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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<style type="text/css">
@import url('../css/main.css');
</style>
<title>ASUS KCMA-D8 desktop/workstation board</title>
</head>
<body>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="pagetop">ASUS KCMA-D8 desktop/workstation board</h1>
<p>
This is a desktop board using AMD hardware (Fam10h <b>and Fam15h</b> 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 <a href="https://raptorengineeringinc.com/">Raptor Engineering Inc.</a> and,
working with Timothy (and sponsoring the work) merged into libreboot.
</p>
<p>
<b>
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.
</b>
</p>
<p>
<b>Memory initialization is still problematic, for some modules. We recommend avoiding Kingston modules.</b>
</p>
<p>
Flashing instructions can be found at <a href="../install/index.html#flashrom">../install/index.html#flashrom</a>
- 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 kcma-d8, without using external hardware.
</p>
<p>
<a href="index.html">Back to previous index</a>.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="cpu-compatibility">CPU compatibility</h1>
<p>
<strong>Use Opteron 4200 series (works without microcode updates, including hw virt).</strong>
4300 series needs microcode updates, so avoid those CPUs. 4100 series is too old, and mostly untested.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="boardstatus">Board status (compatibility)</h1>
<p>
See <a href="https://raptorengineeringinc.com/coreboot/kcma-d8-status.php">https://raptorengineeringinc.com/coreboot/kcma-d8-status.php</a>.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="formfactor">Form factor</h1>
<p>
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.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="ipmi">IPMI iKVM module add-on</h1>
<p>
Don't use it. It uses proprietary firmware and adds a backdoor (remote out-of-band management chip,
similar to the <a href="http://libreboot.org/faq/#intelme">Intel Management Engine</a>. Fortunately,
the firmware is unsigned (possibly to replace) and physically separate from the mainboard since it's
on the add-on module, which you don't have to install.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="flashchips">Flash chips</h1>
<p>
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.
</p>
<p>
Libreboot has configs for 2, 4, 8 and 16 MiB flash chip sizes (default flash chip is 2MiB).
</p>
<p>
<b>
DO NOT hot-swap the chip with your bare hands. Use a P-DIP 8
chip extractor. These can be found online.
See <a href="http://www.coreboot.org/Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools">http://www.coreboot.org/Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools</a>
</b>
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="graphics">Native graphics initialization</h1>
<p>
Only text-mode is known to work, but linux(kernel) can initialize
the framebuffer display (if it has KMS - kernel mode setting).
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="issues">Current issues</h1>
<ul>
<li>LRDIMM memory modules are currently incompatible</li>
<li>
SAS (via PIKE 2008 module) requires non-free option ROM (and SeaBIOS) to boot from it
(theoretically possible to replace, but you can put a kernel in CBFS or on SATA
and use that to boot GNU, which can be on a SAS drive. The linux kernel can use
those SAS drives (via PIKE module) without an option ROM).
</li>
<li>
IPMI iKVM module (optional add-on card) uses proprietary firmware. Since it's for
remote out-of-band management, it's theoretically a backdoor similar to the Intel
Management Engine. Fortunately, unlike the ME, this firmware is unsigned which
means that a free replacement is theoretically possible. For now, the libreboot project
recommends not installing the module. <a href="https://github.com/facebook/openbmc">This project</a>
might be interesting to derive from, for those who want to work on a free replacement.
In practise, out-of-band management isn't very useful anyway (or at the very least,
it's not a major inconvenience to not have it).
</li>
<li>Graphics: only text-mode works. See <a href="#graphics">#graphics</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h2 id="specifications">Hardware specifications</h2>
<p>
Check the ASUS website.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<p>
Copyright © 2016 Leah Woods <info@minifree.org><br/>
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 can be found at <a href="../gfdl-1.3.txt">../gfdl-1.3.txt</a>
</p>
<p>
Updated versions of the license (when available) can be found at
<a href="https://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html">https://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html</a>
</p>
<p>
UNLESS OTHERWISE SEPARATELY UNDERTAKEN BY THE LICENSOR, TO THE
EXTENT POSSIBLE, THE LICENSOR OFFERS THE LICENSED MATERIAL AS-IS
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ACCURACY, OR THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF ERRORS, WHETHER OR NOT
KNOWN OR DISCOVERABLE. WHERE DISCLAIMERS OF WARRANTIES ARE NOT
ALLOWED IN FULL OR IN PART, THIS DISCLAIMER MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
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<p>
TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, IN NO EVENT WILL THE LICENSOR BE LIABLE
TO YOU ON ANY LEGAL THEORY (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION,
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<p>
The disclaimer of warranties and limitation of liability provided
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