libreboot 20211122 announcement
This commit is contained in:
Leah Rowe
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libreboot202111xx.md
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libreboot20211122.md
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libreboot20210522.md
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libreboot20160907.md
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libreboot20160902.md
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% Libreboot 20211122 released!
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% Leah Rowe
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% 22 November 2021
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Join us now and flash the firmware!
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===================================
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You'll be free!
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---------------
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Libreboot is free (as in freedom) boot firmware, which initializes the hardware
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(e.g. memory controller, CPU, peripherals) in your computer so that software
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can run. Libreboot then starts a bootloader to load your operating system. It
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replaces the proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware typically found on a computer.
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Libreboot is compatible with specifical computer models that use the Intel/AMD
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x86 architecture. Libreboot works well with GNU+Linux and BSD operating systems.
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The last Libreboot release, version 20210522, was released on May 22nd
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in 2021. *This* new release, Libreboot 20211122, is released today on November
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22nd, 2021. This is yet another *testing* release, so expect there to be some
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bugs. Every effort has been made to ensure reliability on all boards, however.
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You can find this release in the `testing` directory on Libreboot release
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mirrors. If you check in the `stable` directory, you'll still only find
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the 20160907 release in there, so please ensure that you check the `testing`
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directory!
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This is a *bug fix* release, relative to 20210522. No new boards or major
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features have been added, but several problems that existed in the previous
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release have now been fixed.
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Work done since the 20210522 release:
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-------------------------------------
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* Updated to newer coreboot, SeaBIOS and GRUB versions. The 20210522
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release was using coreboot 4.14, on most boards, from May 2021. This release
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is using a coreboot revision from November 2021.
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* Tianocore dropped from the build system. It was planned that this would be
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provided in ROM images, but Tianocore is very bloated and buggy, and not
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worth maintaining. It was supported in the build system, but not actually
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enabled on any boards. Instead, a future release of Libreboot will include
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a busybox+linux payload with the u-root bootloader:
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<https://github.com/u-root/u-root>
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* New upstream used for SeaBIOS: <https://review.coreboot.org/seabios>
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* Dummy PIKE2008 option ROM now automatically inserted into ASUS KGPE-D16 and
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KCMA-D8 ROM images. It is literally an empty file. This disables the option
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ROM from being loaded, which is known to hang SeaBIOS on these boards.
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* 16MB configs now available, for more boards. For instance, ThinkPad X60 and
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T60, ASUS KGPE-D16, etc. It's always possible to upgrade the flash, and
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information about this is provided in the documentation.
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* `memtest86+` included on more ROMs by default (where text mode startup is used)
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* `memtest86+`: Now coreboot's own fork is used, instead of upstream. This fork
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works much more reliably on coreboot targets, when running on bare metal.
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* More 16MB configs added, for more boards. This will be finished by the time
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of the next release. Already, several older laptops such as the ThinkPad X60
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or T60, have these configs in the latest `lbmk.git`. If you upgrade the
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default SPI flash to 16MByte / 128MBit (maximum size possible), you can then
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easily put an entire busybox+linux system in the flash.
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* `coreboot`: Added persmule's 2016 patch to enable more SATA/eSATA ports on
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ThinkPad T400. This change benefits T400S users.
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* `grub.cfg`: LUKS setups are now detected on mdraid setups.
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* `grub.cfg`: Default timeout changed to 10 seconds, instead of 1. This benefit
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desktop users, who previously complained about not having time to respond if
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they wanted to interact with the boot menu.
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* `grub.cfg`: Performance optimization when scanning for encrypted LUKS volumes.
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GRUB will stall a lot less often, and feel more responsive, when dealing with
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LUKS-encrypted setups.
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* `coreboot`: cstate 3 now supported on MacBook2,1 and Macbook1,1. This results
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in lower CPU temperatures and higher battery life on idle.
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* Reset bug fixed, on GM45 platforms (ThinkPad X200/T400/T500 and so on). These
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laptops did not reliably reboot, on the Libreboot 20210522 testing release.
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They now reboot reliably, with this fix. See:
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<https://notabug.org/libreboot/lbmk/issues/3>
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* `lbmk`: Use `env` instead of hardcoding the bash path, in bash scripts. This
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should make the build system slightly more portable between distros.
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* Turkish keyboard layout added on GRUB payloads
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New release schedule under consideration
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========================================
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The 20210522 release happened to coincide with coreboot 4.14's release, more
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or less.
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This release also coincides roughly with the coreboot 4.15 release, which came
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out on November 5th. See:
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<https://doc.coreboot.org/releases/coreboot-4.15-relnotes.html>
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Coreboot has, since the 4.15 release, decided to release every 3 months instead
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of every 6. That means the coreboot 4.16 release is planned for February 2022.
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I'm considering this: 2 releases every 3 months, of Libreboot. A testing release
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and then a fork of that is created, to fix bugs ready for a stable release 3
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months later, while simultaneously working (in the lbmk master branch) towards
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another testing release. *If no stable release is available at the same time as
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a testing release, then delay it if the delay will be minimal, otherwise
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cancel and abandon that particular stable branch.*
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So: if I do this, the next stable release of Libreboot could be in February
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2022 based on bug fixes of this November 2021 release, using coreboot 4.15.
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A testing release could be simultaneously made, with perhaps extra features,
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and based on coreboot 4.16.
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I'm considering it. In general, I do want Libreboot to be in sync with the
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coreboot project, but coreboot does not guarantee stability in their releases.
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Rather, releases are regarded as *milestones* for the coreboot developers to
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reflect on current developments, and plan the next few months.
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When Libreboot first started, coreboot did not have a fixed release scheduled.
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It was purely rolling release. Coreboot however has been quite reliable with
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its own release schedules in the past few years, making it viable for Libreboot
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to also have a fixed schedule.
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@ -1,147 +0,0 @@
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% New Libreboot release soon: ETA November 15th, 2021
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% Leah Rowe
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% 9 November 2021
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**UPDATE2 on 16 November 2021**
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**I've decided to abandon the stable release, and do a new testing release (one that is more or less stable in practise) once this bug is fixed. The new testing release will have a newer coreboot release, from November 2021, for all boards.**
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**Stable releases must not be rushed.**
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**UPDATE on 16 November 2021:**
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**I've received reports on IRC that SpeedStep is broken in the Libreboot 20210522 release, on some GM45 laptops; W500 and T400 have been reported.**
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**Since the release I'm working on is based heavily on 20210522, I'm holding back the Libreboot release to get this fixed.**
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The original article, prior to the above update, is as follows:
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Rapid progress is being made on the next release of Libreboot. The overall goal
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of this upcoming release is stability; development was intentionally frozen
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after the Libreboot 20210522 testing release, to allow time for people to submit
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lots of bug reports. Sure enough, people submitted reports.
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I've been fixing bugs and polishing up what's there, ready for another release.
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You can already build Libreboot from the latest Git repository, and it's known
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to be stable on all currently supported laptops. Desktops still require a bit
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more polishing and tweaking.
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Work done so far since the 20210522 release:
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* `memtest86+` included on more ROMs by default (where text mode startup is used)
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* `memtest86+`: Now coreboot's own fork is used, instead of upstream. This fork
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works much more reliably on coreboot targets, when running on bare metal.
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* More 16MB configs added, for more boards. This will be finished by the time
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of the next release. Already, several older laptops such as the ThinkPad X60
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or T60, have these configs in the latest `lbmk.git`. If you upgrade the
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default SPI flash to 16MByte / 128MBit (maximum size possible), you can then
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easily put an entire busybox+linux system in the flash.
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* `coreboot`: Added persmule's 2016 patch to enable more SATA/eSATA ports on
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ThinkPad T400. This change benefits T400S users.
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* `grub.cfg`
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* `grub.cfg`: LUKS setups are now detected on mdraid setups.
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* `grub.cfg`: Default timeout changed to 10 seconds, instead of 1. This benefit
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desktop users, who previously complained about not having time to respond if
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they wanted to interact with the boot menu.
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* `grub.cfg`: Performance optimization when scanning for encrypted LUKS volumes.
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GRUB will stall a lot less often, and feel more responsive, when dealing with
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LUKS-encrypted setups.
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* `coreboot`: cstate 3 now supported on MacBook2,1 and Macbook1,1. This results
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in lower CPU temperatures and higher battery life on idle.
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* Reset bug fixed, on GM45 platforms (ThinkPad X200/T400/T500 and so on). These
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laptops did not reliably reboot, on the Libreboot 20210522 testing release.
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They now reboot reliably, with this fix. See:
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<https://notabug.org/libreboot/lbmk/issues/3>
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* `lbmk`: Use `env` instead of hardcoding the bash path, in bash scripts. This
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should make the build system slightly more portable between distros.
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* Turkish keyboard layout added on GRUB payloads
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Further plans
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-------------
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The only major plans left before the actual release, are as follows:
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* Add more 16MB configs
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* Re-do desktop/server configs: currently, only text-mode startup is provided
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and it is assumed that SeaBIOS will be the first payload, then you can use
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onboard graphics or an add-on graphics card more easily. This is not ideal.
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The configs will be split: corebootfb and textmode startup, or "normal" where
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there is no video init from coreboot, and instead an option ROM can be loaded
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from a graphics card.
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* Random documentation improvements, especially the addition of ThinkPad X301
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and G43T-AM3 documentation.
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PS:
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As some of you know, I run a company at <https://minifree.org/> selling laptops
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with Libreboot pre-installed on them.
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Although the new stable release isn't out yet, what's currently in the Libreboot
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git repository is stable, as of November 3rd, 2021. Until that release comes
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out, I'm giving customers a version of Libreboot build from `lbmk.git`. I will
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immediately switch to the stable release when it comes out, but the only thing
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that will change basically is the version number and build date printed by
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the `lscoreboot` command in GRUB. I'm making no further changes to the laptops
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until after the upcoming release.
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Plans for after release
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=======================
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After the next stable release, I have the following immediate plans:
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* Add a lot more boards from coreboot, because there are a lot more boards
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ready to add in Libreboot. Mostly x4x intel platforms, same as on the Gigabyte
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GA-G41M-ES2L board.
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* u-root based boot experience (see below about BusyBox+Linux+Musl)
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That's for 2021. The purpose of my 2021 efforts has been to reboot the Libreboot
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project, adding all viable x86 targets from coreboot, and adding some nice
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features. The upcoming stable release will be during November 2021, and I plan
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to have the next stable release afterwards, released on 2 January 2022, but
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with a possible early December or late November testing release inbetween.
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The work never ends. From 2022 onwards, my focus will shift towards non-x86
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targets. ARM and RISC-V are becoming increasingly more viable for the Libreboot
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project these days, and I want to take advantage of that.
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BusyBox+Linux+Musl
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------------------
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I've been studying Heads, LinuxBoot and coreboot's LinuxBoot integration.
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I'm attempting to create my own busybox+linux distro, with musl libc, similar
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to these projects. I want to do this so that I can provide u-root on 16MB ROM
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configs in Libreboot.
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Coreboot's own build system has a Makefile in it, defining how to build
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LinuxBoot. LinuxBoot is another such distro.
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u-root is a powerful bootloader written in Go, which runs in a minimal busybox
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and linux environment. It provides many of the same features as GNU GRUB, while
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also providing kexec based loading of Linux kernels. Because it's running on
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a Linux kernel, that also means you get superior drivers. For example, Linux
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has very mature LUKS drivers, but GRUB does not. Linux also has great netboot
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features. u-root also implements a minimal UEFI environment.
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More info here:
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<https://github.com/u-root/u-root>
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Info about LinuxBoot:
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<https://www.linuxboot.org/>
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In the future, I want u-root to become a standard feature in Libreboot. This
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will not make it into the upcoming stable release, but I plan to put it in a
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testing release afterwards.
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oreboot project
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---------------
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Oreboot is a special fork of coreboot, re-written in Rust. Coreboot without C,
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hence Oreboot. It focuses on RISC-V hardware:
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<https://github.com/oreboot>
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However, coreboot will still be used for most targets, including the current
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x86 targets. I plan to integrate oreboot at a future date, separately, for
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a few boards.
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