections
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on Dell's own BIOS firmware, for Dell Latitude E6400. This enables Libreboot
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installation *without* disassembling the machine (external flashing equipment
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is *not required*). Courtesy Nicholas Chin.
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* Build dependencies scripts updated for more modern distros. As of this day's
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release, Libreboot compiles perfectly in bleeding edge distros e.g. Arch
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Linux, whereas the previous 20220710 required using old distros e.g.
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Debian 10.
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* `cbutils`: New concept, which implements: build coreboot utilities like
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cbfstool and include the binaries in a directory inside lbmk, to be re-used.
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Previously, they would be compiled in-place within the coreboot build system,
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often re-compiled needlessly, and the checks for whether a given util are
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needed were very ad-hoc: now these checks are much more robust.
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Very centralised approach, per coreboot tree, rather than selectively
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compiling specific coreboot utilities, and makes the build system logic in
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Libreboot much cleaner.
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* GRUB config: 30s timeout by default, which is friendlier on some desktops
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that have delayed keyboard input in GRUB.
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* ICH9M/GM45 laptops: 256MB VRAM by default, instead of 352MB. This fixes
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certain performance issues, for some people, as 352MB can be very unstable.
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* U-Boot patches: for `gru_bob` and `gru_kevin` chromebooks, U-Boot is used
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instead of Google's own *depthcharge* bootloader. It has been heavily
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modified to avoid certain initialisation that is replaced by coreboot, in
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such a way that U-Boot is mainly used as a bootloader providing UEFI for
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compliant Linux distros and BSDs. Courtesy Alper Nebi Yasak.
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* lbmk: The entire Libreboot build system has, for the most part, been made
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portable; a lot of scripts now work perfectly, on POSIX-only implementations
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of `sh` (though, many dependencies still use GNU extensions, such as GNU
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Make, so this portability is not directly useful yet, but a stepping stone.
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Libreboot eventually wants to be buildable on non-GNU, non-Linux systems,
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e.g. BSD systems)
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* nvmutil: Lots of improvements to code quality, features, error handling. This
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utility was originally its own project, started by Leah Rowe, and later
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imported into the Libreboot build system.
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* build/boot/roms: Support cross-compiling coreboot toolchains for ARM platforms,
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in addition to regular x86 that was already supported. This is used for
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compiling U-boot as a payload, on mainboards.
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* U-boot integration: at first, it was just downloading U-Boot. Board integration
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for ARM platforms (from coreboot) came later, e.g. ASUS Chromebook Flip C101
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as mentioned above. The logic for this is forked largely from the handling
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of coreboot, because the interface for dealing with their build systems is
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largely similar, and they are largely similar projects. Courtesy Denis Carikli
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and Alper Nebi Yasak.
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* New utility: `nvmutil` - can randomise the MAC address on Intel GbE NICs, for
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systems that use an Intel Flash Descriptor
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* General build system fixes: better (and stricter) error handling
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* Fixed race condition when building SeaBIOS in some setups.
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* GRUB configs: only scan ATA, AHCI or both, depending on config per board.
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This mitigates performance issues in GRUB on certain mainboards, when
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scanning for `grub.cfg` files on the HDD/SSD.
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* GRUB configs: speed optimisations by avoiding slow device enumeration in
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GRUB.
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The number of changes are vast, too big to be readable on a release
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announcement. Again, I say: check log in `lbmk.git`.
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Hardware supported in Censored Libreboot c20230710
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==================================================
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All of the following are believed to *boot*, but if you have any issues,
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please contact the Libreboot project. They are:
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Desktops (AMD, Intel, x86)
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-----------------------
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- [Gigabyte GA-G41M-ES2L motherboard](../docs/hardware/ga-g41m-es2l.md)
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- [Acer G43T-AM3](../docs/hardware/acer_g43t-am3.md)
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- [Intel D510MO and D410PT motherboards](../docs/hardware/d510mo.md)
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- [Apple iMac 5,2](../docs/hardware/imac52.md)
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### Laptops (Intel, x86)
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- **[Dell Latitude E6400](../docs/hardware/e6400.md) (easy to flash, no disassembly, similar
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hardware to X200/T400)**
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- ThinkPad X60 / X60S / X60 Tablet
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- ThinkPad T60 (with Intel GPU)
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- [Lenovo ThinkPad X200 / X200S / X200 Tablet](../docs/hardware/x200.md)
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- Lenovo ThinkPad X301
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- [Lenovo ThinkPad R400](../docs/hardware/r400.md)
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- [Lenovo ThinkPad T400 / T400S](../docs/hardware/t400.md)
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- [Lenovo ThinkPad T500](../docs/hardware/t500.md)
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- [Lenovo ThinkPad W500](../docs/hardware/t500.md)
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- [Lenovo ThinkPad R500](../docs/hardware/r500.md)
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- [Apple MacBook1,1 and MacBook2,1](../docs/hardware/macbook21.md)
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### Laptops (ARM, with U-Boot payload)
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- [ASUS Chromebook Flip C101 (gru-bob)](../docs/install/chromebooks.md)
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- [Samsung Chromebook Plus (v1) (gru-kevin)](../docs/install/chromebooks.md)
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Downloads
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=========
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You can find this release on the downloads page. At the time of this
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announcement, some of the rsync mirrors may not have it yet, so please check
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another one if your favourite one doesn't have it.
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This censored version is in the directory named `censored`, on Librbeoot rsync
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and https mirrors. For example:
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<https://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/libreboot.org/release/censored/c20230710/>
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