ASUS KGPE-D16 server/workstation board

This is a server board using AMD hardware (Fam10h and Fam15h CPUs available). It can also be used for building a high-powered workstation. Powered by libreboot. The coreboot port was done by Timothy Pearson of Raptor Engineering Inc. and, working with Timothy (and sponsoring the work) merged into libreboot.

NOTE: This board is unsupported in libreboot 20150518. To use it in libreboot, for now, you must build for it from source using the libreboot git repository.

Flashing instructions can be found at ../install/index.html#flashrom - note that external flashing is required (e.g. BBB), if the proprietary (ASUS) firmware is currently installed. If you already have libreboot, by default it is possible to re-flash using software running in GNU/Linux on the KGPE-D16, without using external hardware.

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Board status (compatibility)

See https://raptorengineeringinc.com/coreboot/kgpe-d16-status.php.

Form factor

These boards use the SSI EEB 3.61 form factor; make sure that your case supports this. This form factor is similar to E-ATX in that the size is identical, but the position of the screws are different.

Flash chips

2MiB flash chips are included by default, on these boards. It's on a P-DIP 8 slot (SPI chip). The flash chip can be upgraded to higher sizes: 4MiB, 8MiB or 16MiB. With at least 8MiB, you could feasibly fit a compressed linux+initramfs image (BusyBox+Linux system) into CBFS and boot that, loading it into memory.

DO NOT hot-swap the chip with your bare hands. Use a P-DIP 8 chip extractor. These can be found online. See http://www.coreboot.org/Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools

Native graphics initialization

Only text-mode is known to work, but linux(kernel) can initialize the a framebuffer display.

Memory

TODO: write

Current issues

TODO: write

Other information

TODO: link to specs, etc

Copyright © 2015 Francis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk>
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