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@ -10,38 +10,64 @@ Windows 10 on it, it would just be an old slow laptop. But I want more, I want |
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lightning fast boot times, I want a good experience and most of all I want |
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freedom where I can get it. |
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## [Libreboot][lboot] |
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Yes! After some 5 years of dormancy the Libreboot project came out with a |
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[new beta release][newboot] that [adds support for the x301][xboot]. |
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Basically Libreboot is a BIOS replacement, it completely replaces all of the |
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old BIOS stuff with a _libre_ alternative, which has many advantages: |
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1. MUCH faster boot times |
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2. Completely respects your freedom |
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3. Completely disables the intel ME and replaces all proprietary firmware with |
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libre software |
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4. While being simpler (no menu, no live configuration, etc.) it actually |
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allows for much greater flexibility in the boot process |
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Libreboot works by setting up a minimal environment, enough to load |
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[GRUB][grub], then GRUB proceeds to load the OS or other things. |
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Libreboot has also other _payload_ options like [SeaBIOS][sbios] or |
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[Tianocore][tcore] (an open-source UEFI implementation), they allow to load |
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other operating systems normally (not via GRUB) but generally this is slower. |
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The method I will use is an hybrid, Libreboot will load GRUB, which when a key |
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is pressed like shift, during the boot process, will load a menu of options |
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containing all the operating systems, some diagnostic, Tianocore and SeaBIOS |
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(everything needs to boot). Otherwise when no key is pressed it should boot |
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straight into the first available OS. |
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Disclaimer: I have not seen this elsewhere and although I think it should be |
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possible, I don't really know. |
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## [Coreboot][cboot] |
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[lboot]: https://libreboot.org/ |
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[newboot]: https://libreboot.org/docs/release/libreboot20210522.html |
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[xboot]: https://libreboot.org/docs/release/libreboot20210522.html#lenovo-thinkpad-x301 |
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[grub]: https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/ |
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> coreboot is an extended firmware platform that delivers a lightning fast and |
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> secure boot experience on modern computers and embedded systems. As an Open |
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> Source project it provides auditability and maximum control over technology. |
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Basically coreboot is a platform that provides basic hardware initialization |
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for other programs to run on and start your bootloader (or OS) of choice. Such |
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programs are called payloads, I decided to go with [SeaBIOS][sbios] a free |
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[BIOS][bios] implementation, but you can choose |
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[from a variety of available payloads][payloads], there's even a linux distro |
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in there! |
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Now to the ones who know coreboot is a bit difficult to configure, that's why |
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projects such as [Libreboot][lboot] and [Skulls][skulls] exist, but being the |
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masochist I am, I decided to have a go at configuring it on my own and in the |
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process also remove the [Intel Management Engine (ME)][ime] like Libreboot does. |
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**I lied** this is not just software, unfortunately the flashing of the new BIOS |
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cannot be done within the operating system, only official ones can be installed |
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that way (at least on this machine), so to do this you'll need some things, some |
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knownledge, and a lot of patience. |
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Oh and [here's the coreboot page for the x301][corex301]. |
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### Getting the stuff you'll need |
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First of all one cannot go further in this intent witout some "basic" gear, what |
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we need to do is find a chip on the mainboard of the laptop, access it's pins |
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(in a way we're hijacking it), connect it to an external device called a |
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programmer and load the new [firmware][fware] on that chip so that the machine |
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can execute what's on it. |
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There is one complication, the chip is in [WSON8][wson] package, which |
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is not easy to work with since the pins do not exent to the side but on the |
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bottom making them almost impossible to attach an [IC clip][icclip] to. |
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Since if anything goes wrong during the next steps you'd want to reprogram |
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the chip, and that cannot be easily done without a clip, you really want that |
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old chip gone in favor of a new one. But that requires soldering. |
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So here's a handy list of everything you will need to proceed: |
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1. A [Raspberry Pi][rpi], used for the actual programming; it is not strictly |
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necessary but if you have it already it is the easiest method. |
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An alternative method is by using a [CH341A][ch341a] programmer and applying |
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[this fix][ch341fix] to avoid burning the whole board. |
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2. A [SOIC8 IC clip][soicclip] |
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[cboot]: https://www.coreboot.org/ |
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[sbios]: https://www.seabios.org/SeaBIOS |
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[tcore]: https://www.tianocore.org/ |
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[bios]: https://wikipedia.org/wiki/BIOS |
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[payloads]: https://www.coreboot.org/Payloads |
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[lboot]: https://libreboot.org/ |
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[skulls]: https://github.com/merge/skulls |
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[ime]: https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Management_Engine |
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[corex301]: https://doc.coreboot.org/mainboard/lenovo/x301.html |
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[fware]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firmware |
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[wson]: https://blog.mbedded.ninja/pcb-design/component-packages/wson-component-package/ |
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[icclip]: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13153 |
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[rpi]: https://www.raspberrypi.org/ |
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[ch341a]: https://www.amazon.it/Programmatore-Youmile-CH341A-Burner-EEPROM/dp/B07YDFNYDS |
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[ch341fix]: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/ch341a-serial-memory-programmer-power-supply-fix/ |
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[soicclip]: https://www.amazon.it/WINGONEER-eeprom-programmazione-circuit-adattatori/dp/B012VSGQ0Q |
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