Continue Libreboot under the GNU project
This commit is based on the 20220710 tag from Libreboot. To our knowledge, 20220710 is the last really libre Libreboot release as the next releases from libreboot.org has nonfree software (like nonfree microcode updates). Because of that we've stepped forward to stand up for freedom, and we started maintaining our own version of Libreboot that didn't include nonfree software. To make sure that our version remains free and continue to be maintained over time, we chose to now do this as part of the GNU project. Signed-off-by: Denis 'GNUtoo' Carikli <GNUtoo@cyberdimension.org> GNUtoo: commit message Acked-by: Adrien 'neox' Bourmault <neox@gnu.org>
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README.md
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README.md
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Free your BIOS today! GNU GPL style
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===================================
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GNU Boot
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========
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Find libreboot documentation at <https://libreboot.org/>
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Libreboot is
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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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Libreboot 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. Libreboot is
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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. Libreboot works well with GNU+Linux and BSD
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operating systems. User support is available
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at [\#libreboot](https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=libreboot) on Freenode
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IRC.
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architecture. GNU Boot works well with GNU+Linux and BSD
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operating systems.
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Libreboot is a *Free Software* project, but can be considered Open Source.
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[The GNU website](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.en.html)
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teaches why you should call it Free Software instead; alternatively, you may
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call it libre software.
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Libreboot uses [coreboot](https://www.coreboot.org/) for hardware initialization.
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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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@ -31,113 +22,63 @@ GNU GRUB), UEFI implementation (such as Tianocore) or BIOS implementation
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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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Libreboot solves this problem in a novel way:
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Libreboot is a *coreboot distribution* much like Debian is a *GNU+Linux
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distribution*. Libreboot provides an *automated build system* that downloads,
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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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Information about who works on Libreboot, and who runs the project, can be
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found on the [who page](https://libreboot.org/who.html) page.
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Why use Libreboot?
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==================
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[Free software](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html) is important for
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the same reason that education is important.
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All children and adults alike should be entitled to a good education.
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Knowledge begs to be free! In the context of computing, this means that the
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source code should be fully available to study, and use in whatever way you
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see fit. In the context of computer hardware, this means that
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[Right to Repair](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=Npd_xDuNi9k)
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should be universal, with full access to documents such as the schematics and
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boardview files.
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**[The four freedoms are paramount!](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html)**
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You have rights. The right to privacy, freedom of thought, freedom
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of speech and the right to read. In the context of computing, that means anyone
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can use [free software](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html). Simply
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speaking, free software is software that is under the direct sovereignty of the
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user and, more importantly, the collective that is the *community*. Libreboot
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is dedicated to the Free Software community, with the aim of making free software
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at a *low level* more accessible to non-technical people.
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Many people use [proprietary](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/proprietary.html)
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boot firmware, even if they use GNU+Linux. Non-free boot firmware often
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contains backdoors, can be slow and have severe
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bugs. Development and support can be abandoned at any time. By contrast,
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Libreboot is a free software project, where anyone can contribute or inspect
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its code.
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Libreboot is faster, more secure and more reliable than most non-free
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firmware. Libreboot provides many advanced features, like encrypted
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/boot/, GPG signature checking before booting a Linux kernel and more!
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Libreboot gives *you* control over *your* computing.
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Project goals
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-------------
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- *Recommend and distribute only free software*. Coreboot
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distributes certain pieces of proprietary software which is needed
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on some systems. Examples can include things like CPU microcode
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updates, memory initialization blobs and so on. The coreboot project
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sometimes recommends adding more blobs which it does not distribute,
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such as the Video BIOS or Intel's *Management Engine*. However, a
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lot of dedicated and talented individuals in coreboot work hard to
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replace these blobs whenever possible.
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- *Support as much hardware as possible!* Libreboot supports less
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hardware than coreboot, because most systems from coreboot still
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require certain proprietary software to work properly. Libreboot is
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an attempt to support as much hardware as possible, without any
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proprietary software.
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- *Make coreboot easy to use*. Coreboot is notoriously difficult
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to install, due to an overall lack of user-focused documentation
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and support. Most people will simply give up before attempting to
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install coreboot.
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Libreboot attempts to bridge this divide by providing a build system
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automating much of the coreboot image creation and customization.
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Secondly, the project produces documentation aimed at non-technical users.
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Thirdly, the project attempts to provide excellent user support via mailing
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lists and IRC.
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Libreboot already comes with a payload (GRUB), flashrom and other
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needed parts. Everything is fully integrated, in a way where most of
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the complicated steps that are otherwise required, are instead done
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for the user in advance.
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You can download ROM images for your libreboot system and install
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them without having to build anything from source. If, however, you are
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interested in building your own image, the build system makes it relatively
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easy to do so.
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Not a coreboot fork!
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--------------------
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Libreboot is not a fork of coreboot. Every so often, the project
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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 Libreboot, based on specific coreboot revisions.
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in GNU Boot, based on specific coreboot revisions.
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Coreboot is not entirely free software. It has binary blobs in it for some
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platforms. What Libreboot does is download several revisions of coreboot, for
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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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All new coreboot development should be done in coreboot (upstream), not
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libreboot! Libreboot is about deblobbing and packaging coreboot in a
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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 libreboot, you should
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add it to coreboot first. Libreboot will automatically receive your code
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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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The deblobbed coreboot tree used in libreboot is referred to as
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*coreboot-libre*, to distinguish it as a component of *libreboot*.
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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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How this project came to exist
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------------------------------
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We believe computer users deserve to control all the software they run. This
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belief is the key principle of the Free Software Movement, and was the motive
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for developing the GNU operating system and starting the Free Software
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Foundation. We believe computer user freedom is a crucial human rights.
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Unfortunately, such a muddle happened last year with a boot program that was
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free software and was called Libreboot: the development team added nonfree code
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to it, but continued to refer to it misleadingly as “Libreboot”.
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Libreboot was first released in 2013. It has been widely recommended in the free
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software community for the last nine years. In November 2022, “Libreboot” began
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to include non-libre code. We have made repeated efforts to continue
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collaboration with those developers to help their version of Libreboot remain
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libre, but that was not successful.
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Now we’ve stepped forward to stand up for freedom, ours and that of the wider
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community, by maintaining our own version – a genuinely libre boot
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distribution: GNU Boot.
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LICENSE FOR THIS README:
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GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 as published by the Free Software Foundation,
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libreboot
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gnuboot
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