README.md: use less harsh language in the project description (bug #64661)
This commit addresses a problem in the wording of our project description
(in the Savannah description and in this README.md).
The project description was re-written from scratch by GNUtoo and this
commits import it unmodified from Savannah[1]. It is also released by
GNUtoo under the following license:
Copyright (c) 2023 Denis 'GNUtoo' Carikli <GNUtoo@cyberdimension.org>.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3
or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.
A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU
Free Documentation License".
[1]https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnuboot
Reported-by: Patrick Georgi <oxygene>
Neox: import, commit message apart from the copyright information.
GNUtoo: copyright information, whitespace fixes.
Signed-off-by: Adrien 'neox' Bourmault <neox@gnu.org>
This commit is contained in:
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README.md
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README.md
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@ -1,57 +1,70 @@
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GNU Boot
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========
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GNU Boot is a GNU project and a
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[freedom-respecting](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html)
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*boot firmware* that initializes the hardware (e.g.
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memory controller, CPU, peripherals) in your computer so that software can run.
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GNU Boot then starts a bootloader to load your operating system. It replaces the
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proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware typically found on a computer. GNU Boot is
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compatible with specific computer models that use the Intel/AMD x86
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architecture. GNU Boot works well with GNU+Linux and BSD
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operating systems.
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This software is part of the GNU Project.
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GNU Boot uses [coreboot](https://www.coreboot.org/) for hardware initialization.
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However, *coreboot* is notoriously difficult to compile and install for most
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non-technical users. There are many complicated configuration steps required,
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and coreboot by itself is useless; coreboot only handles basic hardware
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initialization, and then jumps to a separate *payload* program. The payload
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program can be anything, for example a Linux kernel, bootloader (such as
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GNU GRUB), UEFI implementation (such as Tianocore) or BIOS implementation
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(such as SeaBIOS). While not quite as complicated as building a GNU+Linux
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distribution from scratch, it may aswell be as far as most non-technical users
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are concerned.
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To load an operating system, computers need to be able to access storage
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devices (like an HDD or SSD) where the operating system is installed.
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They need RAM to work to load part of the operating system in RAM. Users
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also expect the display and keyboard to work before the operating system
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is loaded.
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GNU Boot solves this problem :
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GNU Boot is a *coreboot distribution* much like Debian is a *GNU+Linux
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distribution*. GNU Boot provides an *automated build system* that downloads,
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patches (where necessary) and compiles coreboot, GNU GRUB, various payloads and
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all other software components needed to build a complete, working *ROM image*
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that you can install to replace your current BIOS/UEFI firmware, much like a
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GNU+Linux distribution (e.g. Debian) provides an ISO image that you can use to
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replace your current operating system (e.g. Windows).
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But on most computers, software is needed to initialize the RAM, the storage
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devices, the graphic card, to load the operating system, and give some
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information to the operating system on what hardware it is running on.
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Because of that computers usually require boot software that is bundled in the
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computer. It is usually found on a very small storage chip that is inside the
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mainboard. That software is specific to a given computer.
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Unfortunately that software is usually nonfree and GNU boot aims to replace
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that with 100% free software.
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Like with other type of software, the fact that is nonfree has real impacts.
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For instance this software often continues to run once the operating system
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is loaded and as it loads the operating system it can also modify it.
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So having a nonfree boot software make it impossible for users to really
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trust their computers. Another common issue is that some BIOS/UEFI add
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restrictions to prevent users from replacing the WiFi card for instance.
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There are many more issues but listing them all here would make this
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description too long.
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To replace nonfree boot software, GNU boot reuses various software projects
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(like Coreboot, U-boot, GRUB, SeaBIOS, etc), configure and build them to
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produce an image that can be installed to replace the nonfree boot software
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for specific computers.
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Users can also do all that without GNU Boot but that tend to be complicated.
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Having a free software project that does all that enable people to collaborate
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on making sure that computers boot fine regardless of the upstream project
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status, for instance by making binary releases and collaborating to test them.
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In addition GNU boot also comes with extensive documentation to make it as easy
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as possible to install GNU Boot and to empower users to modify the way their
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computer boot.
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Since not all the project it reuses are 100% free software it also removes all
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the nonfree software found in them along the way and will also make the scripts
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and/or data that does that reusable for distributions or users that want to
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build their own free boot software without reusing the GNU Boot configuration
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or build system.
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Not a coreboot fork!
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--------------------
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GNU Boot is not a fork of coreboot. Every so often, the project
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re-bases on the latest version of coreboot, with the number of custom
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patches in use minimized. Tested, *stable* (static) releases are then provided
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in GNU Boot, based on specific coreboot revisions.
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GNU Boot is not a fork of coreboot, but more a boot firmware distribution
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including a modified version of coreboot, and other software like SeaBIOS,
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GRUB or u-boot.
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Coreboot is not entirely free software. It has binary blobs in it for some
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platforms. What GNU Boot does is download several revisions of coreboot, for
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different boards, and *de-blob* those coreboot revisions. This is done using
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the *linux-libre* deblob scripts, to find binary blobs in coreboot.
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Coreboot is not entirely free software as it includes binary blobs in it for
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some platforms. What GNU Boot does is download several revisions of coreboot,
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for different boards, and *de-blob* those coreboot revisions. This is done
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using the *linux-libre* deblob scripts, to find binary blobs in coreboot.
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All new coreboot development should be done in coreboot (upstream), not
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GNU Boot ! GNU Boot is about deblobbing and packaging coreboot in a
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user-friendly way, where most work is already done for the user.
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For example, if you wanted to add a new board to GNU Boot, you should
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add it to coreboot first. GNU Boot will automatically receive your code
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at a later date, when it updates itself.
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GNU Boot. For example, if you wanted to add a new board to GNU Boot, you
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should add it to coreboot first. GNU Boot would then receive your code at
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a later date, when it updates itself.
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The deblobbed coreboot tree used in GNU Boot is referred to as
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*coreboot-libre*, to distinguish it as a component of *GNU Boot*.
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