5 ms·

Libreboot 20230319 Released

145 points by leahlibre 4y ago

royjacobs 4y ago
Whenever I see news about libreboot the first thing that happens in my brain is that I somehow associate it with a library that handles rebooting. Takes a few seconds every time to, well, reboot my thoughts.
- HeckFeck 4y ago
  > library that handles rebooting I know that one from somewhere, I think it is used heavily throughout Windows update.
  - sebazzz 4y ago
    Actually, Windows (Update) is quite capable of hotpatching in-memory code. That why you can find two "mov eax, eax" instructions at the start of some functions. They allow hotpatching a long jmp there.
- snapplebobapple 4y ago
  I shed a tear that it's not mandatory on most motherboards.
- zamadatix 4y ago
  I'm never going to unsee this now, curse you!
aloisdg 4y ago
Nice usage of calver :)
- cwillu 4y ago
  Dunno, seems like a great demonstration of a weakness: “This is marked as a testing release.” That used to be information the version number contained, now you have to find the small print that happens to mention it on the release notes.
  - Kwpolska 4y ago
    It seems that all of their recent releases are either testing releases ([1] [2]), or bug fix releases relative to testing releases ([3]), or bug fix releases relative to bug fix releases relative to testing releases ([4]). [1] https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20210522.html https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20210522.html [2] https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20221214.html https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20221214.html [3] https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20211122.html https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20211122.html [4] https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20220710.html https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20220710.html
russfink 4y ago
So how does this differ from making your own unified kernel image, ie a self-contained EFI boot file made from dracut or other? And does it work better with Secure Boot?
- Kwpolska 4y ago
  Libreboot is a libre firmware replacement, not a bootloader. I doubt you’ll get Secure Boot with it.
  - LukeShu 4y ago
    You can absolutely secure your boot with libreboot.
Kwpolska 4y ago
The question is, why should I bother, as a regular user? What will libreboot improve on my x86_64 PC if all I need is the ability to boot into my preferred operating system and I don’t care about “freedom”, considering the machine already contains stuff like Intel ME that libreboot can’t disable?
- jchmrt 4y ago
  Obviously if you don't care about software freedom, libreboot is not for you. That does not detract from the goals of the project.
- opan 4y ago
  Hardware whitelist removal on laptops. I think you can also put a small alpine image in your flash to boot from.
- einpoklum 4y ago
  If you recognize Intel ME as a problem - so if the general firmware on the motherboard which libreboot replaces. One of two (?) steps towards only running code on our computers which we can see and analyze; or at least, that knowledgeable people can analyze.
- rhn_mk1 4y ago
  x86 is not the only architecture supported by coreboot/libreboot.
- steponlego 4y ago
  [flagged]
FloatArtifact 4y ago
What's the difference between libreboot versus coreboot?
- 6581 4y ago
  https://libreboot.org/#how-does-libreboot-differ-from-regular-coreboot https://libreboot.org/#how-does-libreboot-differ-from-regula...
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y ago
  I had the same question. It appears that libreboot is a downstream of coreboot.
- guilhas 4y ago
  Libreboot use to be coreboot without non-free binary blobs, but recently they decided to include them So one might argue they are not libre anymore, more like "open"boot As it has been increasingly difficult to find hardware supporting open-source firmware. And run a machine where you have access to all source for firmware, OS, drivers, software
- bubblethink 4y ago
  The official documentation seems to be remarkably unhelpful. My guess is that libreboot now considers ME and microcode acceptable but not FSP. So this brings things up to Haswell. Previously, they were stuck on Nehalem.
einpoklum 4y ago
It seems there are still only very few desktop and laptop motherboards which are supported. Which may not be the project developers' fault, but it can still only be used by rather few people. :-(
Cupprum 4y ago
I am very much happy to see that this project is alive again and regularly releasing updates. Amazing job Leah Rowe :)
NovaDudely 4y ago
Any release of Libreboot is a good release! Mind you any free/libre software is good software. ;) While I am still a tiny little bit on edge about the changes to the project in terms of use of binary blobs - it is better to be going this path than to merely be theoretically free. The old Core 2 Duo Thinkpad laptops are a dwindling supply. That said I still love mine dearly and it is my daily runner. I purchase a T400 from Leah about 5 years ago and it is still going strong!

145 points by leahlibre 4y ago

Whenever I see news about libreboot the first thing that happens in my brain is that I somehow associate it with a library that handles rebooting. Takes a few seconds every time to, well, reboot my thoughts.

HeckFeck 4y ago
> library that handles rebooting I know that one from somewhere, I think it is used heavily throughout Windows update.
- sebazzz 4y ago
  Actually, Windows (Update) is quite capable of hotpatching in-memory code. That why you can find two "mov eax, eax" instructions at the start of some functions. They allow hotpatching a long jmp there.
snapplebobapple 4y ago
I shed a tear that it's not mandatory on most motherboards.
zamadatix 4y ago
I'm never going to unsee this now, curse you!

aloisdg 4y ago

Nice usage of calver :)

cwillu 4y ago
Dunno, seems like a great demonstration of a weakness: “This is marked as a testing release.” That used to be information the version number contained, now you have to find the small print that happens to mention it on the release notes.
- Kwpolska 4y ago
  It seems that all of their recent releases are either testing releases ([1] [2]), or bug fix releases relative to testing releases ([3]), or bug fix releases relative to bug fix releases relative to testing releases ([4]). [1] https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20210522.html https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20210522.html [2] https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20221214.html https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20221214.html [3] https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20211122.html https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20211122.html [4] https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20220710.html https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20220710.html

russfink 4y ago

So how does this differ from making your own unified kernel image, ie a self-contained EFI boot file made from dracut or other? And does it work better with Secure Boot?

Kwpolska 4y ago
Libreboot is a libre firmware replacement, not a bootloader. I doubt you’ll get Secure Boot with it.
- LukeShu 4y ago
  You can absolutely secure your boot with libreboot.

Kwpolska 4y ago

The question is, why should I bother, as a regular user? What will libreboot improve on my x86_64 PC if all I need is the ability to boot into my preferred operating system and I don’t care about “freedom”, considering the machine already contains stuff like Intel ME that libreboot can’t disable?

jchmrt 4y ago
Obviously if you don't care about software freedom, libreboot is not for you. That does not detract from the goals of the project.
opan 4y ago
Hardware whitelist removal on laptops. I think you can also put a small alpine image in your flash to boot from.
einpoklum 4y ago
If you recognize Intel ME as a problem - so if the general firmware on the motherboard which libreboot replaces. One of two (?) steps towards only running code on our computers which we can see and analyze; or at least, that knowledgeable people can analyze.
rhn_mk1 4y ago
x86 is not the only architecture supported by coreboot/libreboot.
steponlego 4y ago
[flagged]

FloatArtifact 4y ago

What's the difference between libreboot versus coreboot?

6581 4y ago
https://libreboot.org/#how-does-libreboot-differ-from-regular-coreboot https://libreboot.org/#how-does-libreboot-differ-from-regula...
2OEH8eoCRo0 4y ago
I had the same question. It appears that libreboot is a downstream of coreboot.
guilhas 4y ago
Libreboot use to be coreboot without non-free binary blobs, but recently they decided to include them So one might argue they are not libre anymore, more like "open"boot As it has been increasingly difficult to find hardware supporting open-source firmware. And run a machine where you have access to all source for firmware, OS, drivers, software
bubblethink 4y ago
The official documentation seems to be remarkably unhelpful. My guess is that libreboot now considers ME and microcode acceptable but not FSP. So this brings things up to Haswell. Previously, they were stuck on Nehalem.

einpoklum 4y ago

It seems there are still only very few desktop and laptop motherboards which are supported. Which may not be the project developers' fault, but it can still only be used by rather few people. :-(

Cupprum 4y ago

I am very much happy to see that this project is alive again and regularly releasing updates. Amazing job Leah Rowe :)

NovaDudely 4y ago

Any release of Libreboot is a good release! Mind you any free/libre software is good software. ;) While I am still a tiny little bit on edge about the changes to the project in terms of use of binary blobs - it is better to be going this path than to merely be theoretically free. The old Core 2 Duo Thinkpad laptops are a dwindling supply. That said I still love mine dearly and it is my daily runner. I purchase a T400 from Leah about 5 years ago and it is still going strong!