179 lines
6.9 KiB
Markdown
179 lines
6.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Flashing Libreboot on Dell Latitude laptops
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x-toc-enable: true
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...
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All of the Dell Latitude models can be flashed internally, which means that
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you do not need to disassemble them. You can do it from Linux/BSD, using the
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instructions on this page.
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Disable security before flashing
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================================
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**[SAFETY WARNING: Always insert vendor files before flashing.](../../news/safety.md),
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or look directly at [Injecting Vendor Files](ivy_has_common.md). If you flash
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Libreboot without inserting vendor files, you will brick the machine; if you
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do, please follow the external flashing instructions linked below.**
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Please also [disable /dev/mem protection](devmem.md), otherwise flashprog
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and dell-flash-unlock won't work. You can re-enable the protections after
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flashing.
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Please also disable SecureBoot, if you're using a UEFI-based Dell Latitude.
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Note that Libreboot does not currently implement UEFI on x86 platforms, but
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you can set up [Secure libreBoot](../linux/grub_hardening.md) after flashing.
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MAC address
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===========
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Make sure to set your own MAC address in the ROM image before flashing.
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Please read the [nvmutil manual](nvmutil.md) which says how to do this.
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Thermal safety
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==============
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**Thermal safety**: this machine shuts down very quickly, when the machine
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exceeds 80c CPU temperature, which is far more conservative than on most
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laptops (non-Dell ones), so you should make sure that your thermals are
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excellent. More info available [here](../install/dell_thermal.md). This is a
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known bug, but otherwise the machine will be mostly stable.
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Machine-specific notes
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======================
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Latitude E6400
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--------------
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Vendor files not required for Dell Latitude E6400 if you have the Intel GPU.
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If you have the Nvidia model, please use the `e6400nvidia_4mb` target, and
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make sure to run the inject script.
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E6400 nvidia issues
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-------------------
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See: <https://codeberg.org/libreboot/lbmk/issues/14#issuecomment-907758>
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If using Linux on Nvidia GPU variants of E6400, please boot using `nomodeset`.
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The `nv` drivers on BSD systems generally work, but can have severe performance
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issues; use of a tiling window manager is recommended, on BSD systems, because
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moving windows around can literally lag a lot otherwise, on most window managers.
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dGPU variants
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-------------
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On everything except E6400, Libreboot only supports the variant with an Intel
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GPU. Therefore, you must *only* purchase a Dell Latitude that has the Intel
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graphics; even on E6400, this is good advice, due to issues with the Nvidia
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GPU on E6400, documented later in this guide.
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Internal flashing
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=================
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You can simply boot Linux/BSD, on the Dell Latitude you wish to flash, and
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run `flashprog` from there, for Libreboot installation. Certain other steps
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are also required, documented in the steps below:
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You can flash Libreboot directly from the vendor (Dell) BIOS, without taking
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the machine apart. It can be done entirely from Linux/BSD.
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**NOTE (15 October 2023): The util is now called `dell-flash-unlock`, but it
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was previously called `e6400-flash-unlock`. Links have been updated.**
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Check `util/dell-flash-unlock` in the `lbmk.git` repository, or in release
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archives for Libreboot releases from 20230423 onwards.
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Go in there:
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cd util/dell-flash-unlock
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make
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**With this program, you can unlock the flash in such a way where everything
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is writeable. Information about how to use it is in the `README.md` file which
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is included in that program's directory, or you can read it online here:**
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**<https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/plain/util/dell-flash-unlock/README.md>**
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**Please make sure that you do fully read the README, because it contains
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useful information.**
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Literally just run that program, and do what it says. You run it once, and shut
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down, and when you do, the system brings itself back up automatically; on some
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systems, you have to boot the machine back up manually, after power down. Then
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you run it and flash it unlocked. Then you run it again. The source code is
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intuitive enough that you can easily get the gist of it; it's writing some EC
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commands and changing some chipset config bits. The EC on this machine is
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hooked up to the `GPIO33` signal, sometimes called `HDA_DOCK_EN`, which sets
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the flash descriptor override thus disabling any flash protection by the IFD.
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It also bypasses the SMM BIOS lock protection by disabling SMIs, and Dell's
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BIOS doesn't set any other type of protection either such as writing to
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Protected Range registers.
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MAKE SURE to back up the original firmware image first:
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flashprog -p internal -r factory.rom
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When you flash it, you can use this command:
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flashprog -p internal -w libreboot.rom
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Where `libreboot.rom` is your Dell Latitude ROM. *Make sure* it's the right
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one. If flashprog complains about multiple flash chips detected, just pick one of them (doesn't matter which one). On *most* Dell machines, the most correct
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would probably be this option in flashprog: `-c MX25L3205D/MX25L3208D`.
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So:
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flashprog -p internal -w libreboot.rom -c MX25L3205D/MX25L3208D
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When you see flashprog say `VERIFIED` at the end, that means the flash was
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successful. If you don't see that, or you're unsure, please [contact the
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Libreboot project via IRC](../../contact.md).
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External flashing
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=================
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General guidance
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----------------
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Machine-specific disassembly instructions not provided, but you can find
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the hardware maintenance manual for your Latitude module online. Just search
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for it. The flash chips(s) is/are usually under the keyboard/palmrest. Near
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to the PCH/southbridge.
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Note that you often have to provide a high current for VCC, because the flash
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chip will share a common voltage rail with other power-hungry ICs on the
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board, or the flash ICs will share a common MISO/MOSI line without resistance,
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with chip selects controlled by PCH, and/or the PCH itself might be live while
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flashing - so you need to set the drive strength high.
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Take stock of the above advice, which is also mentioned on the external SPI
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flashing guide.
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Please read the [external SPI flash guide](spi.md)
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External flashing is usually not required, on these machines.
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Chip size guidance
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------------------
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SOme Dell Latitudes use a single flash chip, so you can
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just use the ROM images as-is.
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If there are two flash chips, you must split the ROM images. Check the silk
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screen on the board, and the first chip might be labelled something like SPI1,
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second one SPI2. Figure out which one is first.
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Look at the part number on the chip and find the flash size for it. For example:
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a 10MB flash might be 2MB for SPI1 and 8MB for SPI2, so you would do:
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dd if=libreboot.rom of=spi1.rom bs=1M count=2
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dd if=libreboot.rom of=spi2.rom bs=1M skip=2
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Adapt accordingly, to the exact flash configuration on your machine. 16MB is
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likely one chip. 12MB is usually SPI1 8MB and SPI2 4MB so you would do:
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dd if=libreboot.rom of=spi1.rom bs=1M count=8
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dd if=libreboot.rom of=spi2.rom bs=1M skip=8
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If in doubt, just ask on Libreboot IRC.
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