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from the flash chip (planned for a future release), and more.
</p>
- <div class="subsection">
- <h2>
- The libreboot project has three main goals:
- </h2>
- <ul>
- <li>
- <i><u><b>Recommend and distribute only free software</b></u></i>. The coreboot project distributes proprietary code/blobs on some computers;
- this can include things like CPU microcode updates, memory initialization code and so on. The project also actively
- recommends that the user install additional blobs in some cases (such as the video BIOS or Intel ME).
- While this can be necessary from the coreboot project's point of view, Libreboot is an attempt to support as many
- computers from coreboot as possible, without distributing any blobs and without having the user install additional
- proprietary software. This is not to say that the coreboot project is bad; a lot of extremely dedicated and talented
- individuals in coreboot work night and day to reverse engineer and free those blobs that still remain in coreboot.
- <i>Any system from coreboot that can run without blobs is a viable libreboot candidate!</i>
- </li>
- <li>
- <i><u><b>Support as much hardware as possible!</b></u></i> This goes without saying. The list of officially supported hardware
- in libreboot is smaller than in upstream (coreboot), because some boards in coreboot require proprietary software which
- libreboot does not and will not distribute. The main goal of the libreboot project is to spread free software at a low-level
- (the boot firmware) to as many people as possible, so of course that means supporting as much hardware as possible (but without
- compromising on the main goal).
- </li>
- <li>
- <i><u><b>Make coreboot easy to use</b></u></i>. The main problem that many users have with coreboot is that it is extremely difficult to
- understand, learn about, install and use. This is understandable; coreboot is a low-level piece of software and has many
- talented individuals working on it, but the project's resources are limited and so the developers focus their efforts on the code.
- Coreboot offers wonderful support for other coreboot developers and those who wish to climb up
- that steep curve to learn everything that they can.<br/><br/>
-
- At the same time, those who simply want to use coreboot (for any number
- of reasons) are often left feeling intimidated and many of them give up in frustration. Libreboot attempts to bridge this gap;
- its documentation is entirely focussed on users, with detailed steps showing exactly how to install and use it and the issues
- that they may come across (and how to work around them).<br/><br/>
-
- Almost everything in libreboot is completely automated, with
- scripts for downloading, building and installing the various components used in libreboot. Pre-compiled ROM images built
- from the libreboot source code are provided, along with the utilities (statically compiled, from libreboot sources) that the user will need for installing them.<br/><br/>
-
- Libreboot is similar in concept to a GNU/Linux or GNU/Linux-libre distribution; it is composed of not just coreboot (deblobbed),
- but everything else that the user will need, such as GRUB and flashrom. These are all fully integrated, in a way where
- most of the detailed steps otherwise required of the user (if they used coreboot, the upstream provider) are completely eliminated.<br/><br/>
-
- In much the same way that you can simply download an ISO image for your favourite GNU/Linux-libre distribution, and install it,
- you can download pre-compiled libreboot ROM images (built from the sources) along with installation scripts and documentation
- that make libreboot as easy to use as possible.
- </li>
- </ul>
- </div>
+ <h2>
+ The libreboot project has three main goals:
+ </h2>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ <i><u><b>Recommend and distribute only free software</b></u></i>.
+ Coreboot distributes certain pieces of proprietary software which is needed on some systems.
+ Examples can include things like CPU microcode updates, memory initialization blobs and so on.
+ The coreboot project sometimes recommends adding more blobs which it does not distribute, such
+ as the Video BIOS or Intel's <i>Management Engine</i>. However, a lot of dedicated and talented
+ individuals in coreboot work hard to replace these blobs whenever possible.
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ <i><u><b>Support as much hardware as possible!</b></u></i>
+ Libreboot supports less hardware than coreboot, because most systems from coreboot still require
+ certain proprietary software to work properly. Libreboot is an attempt to support as much
+ hardware as possible, without any proprietary software.
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ <i><u><b>Make coreboot easy to use</b></u></i>.
+ Coreboot is notoriously difficult to install, due to an overall lack of user-focussed
+ documentation and support. Most people will simply give up before attempting to install coreboot.<br/><br/>
+
+ Libreboot attempts to bridge this divide, making sure that everything from building
+ to installing coreboot is automated, as much as is feasibly possible. Secondly, the project
+ produces documentation aimed at non-technical users. Thirdly, the project attempts
+ to provide excellent user support via mailing lists and IRC.<br/><br/>
+
+ Libreboot already comes with a payload (GRUB), flashrom and other needed parts. Everything
+ is fully integrated, in a way where most of the complicated steps that are otherwise required,
+ are instead done for the user in advance.<br/><br/>
+
+ You can download ROM images for your libreboot system and install them, without having
+ to build anything from source. The build system is also fully automated, so building
+ from source is easy if you wanted to do that (for whatever reason).
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+
+ <h2>
+ Libreboot is a coreboot distribution, not a coreboot fork
+ </h2>
<p>
- Libreboot is <b>not</b> a fork of coreboot, despite misconceptions of this fact. Libreboot (downstream supplier) is a parallel effort
- which works closely with and re-bases on the latest coreboot (upstream supplier) every so often.
+ Libreboot is not a fork of coreboot. Every so often, the project re-based on the latest
+ version of coreboot, with the number of custom patches in use minimized.
</p>
<p>
- <b>
- As such, all new coreboot development should be done in coreboot, not libreboot!
- Libreboot is about deblobbing, and packaging coreboot in a user-friendly way, where most work is already done for the user!
- If, for example you wanted to attempt porting a new motherboard then you should do that in coreboot. Libreboot will (as a downstream supplier)
- receive your change at some point in the future, in a future release.
- </b>
+ All new coreboot development should be done in coreboot (upstream), not libreboot!
+ Libreboot is about deblobbing and packaging coreboot in a user-friendly way, where most work
+ is already done for the user.
+ </p>
+
+ <p>
+ For example, if you wanted to add a new board to libreboot, you should add it to coreboot first.
+ Libreboot will automatically receive your code at a later date, when it updates itself.
</p>
<p>
- <i>Libreboot</i> as a whole is the distribution consisting of everything surrounding coreboot. However, the main component is coreboot;
- libreboot's deblobbed coreboot tree is sometimes referred to as <i>coreboot-libre</i> to distinguish it as a component of <i>libreboot</i>.
+ The deblobbed coreboot tree used in libreboot is referred to as <i>coreboot-libre</i>,
+ to distinguish it as a component of <i>libreboot</i>.
</p>
<h2>
- Libreboot is a 'stable' coreboot
+ Libreboot is a 'stable' version of coreboot
</h2>
<ul>
<li>
- Coreboot uses the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_release">rolling release</a> model, which
- is quite volatile; one day when you build coreboot, it may or may not work correctly on your machine.
+ Coreboot uses the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_release">rolling release</a> model,
+ which means that it is not guaranteed to be stable, or to even work at all on a given day.
+ Coreboot does have a strict code review process, but being such a large project with so many contributors, regressions
+ are always possible.
</li>
<li>
- Libreboot changes less often (as far as the release model is concerned), focusing instead on 'tested' releases for <i>specific machines</i>.
- At any given time, it might also be possible to build ROM images for systems other than those officially supported. If you get your board to work
- (without violating the <i>&quot;coreboot development goes in coreboot&quot;</i> rule), then others could benefit from it.
+ Libreboot freezes on a particular revision of coreboot, making sure that everything works properly,
+ making fixes on top of that and repeating this during each subsequent update to a later version
+ of coreboot. By doing this, it provides a stronger guarantee to the user that the firmware
+ will be reliable, and not break their system.
</li>
</ul>
- <p>
- On the other hand, coreboot is also strict about what it accepts (merges) into the main git repository:
- most of the time, a lot of changes are under review at review.coreboot.org (as a way of encouraging as much further development
- as possible before accepting the patch).
- </p>
-
- <p>
- Meanwhile, libreboot is a lot less strict in this area and freely merges specific patches that are desirable, sometimes before they are merged into coreboot's main repository.
- </p>
-
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</div>