Building libreboot from source
This section relates to building libreboot from source, and
working with the git repository.
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Install build dependencies
Before doing anything, you need the dependencies first. This is true if
you want to build libreboot from source, with either libreboot_src.tar.xz or git.
If you are using libreboot_util.tar.xz (binary archive) then you can ignore this, because
ROM images and statically compiled executables for the utilities are included.
For Trisquel 7, you can run the following command:
$ sudo ./build dependencies trisquel7
For Parabola, you can run the following command:
$ sudo ./build dependencies parabola
or:
# ./build dependencies parabola
For other GNU/Linux distributions, you can adapt the existing scripts.
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If you downloaded libreboot from git, then there are some steps to download and patch
the source code for all relevant dependencies. The archive in the git repository used to be
available as a tarball called 'libreboot_meta.tar.gz'. It contains 'metadata' (scripts)
which define how the source was created (where it came from).
You can use the scripts included to download everything.
First, install the build dependencies.
Since libreboot makes extensive use of git, you need to configure git properly. If you have not yet configured
git, then the minimum requirement is:
$ git config --global user.name "Your Name"
$ git config --global user.email your@emailaddress.com
This is what will also appear in git logs if you ever commit your own changes to a given repository. For
more information, see http://git-scm.com/doc.
Another nice config for you (optional, but recommended):
$ git config --global core.editor nano
$ git config --global color.status auto
$ git config --global color.branch auto
$ git config --global color.interactive auto
$ git config --global color.diff auto
After that, run the script:
$ ./download everything
What this did was download everything (grub, coreboot, memtest86+, bucts, flashrom)
at the versions last tested for this release, and patch them. Read the script
in a text editor to learn more.
To build the ROM images, see #build.
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How to build "bucts" (for LenovoBIOS X60/X60S/X60T/T60)
This is for Lenovo BIOS users on the ThinkPad X60/X60S, X60 Tablet and T60. If you have coreboot or libreboot running already, ignore this.
Bucts is needed when flashing in software the X60/X60S/X60T/T60 ROM while Lenovo BIOS is running;
external flashing will be safe regardless.
Each ROM contains identical data inside the two final 64K region in the file.
This corresponds to the final two 64K regions in the flash chip. Lenovo BIOS will prevent you from writing the
final one, so running "bucts 1" will set the machine to boot from the other block instead (which
is writeable along with everything beneath it when using a patched flashrom. see #build_flashrom).
After shutting down and booting up after the first flash,
the final 64K block is writeable so you flash the ROM again with an unpatched flashrom and run "bucts 0" to
make the machine boot from the normal (highest) block again.
BUC.TS utility is included in libreboot_src.tar.xz and libreboot_util.tar.xz.
If you downloaded from git, follow #build_meta before you proceed.
"BUC" means "Backup Control" (it's a register) and "TS" means "Top Swap"
(it's a status bit). Hence "bucts" (BUC.TS). TS 1 and TS 0 corresponds to bucts 1 and bucts 0.
If you have the binary release archive, you'll find executables under ./bucts/. Otherwise if you need to build from source, continue reading.
First, install the build dependencies.
To build bucts, do this in the main directory:
$ ./build module bucts
To statically compile it, do this:
$ ./build module bucts static
The "builddeps" script in libreboot_src also makes use of builddeps-bucts.
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How to build "flashrom"
Flashrom is the utility for flashing/dumping ROM images. This is what you will use to install libreboot.
Flashrom source code is included in libreboot_src.tar.xz and libreboot_util.tar.xz.
If you downloaded from git, follow #build_meta before you proceed.
If you are using the binary release archive, then there are already binaries included
under ./flashrom/. The flashing scripts will try to choose the correct one for you. Otherwise
if you wish to re-build flashrom from source, continue reading.
First, install the build dependencies.
To build it, do the following in the main directory:
$ ./build module flashrom
To statically compile it, do the following in the main directory:
$ ./build module flashrom static
After you've done that, under ./flashrom/ you will find the following executables:
-
flashrom
- For flashing while coreboot or libreboot is running.
-
flashrom_lenovobios_sst
- This is patched for flashing while Lenovo BIOS is running on an X60 or T60 with the SST25VF016B (SST) flash chip.
-
flashrom_lenovobios_macronix
- This is patched for flashing while Lenovo BIOS is running on an X60 or T60 with the MX25L1605D (Macronix) flash chip.
The "builddeps" script in libreboot_src also makes use of builddeps-flashrom.
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Configuring libreboot
Before building a ROM in libreboot (or coreboot, for that matter), you need to configure it.
This is done using the following inside the source tree:
$ cd coreboot/
$ make menuconfig
If you've already built a kernel before, you know how to use this interface.
Configurations are then saved as files called ".config". Copies of each configuration used
for each machine type by the libreboot build scripts are stored in resources/libreboot/config/
dmidecode
There is certain information that can be useful to enter in particular:
- Local version string
- SMBIOS Serial Number
- SMBIOS Manufacturer
- SMBIOS Version
- SMBIOS Product name
This information can be obtained using:
$ sudo dmidecode
# dmidecode
Specifically, it's good practise to enter the same information for libreboot that you found when running this
with the original BIOS or firmware. libreboot has already done this for you. This information is for reference,
in the hope that it will be useful.
ThinkPad X60, X60S and X60 Tablet configuration (file: resources/libreboot/config/x60/config)
- General setup / Expert mode = enable
- Mainboard / Mainboard vendor = Lenovo
- Mainboard / Mainboard model = ThinkPad X60 / X60s / X60t
- Mainboard / ROM chip size = 2048 KB (2 MB)
- Chipset / Include CPU microcode in CBFS = Do not include microcode updates
- Devices / Use native graphics initialization = enable
-
Display / Keep VESA framebuffer = disable (disable for text-mode graphics, enable for coreboot vesa framebuffer)
- Libreboot provides this with text-mode enabled by default, but it automatically patches a copy of the config at build time
to enable coreboot framebuffer for a separate set of ROM images, in each machine.
- Generic Drivers / Digitizer = Autodetect
- Generic Drivers / USB 2.0 EHCI debug dongle support = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Enable early (pre-RAM) usbdebug = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Type of dongle = BeagleBone Black
- Generic Drivers / Digitizer = Present
- Console / Send console output to a CBMEM buffer = enable
- Console / USB dongle log output = enable
- Payload / Add a payload = An ELF executable payload
- Payload / Payload path and filename = grub.elf
Now go back into Devices:
- Devices / Run VGA Option ROMs = disable
- Devices / Run Option ROMs on PCI devices = disable
The resulting .config file was saved as resources/libreboot/config/x60/config and is used by the build
scripts for this machine.
This configuration is used on all variants: X60, X60S and X60 Tablet.
ThinkPad T60 configuration (file: resources/libreboot/config/t60/config)
- General setup / Expert mode = enable
- General setup / Local version string = 79ETE7WW (2.27 )
- Mainboard / Mainboard vendor = Lenovo
- Mainboard / Mainboard model = ThinkPad T60 / T60p
- Mainboard / ROM chip size = 2048 KB (2 MB)
- System tables / SMBIOS Serial Number = L3DKE06
- System tables / SMBIOS Version Number = ThinkPad T60
- System tables / SMBIOS Manufacturer = LENOVO
- System tables / SMBIOS Product name = 1951FEG
- Chipset / Include CPU microcode in CBFS = Do not include microcode updates
- Devices / Use native graphics initialization = enable
-
Display / Keep VESA framebuffer = disable (disable for text-mode graphics, enable for coreboot vesa framebuffer)
- Libreboot provides this with text-mode enabled by default, but it automatically patches a copy of the config at build time
to enable coreboot framebuffer for a separate set of ROM images, in each machine.
- Generic Drivers / USB 2.0 EHCI debug dongle support = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Enable early (pre-RAM) usbdebug = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Type of dongle = BeagleBone Black
- Console / Send console output to a CBMEM buffer = enable
- Console / USB dongle log output = enable
- Payload / Add a payload = An ELF executable payload
- Payload / Payload path and filename = grub.elf
Go back into Devices:
- Devices / Run VGA Option ROMs = disable
- Devices / Run Option ROMs on PCI devices = disable
The resulting .config file was saved as resources/libreboot/config/t60/config and is used by the build
scripts for this machine.
It is believed that the motherboards on 14.1" and 15.1" T60s are the same, so the same configuration is used
on both the 14.1" and 15.1" T60s.
ThinkPad X200 configuration (file: resources/libreboot/config/x200_4mb/config and resources/libreboot/config/x200_8mb/config)
These are saved as two configs, because there are 2 size flash chips: 4MB or 8MB.
- General / Expert mode = enable
- Mainboard / Mainboard vendor = Lenovo
- Mainboard / Mainboard model = ThinkPad X200
- Mainboard / ROM chip size = 4096 KB (4 MB) or 8192 KB (8 MB) depending on flash chip size
- Chipset / Include CPU microcode in CBFS = Do not include microcode updates
- Chipset / Size of CBFS filesystem in ROM = byte size 0x7FD000 (for 8MB flash chip) or 3FD000 (for 4MB flash chip)
- Devices / Use native graphics initialization = enable
-
Display / Keep VESA framebuffer = disable (disable for text-mode graphics, enable for coreboot vesa framebuffer)
- Libreboot provides this with text-mode enabled by default, but it automatically patches a copy of the config at build time
to enable coreboot framebuffer for a separate set of ROM images, in each machine.
- Generic Drivers / USB 2.0 EHCI debug dongle support = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Enable early (pre-RAM) usbdebug = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Type of dongle = BeagleBone Black
- Console / Send console output to a CBMEM buffer = enable
- Console / USB dongle log output = enable
- Payload / Add a payload = An ELF executable payload
- Payload / Payload path and filename = grub.elf
Go back and disable option ROMs:
- Devices / Run VGA Option ROMs = disable
- Devices / Run Option ROMs on PCI devices = disable
The resulting .config file was saved as resources/libreboot/config/x200_8mb/config and
resources/libreboot/config/x200_4mb/config and is used by the build
scripts for this machine.
ThinkPad R400 configuration (file: resources/libreboot/config/r400_4mb/config and resources/libreboot/config/r400_8mb/config)
These are saved as two configs, because there are 2 size flash chips: 4MB or 8MB.
- General / Expert mode = enable
- Mainboard / Mainboard vendor = Lenovo
- Mainboard / Mainboard model = ThinkPad R400
- Mainboard / ROM chip size = 4096 KB (4 MB) or 8192 KB (8 MB) depending on flash chip size
- Chipset / Include CPU microcode in CBFS = Do not include microcode updates
- Chipset / Size of CBFS filesystem in ROM = byte size 0x7FD000 (for 8MB flash chip) or 3FD000 (for 4MB flash chip)
- Devices / Use native graphics initialization = enable
-
Display / Keep VESA framebuffer = disable (disable for text-mode graphics, enable for coreboot vesa framebuffer)
- Libreboot provides this with text-mode enabled by default, but it automatically patches a copy of the config at build time
to enable coreboot framebuffer for a separate set of ROM images, in each machine.
- Generic Drivers / USB 2.0 EHCI debug dongle support = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Enable early (pre-RAM) usbdebug = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Type of dongle = BeagleBone Black
- Console / Send console output to a CBMEM buffer = enable
- Console / USB dongle log output = enable
- Payload / Add a payload = An ELF executable payload
- Payload / Payload path and filename = grub.elf
Go back and disable option ROMs:
- Devices / Run VGA Option ROMs = disable
- Devices / Run Option ROMs on PCI devices = disable
The resulting .config file was saved as resources/libreboot/config/r400_8mb/config and
resources/libreboot/config/r400_4mb/config and is used by the build
scripts for this machine.
ThinkPad T400 configuration (file: resources/libreboot/config/t400_4mb/config and resources/libreboot/config/t400_8mb/config)
These are saved as two configs, because there are 2 size flash chips: 4MB or 8MB.
- General / Expert mode = enable
- Mainboard / Mainboard vendor = Lenovo
- Mainboard / Mainboard model = ThinkPad T400
- Mainboard / ROM chip size = 4096 KB (4 MB) or 8192 KB (8 MB) depending on flash chip size
- Chipset / Include CPU microcode in CBFS = Do not include microcode updates
- Chipset / Size of CBFS filesystem in ROM = byte size 0x7FD000 (for 8MB flash chip) or 3FD000 (for 4MB flash chip)
- Devices / Use native graphics initialization = enable
-
Display / Keep VESA framebuffer = disable (disable for text-mode graphics, enable for coreboot vesa framebuffer)
- Libreboot provides this with text-mode enabled by default, but it automatically patches a copy of the config at build time
to enable coreboot framebuffer for a separate set of ROM images, in each machine.
- Generic Drivers / USB 2.0 EHCI debug dongle support = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Enable early (pre-RAM) usbdebug = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Type of dongle = BeagleBone Black
- Console / Send console output to a CBMEM buffer = enable
- Console / USB dongle log output = enable
- Payload / Add a payload = An ELF executable payload
- Payload / Payload path and filename = grub.elf
Go back and disable option ROMs:
- Devices / Run VGA Option ROMs = disable
- Devices / Run Option ROMs on PCI devices = disable
The resulting .config file was saved as resources/libreboot/config/t400_8mb/config and
resources/libreboot/config/t400_4mb/config and is used by the build
scripts for this machine.
ThinkPad T500 configuration (file: resources/libreboot/config/t500_4mb/config and resources/libreboot/config/t500_8mb/config)
These are saved as two configs, because there are 2 size flash chips: 4MB or 8MB.
- General / Expert mode = enable
- Mainboard / Mainboard vendor = Lenovo
- Mainboard / Mainboard model = ThinkPad T500
- Mainboard / ROM chip size = 4096 KB (4 MB) or 8192 KB (8 MB) depending on flash chip size
- Chipset / Include CPU microcode in CBFS = Do not include microcode updates
- Chipset / Size of CBFS filesystem in ROM = byte size 0x7FD000 (for 8MB flash chip) or 3FD000 (for 4MB flash chip)
- Devices / Use native graphics initialization = enable
-
Display / Keep VESA framebuffer = disable (disable for text-mode graphics, enable for coreboot vesa framebuffer)
- Libreboot provides this with text-mode enabled by default, but it automatically patches a copy of the config at build time
to enable coreboot framebuffer for a separate set of ROM images, in each machine.
- Generic Drivers / USB 2.0 EHCI debug dongle support = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Enable early (pre-RAM) usbdebug = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Type of dongle = BeagleBone Black
- Console / Send console output to a CBMEM buffer = enable
- Console / USB dongle log output = enable
- Payload / Add a payload = An ELF executable payload
- Payload / Payload path and filename = grub.elf
Go back and disable option ROMs:
- Devices / Run VGA Option ROMs = disable
- Devices / Run Option ROMs on PCI devices = disable
The resulting .config file was saved as resources/libreboot/config/t500_8mb/config and
resources/libreboot/config/t500_4mb/config and is used by the build
scripts for this machine.
MacBook2,1 configuration (file: resources/libreboot/config/macbook21/config)
- General / Expert mode = enable
- General / Local version string = " MB21.88Z.00A5.B07.0706270922" (without the quotes)
- Mainboard / Mainboard vendor = Apple
- Mainboard / Mainboard model = Macbook2,1 ICH7 TESTING
- Mainboard / ROM chip size = 2048 KB (2 MB)
- System tables / SMBIOS Serial Number = W8724XXXXXX
- System tables / SMBIOS Version Number = 1.0
- System tables / SMBIOS Manufacturer = Apple Inc.
- System tables / SMBIOS Product Name = MacBook2,1
- Chipset / Include CPU microcode in CBFS = Do not include microcode updates
- Devices / Use native graphics initialization = enable
-
Display / Keep VESA framebuffer = disable (disable for text-mode graphics, enable for coreboot vesa framebuffer)
- Libreboot provides this with text-mode enabled by default, but it automatically patches a copy of the config at build time
to enable coreboot framebuffer for a separate set of ROM images, in each machine.
- Generic Drivers / USB 2.0 EHCI debug dongle support = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Enable early (pre-RAM) usbdebug = Enable
- Generic Drivers / Type of dongle = BeagleBone Black
- Console / Send console output to a CBMEM buffer = enable
- Console / USB dongle log output = enable
- Payload / Add a payload = An ELF executable payload
- Payload / Payload path and filename = grub.elf
Go back and disable option ROMs:
- Devices / Run VGA Option ROMs = disable
- Devices / Run Option ROMs on PCI devices = disable
The resulting .config file was saved as resources/libreboot/config/macbook21/config and is used by the build
scripts for this machine. This config is also used for the MacBook1,1.
QEMU (x86 i440fx/piix4) configuration (file: resources/libreboot/config/qemu_i440fx_piix4/config)
- General / Expert mode = enable
- Mainboard / Mainboard vendor = Emulation
- Mainboard / Mainboard model = QEMU x86 i440fx/piix4 (aka qemu -M pc)
- Mainboard / ROM chip size = 8192 KB (8 MB)
- Devices / Use native graphics initialization = enable (should already be enabled)
-
Display / Keep VESA framebuffer = enable (disable for text-mode graphics, enable for coreboot vesa framebuffer)
- Libreboot provides this with framebuffer enabled by default, but it automatically patches a copy of the config at build time
to enable coreboot text-mode for a separate set of ROM images, in each machine.
- Console / Send console output to a CBMEM buffer = enable
- Payload / Add a payload = An ELF executable payload
- Payload / Payload path and filename = grub.elf
Go back and disable option ROMs:
- Devices / Run VGA Option ROMs = disable
- Devices / Run Option ROMs on PCI devices = disable
The resulting .config file was saved as resources/libreboot/config/qemu_i440fx_piix4/config and is used by the build
scripts for this machine.
QEMU (x86 q35/ich9) configuration (file: resources/libreboot/config/qemu_q35_ich9/config)
- General / Expert mode = enable
- Mainboard / Mainboard vendor = Emulation
- Mainboard / Mainboard model = QEMU x86 q35/ich9 (aka qemu -M q35)
- Mainboard / ROM chip size = 8192 KB (8 MB)
- Devices / Use native graphics initialization = enable (should already be enabled)
-
Display / Keep VESA framebuffer = enable (disable for text-mode graphics, enable for coreboot vesa framebuffer)
- Libreboot provides this with framebuffer enabled by default, but it automatically patches a copy of the config at build time
to enable coreboot text-mode for a separate set of ROM images, in each machine.
- Console / Send console output to a CBMEM buffer = enable
- Payload / Add a payload = An ELF executable payload
- Payload / Payload path and filename = grub.elf
Go back and disable option ROMs:
- Devices / Run VGA Option ROMs = disable
- Devices / Run Option ROMs on PCI devices = disable
The resulting .config file was saved as resources/libreboot/config/qemu_q35_ich9/config and is used by the build
scripts for this machine.
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How to build the ROM images
You don't need to do much, as there are scripts already written for you that can build everything automatically.
You can build libreboot from source on a 32-bit (i686) or 64-bit (x86_64) system. Recommended (if possible): x86_64.
On a ThinkPad T60, you can replace the CPU (Core 2 Duo T5600, T7200 or T7600. T5600 recommended) for 64-bit support.
On an X60s, you can replace the board with one that has a Core 2 Duo L7400 (you could also use an X60 Tablet board with the same CPU).
On an X60, you can replace the board with one that has a Core 2 Duo T5600 or T7200 (T5600 is recommended). All MacBook2,1 laptops
are 64-bit, as are all ThinkPad X200, X200S, X200 Tablet, R400, T400 and T500 laptops. Warning: MacBook1,1 laptops are all 32-bit only.
First, install the build dependencies.
If you downloaded libreboot from git, refer to #build_meta.
Build all of the components used in libreboot:
$ ./build module all
After that, build the ROM images (for all boards):
$ ./build roms withgrub
Alternatively, you can build for a specific board or set of boards.
For example:
$ ./build roms withgrub x60
$ ./build roms withgrub x200_8mb
$ ./build roms withgrub x60 x200_8mb
The list of board options can be found by looking at the directory
names in resources/libreboot/config/.
To clean (reverse) everything, do the following:
$ ./build clean all
The ROM images will be stored under bin/.
Preparing release archives (optional)
Do the following:
$ ./build release archives
If you are building on an i686 host, this will include statically linked 32-bit binaries in
the binary release archive that you created,
for: nvramtool, cbfstool, bucts, flashrom, ich9deblob, cbmem.
If you are building on an x86_64 host, this will include statically linked 32- and 64-bit binaries for
cbmem, ich9deblob, cbfstool and nvramtool, while flashrom
and bucts will be included only as 64-bit statically linked binaries. To include a statically
linked flashrom and bucts for i686, you will need to build them on a chroot, a virtual machine or a real
32-bit system. You can find the build dependencies for these packages listed in deps-*
armv7l binaries (tested on a BeagleBone Black) are also included in libreboot_util, for:
- cbfstool
- ich9gen
- ich9deblob
- flashrom
If you are building 32-bit binaries on a live system or chroot (for flashrom/bucts), you can use the following to statically link them:
$ ./build module flashrom static
$ ./build module bucts static
The same conditions as above apply for ARM (except, building bucts on ARM is pointless, and for flashrom
you only need the normal executable since the lenovobios_sst and _macronix executables are meant
to run on an X60/T60 while lenovo bios is present, working around the security restrictions).
The command that you used for generating the release archives will also run the following command:
$ ./build external source
The archive tobuild.tar.xz will have been created under release/, containing bucts, flashrom and all other required
resources for building them.
You'll find that the files libreboot_util.tar.xz and libreboot_src.tar.xz have been created, under release/.
The ROM images will be stored in separate archives for each machine, under release/rom/.
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Copyright © 2014, 2015 Francis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk>
This document is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License and all future versions.
A copy of the license can be found at ../license.txt.
This document is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See ../license.txt for more information.