189 lines
10 KiB
Markdown
189 lines
10 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Libreboot project
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x-toc-enable: true
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...
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The *Libreboot* project provides
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[free, open source](https://writefreesoftware.org/) (*libre*) boot
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firmware based on coreboot, replacing proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware
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on [specific Intel/AMD x86 and ARM based motherboards](docs/hardware/),
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including laptop and desktop computers. It initialises the hardware (e.g. memory
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controller, CPU, peripherals) and starts a bootloader for your operating
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system. [Linux](docs/linux/) and [BSD](docs/bsd/) are well-supported. Help is
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available via [\#libreboot](https://web.libera.chat/#libreboot)
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on [Libera](https://libera.chat/) IRC. The [tasks page](tasks/) lists what
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we are working on (contributions are welcome, if you want to work on some of
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them yourself).
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<img tabindex=1 class="r" src="https://av.libreboot.org/hp9470m/9470m+2560p.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/hp9470m/9470m+2560p.jpg" /></span>
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You can also [buy Libreboot preinstalled](https://minifree.org/) from Minifree Ltd,
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on select hardware, aswell as send your compatible hardware
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for [Libreboot preinstallation](https://minifree.org/product/installation-service/).
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The founder and lead developer of Libreboot, Leah Rowe, also owns and operates
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Minifree; sales provide funding for Libreboot.
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**NEW RELEASE: The latest release is Libreboot 20240504, released on
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4 May 2024.
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See: [Libreboot 20240504 release announcement](news/libreboot20240504.md).**
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*We* believe the freedom to [study, share, modify and use
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software](https://writefreesoftware.org/), without any
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restriction, is one of the fundamental human rights that everyone must have.
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In this context, *software freedom* matters. Your freedom matters. Education
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matters.
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[Right to repair](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=Npd_xDuNi9k) matters; Libreboot lets
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you continue to use your hardware, with continued firmware updates. All of this
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is *why* Libreboot exists.
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Overview of Libreboot design
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============================
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<img tabindex=1 class="l" style="max-width:25%;" src="https://av.libreboot.org/thinkpadcollection/thinkpadcollection1-min.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/thinkpadcollection/thinkpadcollection1-min.jpg" /></span>
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Libreboot provides [coreboot](https://coreboot.org/) for [machine
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initialisation](https://doc.coreboot.org/getting_started/architecture.html),
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which then jumps to a [payload](https://doc.coreboot.org/payloads.html) in
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the boot flash; coreboot works with many programs, but Libreboot specifically
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provides SeaBIOS, GNU GRUB and U-Boot as options. Memtest86+ is also provided
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in flash, on some mainboards. The payload is the program in flash that provides
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the early user interface, for booting an operating system. This *payload*
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infrastructure means you can run whatever you want (even Linux!) from the
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boot flash.
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Libreboot is specifically a *coreboot distribution*, in the same way that
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Debian is a *Linux distribution*. Libreboot makes coreboot easy to use for
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non-technical users, by providing a [fully automated build
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system](docs/maintain/), [automated build process](docs/build/) and
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[user-friendly installation instructions](docs/install/), in addition to
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regular binary releases that provide pre-compiled ROM images for installation
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on supported hardware. Without automation such as that provided by Libreboot,
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coreboot would be inaccessible for most users; you can also
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still [reconfigure](docs/maintain/) Libreboot however you wish.
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Why use Libreboot?
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==================
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<img tabindex=1 class="r" style="max-width:25%;" src="https://av.libreboot.org/hp2170p/hp2170p.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/hp2170p/hp2170p.jpg" /></span>
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If you're already inclined towards free software, maybe already a coreboot user,
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Libreboot makes it easier to either get started or otherwise maintain coreboot
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on your machine, via build automation. It provides regular tested releases,
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pre-assembled, often with certain patches on top of coreboot (and other code)
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to ensure stability. By comparison, coreboot uses a rolling-release model, with
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a snapshot of the codebase every few months; it is very much developer-oriented,
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whereas Libreboot is specifically crafted for end users. In other words, the
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purpose of Libreboot is to *Just Work*. Direct configuration and installation
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of coreboot is also possible, but Libreboot makes it *much* easier.
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Libreboot gives you [freedoms](https://writefreesoftware.org/) that
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you otherwise can't get with most other boot firmware, plus faster boot speeds
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and [better security](docs/linux/grub_hardening.md). It's extremely powerful
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and [configurable](docs/maintain/) for many use cases. If you're unhappy with
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the restrictions (not to mention, security issues) imposed on you by proprietary
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BIOS vendors, then Libreboot is one possible choice for you. Since it inherits
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coreboot, it doesn't have any known backdoors in the code, nor does it contain
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legacy cruft from the 1980s. Libreboot provides a sleek, fast boot experience
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for Linux/BSD systems, based on coreboot which is regularly audited and improved.
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Libreboot is more reliable than proprietary firmware. Many people use proprietary
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(non-libre) boot firmware, even if they use [a libre OS](https://www.openbsd.org/).
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Proprietary firmware often [contains](faq.html#intel) [backdoors](faq.html#amd),
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and can be buggy. The Libreboot project was founded in December 2013, with the
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express purpose of making coreboot firmware accessible for non-technical users.
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Libreboot is a community-oriented project, with a focus on helping users escape
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proprietary boot firmware; we ourselves want to live in a world where all software
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is [free](https://writefreesoftware.org/), and so, Libreboot is an effort to
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help get closer to that world. Unlike the big vendors, we don't try to stifle
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you in any way, nor do we see you as a security threat; we regard the ability
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to use, study, modify and redistribute software freely to be a human right that
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everyone must have. Extended to computers, these are products that you purchased,
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and so you should have the freedom to change them in any way you like. When you
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see Intel talk about their *Boot Guard* (which prevents coreboot by only letting
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firmware signed by them be executed) or other vendors imposing similar
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restrictions, and you hear them talk about "security", they are only talking
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about *their* security, not yours. In the Libreboot project, it is reversed; we
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see Intel Boot Guard and similar such technologies as an attack on your freedom
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over your own property (your computer), and so, we make it our mission to help
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you [wrest](https://trmm.net/TOCTOU/) back such control.
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Libreboot is not a fork of coreboot
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===================================
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<img tabindex=1 class="r" style="max-width:25%;" src="https://av.libreboot.org/t1650/t1650_grub.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/t1650/t1650_grub.jpg" /></span>
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In fact, Libreboot tries to stay as close to *stock* coreboot as possible,
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for each board, but with many different types of configuration provided
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automatically by the Libreboot build system.
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In the same way that *Alpine Linux* is a *Linux distribution*, Libreboot is
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a *coreboot distribution*. If you want to build a ROM image from scratch, you
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otherwise have to perform expert-level configuration of coreboot, GRUB and
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whatever other software you need, to prepare the ROM image. With *Libreboot*,
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you can literally download from Git or a source archive, and run a simple script,
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and it will build entire ROM images. An automated build system, named `lbmk`
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(Libreboot MaKe), builds these ROM images automatically, without any user input
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or intervention required. Configuration has already been performed in advance.
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If you were to build regular coreboot, without using Libreboot's automated
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build system, it would require a lot more intervention and decent technical
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knowledge to produce a working configuration.
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Regular binary releases of Libreboot provide these
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ROM images pre-compiled, and you can simply install them, with no special
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knowledge or skill except the ability to
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follow [simplified instructions, written for non-technical
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users](docs/install/).
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How to help
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-----------
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The [tasks page](tasks/) lists tasks that could (will) be worked on. It will
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be updated over time as more tasks are added/completede. If you want to help,
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you could pick one of these tasks and work on it.
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<img tabindex=1 class="l" style="max-width:15%;" src="https://av.libreboot.org/hp8200sff/grub_open.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/hp8200sff/grub_open.jpg" /></span>
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The *single* biggest way you can help is to *add* new mainboards in Libreboot,
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by submitting a config. Anything coreboot supports can be integrated in
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Libreboot, with ROM images provided in releases. See:
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* [Apply to become a board maintainer/tester](docs/maintain/testing.md)
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* [Porting guide for new mainboards](docs/maintain/porting.md)
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* [Libreboot build system documentation](docs/maintain/)
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After that, there is build system maintenance (see above), and *documentation*
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which we take seriously. Documentation is critical, in any project.
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*User support* is also critical. Stick around on IRC, and if you're competent
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to help someone with their issue (or wily enough to learn with them), that is
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a great service to the project. A lot of people also ask for user support
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on the `r/libreboot` subreddit.
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You can check bugs listed on
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the [bug tracker](https://codeberg.org/libreboot/lbmk/issues).
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If you spot a bug and have a fix, [here are instructions for how to send
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patches](git.md), and you can also report it. Also, this entire website is
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written in Markdown and hosted in a [separate
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repository](https://codeberg.org/libreboot/lbwww) where you can send patches.
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Any and all development discussion and user support are all done on the IRC
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channel. More information is on the [contact page](contact.md).
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Translations needed, for libreboot.org
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--------------------------------------
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Libreboot currently has translated Web pages in Ukrainian and French (but not
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for all pages, yet, on either language).
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If you want to help with translations, you can translate pages, update existing
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translations and submit your translated versions. For instructions, please
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read:
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[How to submit translations for libreboot.org](news/translations.md)
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Even if someone is already working on translations in a given language, we can
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always use multiple people. The more the merrier!
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