78 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
78 lines
4.0 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.
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<img tabindex=1 class="r" src="https://av.libreboot.org/t500/0005.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/t500/0005.jpg" /></span>
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**NEW RELEASE: The latest release is Censored Libreboot c20230710, released on
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10 July 2023.
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See: [Censored Libreboot c20230710 release announcement](news/censored-libreboot20230710.md).**
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Why should you use *Libreboot*?
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----------------------------
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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.
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You have rights. The right to privacy, freedom of thought, freedom of speech
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and the right to read. In this context, Libreboot gives you these rights.
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Your freedom matters.
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[Right to repair](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=Npd_xDuNi9k) matters.
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Many people use proprietary (non-libre)
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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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The Libreboot project uses [coreboot](https://www.coreboot.org/) for [hardware
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initialisation](https://doc.coreboot.org/getting_started/architecture.html).
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Coreboot is notoriously difficult to install for most non-technical users; it
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handles only basic initialization and jumps to a separate
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[payload](https://doc.coreboot.org/payloads.html) program (e.g.
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[GRUB](https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/),
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[Tianocore](https://www.tianocore.org/)), which must also be configured.
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*Libreboot solves this problem*; it is a *coreboot distribution* with
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an [automated build system](docs/build/) that builds complete *ROM images*, for
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more robust installation. Documentation is provided.
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Libreboot is not a fork of coreboot
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-----------------------------------
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<img tabindex=1 class="l" style="max-width:15%;" src="https://av.libreboot.org/dip8/adapter.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/dip8/adapter.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 `make`, and it
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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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