8.8 KiB
This is a GM45/PM45 platform, so completely libre initialisation in coreboot is possible, provided by default in Libreboot.
Management Engine (ME) firmware removed
This port in Libreboot makes use of ich9gen from ich9utils, which
you can read about in the ich9utils manual - this
creates a no-ME setup. The Intel Management Engine firmware (ME) is completely
removed, and the ME disabled, just like on ThinkPad X200, T400 and so on.
The E6400 laptops may come with the ME (and sometimes AMT in addition) before flashing libreboot. Dell also sold configurations with the ME completely disabled, identifiable by a yellow sticker reading "3 ME Disabled" inside the bottom panel. This config sets the MeDisable bit in the IFD and sets the ME region almost entirely to 1's, with the occasional 32-bit value (likely not executable). libreboot disables and removes it by using a modified descriptor: see ../install/ich9utils.md (contains notes, plus instructions)
Issues pertaining to Nvidia GPU variants
Nouveau(in Linux) currently broken
Nouveau is the libre driver in Linux, for Nvidia graphics. Nvidia themselves do not provide binary drivers anymore, for these GPUs.
If you're booting an Nvidia variant in Linux, boot Linux with
the nomodeset kernel option at boot time. This means that graphics are
rendered in software.
More information about Nvidia E6400 models is written in
the regular E6400 hardware page. The reason it's
in a WIP branch is because, on this day, more testing is needed; the Linux
nouveau driver crashed when I tried to start xorg (tested in Debian
Stable, 11.6, with default kernel and mesa - use of nomodeset kernel option
at boot time makes Xorg work just fine, when I tested it, but this means that
all video is being rendered in software) - this is being
investigated, and when a fix is made, either to nouveau and/or coreboot, this
variant of the E6400 will become available in Libreboot's master branch, and
subsequent releases.
The same Video BIOS Option ROM is used by Dell's boot firmware, and Xorg works just fine there under Linux, with the same nouveau driver. A trace could be performed, to see where Nouveau crashes.
Development discussion, for Nvidia variants of E6400, is available here:
https://codeberg.org/libreboot/lbmk/issues/14
OpenBSD's Nvidia driver works perfectly
OpenBSD 7.3 was tested, on my Nvidia-model E6400, and works perfectly, including 2D and 3D acceleration. I wholeheartedly recommend OpenBSD in general, but it works especially well on these machines.
OpenBSD is a complete free 4.4BSD Unix operating system focused on portability, security and code correctness. It's quite a competent OS for many purposes, and works very well on laptops. I use it myself for all sorts of things. If you're already familiar with Linux-based systems, OpenBSD will immediately feel familiar, and it has the best documentation. You can configure the entire system by just reading the FAQ page and manpages, and it's very easy to get a basic setup really quickly. A lot of the packages you might be familiar with in Linux are available in ports. You may have heard that Linux-based systems are unix-like, but BSD systems are Unix, by code heritage.
You can find information in Libreboot about BSD operating systems on the main guide:
FreeBSD and newer Linux (e.g. Archlinux) untested!
Testers needed! Please get in touch!
At the time of writing this post, FreeBSD and newer Linux have not yet been tested (I plan to test Arch Linux), but the older Linux/Mesa version in Debian 11.6 works just fine in the Dell BIOS, and I've confirmed that it uses the exact same Video BIOS Option ROM.