267 lines
10 KiB
Markdown
267 lines
10 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: ThinkPad T500 external flashing
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x-toc-enable: true
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...
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**If you haven't bought a T500 yet: the [Dell Latitude
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E6400](../../news/e6400.md) is much easier to flash; no disassembly required,
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it can be flashed entirely in software from Dell BIOS to Libreboot. It is the
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same hardware generation (GM45), with same CPUs, video processor, etc.**
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Initial flashing instructions for T500.
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This guide is for those who want libreboot on their ThinkPad T500 while
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they still have the original Lenovo BIOS present. This guide can also be
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followed (adapted) if you brick your T500, to know how to recover.
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W500 is also mostly compatible with this guide.
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Serial port {#serial_port}
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-----------
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EHCI debug might not be needed. It has been reported that the docking
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station for this laptop has a serial port, so it might be possible to
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use that instead.
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A note about CPUs
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=================
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[ThinkWiki](http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T500) has a list of
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CPUs for this system. The Core 2 Duo P8400, P8600 and P8700 are believed
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to work in libreboot. The T9600 was also tested on the T400 and
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confirmed working.
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T9550 and T9900 was tested by a user, and is compatible as reported in the IRC channel.
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T9500 and T9400 may also work, but YMMV.
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Quad-core CPUs
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--------------
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Very likely to be compatible, but requires hardware modification.
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Based on info from German forum post about installing Core Quad CPU on T500 found in coreboot mailing list. Currently work in progress and no guide available.
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Q9100 is compatible and confirmed working (after hw mod), as reported by users in the IRC
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channel
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- [Coreboot mailing list post](https://mail.coreboot.org/pipermail/coreboot/2016-November/082463.html)
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- [German forum post about install Core Quad on T500](https://thinkpad-forum.de/threads/199129)
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This video from FrostKiwi (Libera IRC) does a nice illustration and explains
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everything nicely:
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<https://yewtu.be/watch?v=Fs4GjDiOie8>
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A note about GPUs
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=================
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Some models have an Intel GPU, while others have both an ATI and an
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Intel GPU; this is referred to as "switchable graphics". In the *BIOS
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setup* program for lenovobios, you can specify that the system will use
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one or the other (but not both).
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libreboot is known to work on systems with only the Intel GPU, using
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native graphics initialization. On systems with switchable graphics, the
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Intel GPU is used and the ATI GPU is disabled, so native graphics
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initialization works all the same.
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CPU paste required
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==================
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See [\#paste](#paste).
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Flash chip size {#flashchips}
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===============
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Use this to find out:
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flashrom -p internal
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MAC address {#macaddress}
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===========
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Refer to [mac\_address.md](../hardware/mac_address.md).
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Clip wiring
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===========
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Refer to [spi.md](spi.md) as a guide for external re-flashing.
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The procedure
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-------------
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Remove all screws:\
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\
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It is also advisable to, throughout the disassembly, place any screws
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and/or components that you removed in the same layout or arrangement.
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The follow photos demonstrate this:\
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Remove the HDD/SSD and optical drive:\
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Remove the palm rest:\
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Remove the keyboard and rear bezel:\
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If you have a WWAN/3G card and/or sim card reader, remove them
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permanently. The WWAN-3G card has proprietary firmware inside; the
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technology is identical to what is used in mobile phones, so it can also
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track your movements:\
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Remove this frame, and then remove the wifi chip:\
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Remove the speakers:\
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Remove the NVRAM battery (already removed in this photo):\
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When you re-assemble, you will be replacing the wifi chip with another.
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These two screws don't hold anything together, but they are included in
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your system because the screw holes for half-height cards are a
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different size, so use these if you will be installing a half-height
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card:\
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Unroute the antenna wires:\
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Disconnect the LCD cable from the motherboard:\
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Remove the LCD assembly hinge screws, and then remove the LCD assembly:\
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Remove the fan and heatsink:\
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Remove this screw:\
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Remove these cables, keeping note of how and in what arrangement they
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are connected:\
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Disconnect the power jack:\
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Remove the motherboard and cage from the base (the marked hole is where
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those cables were routed through):\
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Remove all screws, arranging them in the same layout when placing the
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screws on a surface and marking each screw hole (this is to reduce the
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possibility of putting them back in the wrong holes):\
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Also remove this:\
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Separate the motherboard from the cage:\
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The flash chip is next to the memory slots. On this system, it was a
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SOIC-8 (4MiB or 32Mb) flash chip:\
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Connect your programmer, then connect GND and 3.3V\
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\
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Now flash Libreboot.
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Thermal paste (IMPORTANT)
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=========================
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Because part of this procedure involved removing the heatsink, you will
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need to apply new paste. Arctic MX-4 is ok. You will also need isopropyl
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alcohol and an anti-static cloth to clean with.
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When re-installing the heatsink, you must first clean off all old paste
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with the alcohol/cloth. Then apply new paste. Arctic MX-4 is also much
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better than the default paste used on these systems.
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NOTE: the photo above is for illustration purposes only, and does not
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show how to properly apply the thermal paste. Other guides online detail
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the proper application procedure.
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Wifi
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====
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The T500 typically comes with an Intel wifi chipset, which does not work
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without proprietary software. For a list of wifi chipsets that work
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without proprietary software, see
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[../hardware/\#recommended\_wifi](../hardware/#recommended_wifi).
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Some T500 laptops might come with an Atheros chipset, but this is
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802.11g only.
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It is recommended that you install a new wifi chipset. This can only be
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done after installing libreboot, because the original firmware has a
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whitelist of approved chips, and it will refuse to boot if you use an
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'unauthorized' wifi card.
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The following photos show an Atheros AR5B95 being installed, to replace
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the Intel chip that this T500 came with:\
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WWAN
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====
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If you have a WWAN/3G card and/or sim card reader, remove them
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permanently. The WWAN-3G card has DMA, and proprietary firmware inside;
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the technology is identical to what is used in mobile phones, so it can
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also track your movements.
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Not to be confused with wifi (wifi is fine).
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Memory
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======
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In DDR3 machines with Cantiga (GM45/GS45/PM45), northbridge requires sticks
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that will work as PC3-8500 (faster PC3/PC3L sticks can work as PC3-8500).
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Non-matching pairs may not work. Single module (meaning, one of the slots
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will be empty) will currently only work in slot 0.
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NOTE: according to users reports, non matching pairs (e.g. 1+2 GiB) might
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work in some cases.
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Make sure that the RAM you buy is the 2Rx8 configuration when buying 4GiB sticks
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(In other words: maximum of 2GiB per rank, 2 ranks per card).
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[This page](http://www.forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?p=760721) might
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be useful for RAM compatibility info (note: coreboot raminit is
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different, so this page might be BS)
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The following photo shows 8GiB (2x4GiB) of RAM installed:\
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Boot it!
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--------
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You should see something like this:
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Now [install Linux](../linux/).
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