* Massive build system audit, bugs fixed. Cleaner BSD-like coding style now used for much of the logic. * Two new boards (HP 2570p and 8300 USDT) * Microcode-free ROMs available, as alternative to default ROMs that include it. * gru-* chromebook fixes: more reliable boot/shutdown * Better error handling in lbmk * Forked spkmodem-recv from GNU, *pledged* it and re-wrote in OpenBSD coding style
Nothing stopping a Libreboot release now. I've been trying, for days, to hunt down the cause of a random linker error I kept getting from coreboot's build system. It's caused by a regression from when I audited a bunch of scripts.
I simply took a bazooka approach. Now this command works reliably again:
./build boot roms all
Before the above patch I think something wasn't being cleaned properly. Old object files laying around. I'll bisect later.
Nothing stopping a Libreboot release now. I've been trying, for days, to hunt down the cause of a random linker error I kept getting from coreboot's build system. It's caused by a regression from when I audited a bunch of scripts.
How is the hardware support for intel GPUs? Does it allow to skip the installation of bootloader during the install process? I wouldn't want it to overwrite current Grub install. How is the software availability?
Can someone tell me how to put "citation needed" on Russian wikipedia? I'm translating a Russian article into English and noticed un-sourced material where I'm adding citation needed on the english text. I don't know how to do it properly on the actual Russian wikipedia.
FYI to Minifree customers: I'm taking the rest of the week off to work on a Libreboot release. Shipping to resume next week.
I'm finishing some emails, and I'll email current customers the above. I don't have much work on at the moment since it's the middle of the month. Most workload is at the first ~10 days and last ~10 days of each month, the middle is always quiet, that's why libreboot releases usually happen in the middle of the month).
I'm very close to a new stable release of Libreboot!
The first patch is boring (standards compliance in SeaBIOS's memset()) but a user on IRC today had trouble with their Nvidia GPU in a laptop.
They inserted the right option ROM, but named it with uppercase hex characters in the ROM name. SeaBIOS expects all-lowercase. 2nd patch makes SeaBIOS case insensitive when searching PCI ROMs by convention: pcivvvv,dddd.rom (v/d is vendor/device ID)
Libreboot T440p prices on https://minifree.org/ are once again reduced. They were reduced in April 2023 (last month), but temporarily went back up after last month's sales surge.
I have a big surplus again, that I got for a really good price. The current price reduction is £40. Will probably last til at least ~mid June.
These are secure machines, running Debian Linux and Libreboot, my project based on coreboot, replacing proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware.
Remember that brutally complete, thoroughly and relentlessly detailed Nginx server guide I wrote, that teaches you how to run a complete Nginx HTTP server with LetsEncrypt auto-renew, on Debian Linux?
Well, @vt60 translated it into Ukrainian. The translation is now available, live:
Libreboot release! Libreboot 20230423 released today:
* Dell Latitude E6400 (laptop) support added; blob-free, flashable from software without disassembly. Just run the `e6400-flash-unlock` tool in Libreboot courtesy of Nicholas Chin, and run flashrom in Linux! * HP Compaq 8200 Elite SFF (desktop) support added! * HP EliteBook Folio 9470m (laptop) support added!! * HP EliteBook 2560p (laptop) support added!!!
Build system fixes / *new features*; see release Change Log:
Libreboot release! Libreboot 20230423 released today:
* Dell Latitude E6400 (laptop) support added; blob-free, flashable from software without disassembly. Just run the `e6400-flash-unlock` tool in Libreboot courtesy of Nicholas Chin, and run flashrom in Linux! * HP Compaq 8200 Elite SFF (desktop) support added! * HP EliteBook Folio 9470m (laptop) support added!! * HP EliteBook 2560p (laptop) support added!!!
@rikuv is doing god's work. He has been adding more machines to Libreboot. We are currently on a roll adding HP EliteBooks and other HP machines.
I myself have ordered about ~10 different HP boards, all the viable ones from coreboot (sandybride, ivybridge and haswell), and plan to add them next week.
I'm very happy with Riku's work. His patches are extremely high quality.
This is the absolute A in awesome. HP EliteBook 2560p and Folio 9470m support added to Libreboot:
@rikuv is doing god's work. He has been adding more machines to Libreboot. We are currently on a roll adding HP EliteBooks and other HP machines.
I myself have ordered about ~10 different HP boards, all the viable ones from coreboot (sandybride, ivybridge and haswell), and plan to add them next week.
Cycle-accurate IBM PC emulation, covering hardware from 1980s up to Pentium 3 era; the author @qeeg forked 86box because 86box didn't want Pentium 3 emulation. It emulates real mainboards.
You can run old Linux distros or classic DOS games and such, faithful to original hardware. Coreboot supports (and boots) on some of the emulated boards.
I host her DNS! The website was re-done (not hosted by me) plus docs added recently.
have ordered a bunch of hp machines that coreboot supports (in gerrit, or master). i should have them next week. basically all *viable* ivybridge, sandybridge and haswell. been going through them all with @rikuv on irc
also riku added hp elitebook 2560p to libreboot - no docs yet, it's on todo, but see patch:
they're all going in the next libreboot release. plus a bunch of dells
i'm aiming for another libreboot testing release this month
have ordered a bunch of hp machines that coreboot supports (in gerrit, or master). i should have them next week. basically all *viable* ivybridge, sandybridge and haswell. been going through them all with @rikuv on irc
also riku added hp elitebook 2560p to libreboot - no docs yet, it's on todo, but see patch:
@libsys Just FYI the 20221214, 20230319 and 20230413 releases do *not* have this mitigation - the mitigation will be present in next Libreboot release.
If you want a no-microcode-updates config, I recommend either:
* If you want pre-built ROM images: use Libreboot 20220710, which excluded microcode updates by default, and has these mitigations by default
I'll update the page to mention this. It's not super clear there.
@libsys Just FYI the 20221214, 20230319 and 20230413 releases do *not* have this mitigation - the mitigation will be present in next Libreboot release.
If you want a no-microcode-updates config, I recommend either:
Lots of fixes in the build system, utilities, general polishing - this is a bugfix release, relative to the previous Libreboot 20230319 release, with no board changes.
No hurry at all, but I'm just curious if there's been any work done on that weird VGA color issues when using FreeBSD (installer and initial screen on each boot).
It doesn't even bother me anymore since I switched to a graphical boot screen, but it'd be nice to have fixed at some point.
Again, no hurry. I know you're really busy these days. ^___^
Gregory's Server
