From 0e3520f74d25bc43572a1afeaa4439bfedcc0d78 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Francis Rowe
This sections relates to disabling and removing the ME (Intel Management Engine) on
GM45. This was originally done on the ThinkPad X200, and later adapted for the ThinkPad R400/T400/T500. It can
- in principle be done on any GM45 or GS45 machine.
+ in principle be done on any GM45 or GS45 system.
The ME is a blob that typically must be left inside the flash chip (in the ME region, as outlined
by the default descriptor). On GM45, it is possible to remove it without any ill effects. All
- other parts of coreboot on GM45 machines (provided GMA MHD4500 / Intel graphics) can be blob-free,
+ other parts of coreboot on GM45 systems (provided GMA MHD4500 / Intel graphics) can be blob-free,
so removing the ME was the last obstacle to
- make GM45 a feasible target in libreboot (the machines can also work without the microcode blobs).
+ make GM45 a feasible target in libreboot (the systems can also work without the microcode blobs).
The ME is removed and disabled in libreboot by modifying the descriptor. More info about
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
- Your libreboot.rom image is now ready to be flashed on the machine. Refer back to
+ Your libreboot.rom image is now ready to be flashed on the system. Refer back to
../install/index.html#flashrom
for how to flash it.
- This is no longer strictly necessary. Libreboot ROM images for GM45 machines now
+ This is no longer strictly necessary. Libreboot ROM images for GM45 systems now
contain the 12KiB descriptor+gbe generated from ich9gen, by default.
- This was the tool originally used to disable the ME on X200 (later adapted for other machines that use the
+ This was the tool originally used to disable the ME on X200 (later adapted for other systems that use the
GM45 chipset). ich9gen now supersedes it;
ich9gen is better because it does not rely on dumping the factory.rom image (whereas, ich9deblob does).
ICH9 deblob utility
- Place the factory.rom from your machine
+ Place the factory.rom from your system
(can be obtained using the external flashing guides for GM45 targets linked ../install/index.html) in
the directory where you have your ich9deblob executable, then run the tool:
$ ./ich9deblob
A 12kiB file named deblobbed_descriptor.bin will now appear. Keep this and the factory.rom stored in a safe location! - The first 4KiB contains the descriptor data region for your machine, and the next 8KiB contains the gbe region (config data for your + The first 4KiB contains the descriptor data region for your system, and the next 8KiB contains the gbe region (config data for your gigabit NIC). These 2 regions could actually be separate files, but they are joined into 1 file in this case.
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ DD CC 18 00 11 20 17 00 DD DD 18 00 12 20 17 00By default, the X200 (as shipped by Lenovo) actually has an invalid main gbe checksum. The backup gbe region is correct, - and is what these machines default to. Basically, you should do what you need on the *backup* gbe region, and + and is what these systems default to. Basically, you should do what you need on the *backup* gbe region, and then correct the main one by copying from the backup.
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