This section relates to installing libreboot on supported targets.
List of directories corresponding to each board:
These images use coreboot text-mode graphics:
These images use coreboot framebuffer graphics:
boardname should be replaced with one of the following: macbook21, t60, x60, x60t, x200_8mb or x200_4mb.
_txtmode images come with a working MemTest86+ and GRUB Invaders, both of which require text-mode. _vesafb images are recommended in most cases.
This will give you your native keyboard layout inside GRUB. The preferences in your OS are not affected, it just makes using the GRUB command line easier (if you ever need to do that). ../grub/index.html#grub_keyboard shows you how this was done. If your native keyboard layout differs, you can adapt those notes and hack the 'build' script for your needs.
Hover over the next paragraph to make it black.
Following this guide means simply flashing a libreboot ROM. This guide will not (directly) teach you how to make a backup (dump) of the original Lenovo BIOS
because to do so would be to explicitly endorse proprietary software. However, for the purposes of reverse engineering it can be useful
to have a backup. Each copy of the original Lenovo BIOS is tied to the specific machine that it came from; it will not run
on any other machine, even if it's the same type of machine as yours. What this means is that, effectively, you can back it up now (so that you can
re-flash it later if you want to run the original Lenovo BIOS again) or lose it forever. The X60/T60 installation
guide on the coreboot wiki will show you how to do this:
http://www.coreboot.org/Board:lenovo/x60/Installation.
Do not make this decision lightly! This is your last and only chance.
The following is for the libreboot image and *not* the factory bios dump:
Check the last two 64K regions in your ROM file (libreboot.rom in this example):
$ dd if=libreboot.rom of=top64k.bin bs=1 skip=$[$(stat -c %s libreboot.rom) - 0x10000] count=64k
$ dd if=libreboot.rom of=lower64k.bin bs=1 skip=$[$(stat -c %s libreboot.rom) - 0x20000] count=64k
$ sha512sum lower64k.bin top64k.bin
Make *sure* that they match before you continue. The ROM's included pre-compiled in libreboot should already match.
If they don't match, then do this (based on those instructions from coreboot wiki):
$ dd if=top64k.bin of=libreboot.rom bs=1 seek=$[$(stat -c %s libreboot.rom) - 0x20000] count=64k conv=notrunc
After this, the ROM will be safe to flash. Explanation is provided in ../git/index.html#build_bucts.
This is for the ThinkPad X60 and T60 while running Lenovo BIOS. If you already have coreboot or libreboot running, then go to #flashrom instead!
If you are flashing a Lenovo ThinkPad T60, be sure to read ../hcl/index.html#supported_t60_list
First, install the build dependencies.
Before you proceed, make *sure* to build flashrom and bucts from source. Both are provided. This is very important!
"YOURBOARD/YOURROM" should be replaced with what is correct as per #rom. Alternatively you may be using your own custom ROM. Adapt.
Run the script:
$ sudo ./lenovobios_firstflash bin/YOURBOARD/YOURROM.
You should see within the output the following:
"Updated BUC.TS=1 - 64kb address ranges at 0xFFFE0000 and 0xFFFF0000 are swapped".
You should also see within the output the following:
"Flash chip is in an unknown state", "FAILED" and "DO NOT SHUTDOWN OR REBOOT"
Seeing this means that the operation was a resounding success! DON'T PANIC.
See this link for more details: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.bios.flashrom/575.
If the above is what you see, then SHUT DOWN. Wait a few seconds, and then boot; libreboot is running, but there is a 2nd procedure *needed* (see below).
If you boot and you see nothing, try turning up the backlight (Fn+Home).
When you have booted up again:
$ sudo ./lenovobios_secondflash bin/YOURBOARD/YOURROM
You should see within the output the following:
"Updated BUC.TS=0 - 128kb address range 0xFFFE0000-0xFFFFFFFF is untranslated"
You should also see within the output the following:
"Verifying flash... VERIFIED."
Shut down again, wait a few seconds, and then boot.
Some thinkpads come with WWAN cards installed, along with sim cards. These use non-free firmware and should be removed. You might also want to remove bluetooth. See ../security/x60_security.html and ../security/t60_security.html.
Hover over the next paragraph to make it black.
Following this guide means simply flashing a libreboot ROM. This guide will not (directly) teach you how to make a backup (dump) of the original Apple EFI firmware
because to do so would be to explicitly endorse proprietary software. However, for the purposes of reverse engineering it can be useful
to have a backup. Each copy of the original Apple EFI is (believed, but unproven to be) tied to the specific machine that it came from; it will not (as is believed) run
on any other machine, even if it's the same type of machine as yours. What this means is that, effectively, you can back it up now (so that you can
re-flash it later if you want to run the original Apple EFI firmware again) or lose it forever. The macbook21 installation
guide on the coreboot wiki will show you how to do this:
http://www.coreboot.org/Board:apple/macbook21.
Do not make this decision lightly! This is (very likely) your last and only chance.
(this theory is untested at the time of writing)
Note: If you have a MacBook1,1 then these instructions will not work. See ../hcl/index.html#macbook11 for MacBook1,1 flashing instructions.
This is for the MacBook2,1 while running Apple EFI firmware. If you already have coreboot or libreboot running, then go to #flashrom instead!
Be sure to read the information in ../hcl/index.html#macbook21.
First, install the build dependencies.
Before you proceed, make *sure* to build flashrom from source. This is very important!
Look at #rom to see which ROM is suitable for your machine. Alternatively you may be using your own custom ROM. Adapt.
Flashing is actually easy (compared to X60/T60).
$ sudo flashrom -p internal:laptop=force_I_want_a_brick -w bin/YOURBOARD/YOURROM
Alternatively, a script is provided which does the same thing:
$ sudo ./macbook21_firstflash bin/YOURBOARD/YOURROM
You should also see within the output the following:
"Verifying flash... VERIFIED."
If you see that, great! Shut down now (power off). Wait a few seconds and then boot!
If you boot and you see nothing, try turning up the backlight (F2 for macbook21).
These instructions work for the Lenovo ThinkPad X60/X60S/X60T/T60 and Apple MacBook2,1.
This assumes that you already have coreboot or libreboot running.
If you have Lenovo BIOS running (X60/X60S/X60T/T60), go to #flashrom_lenovobios instead.
If you have Apple EFI firmware running (macbook21), go to #flashrom_macbook21 instead.
If you are flashing a Lenovo ThinkPad T60, be sure to read ../hcl/index.html#supported_t60_list.
If you are flashing an Apple MacBook2,1, be sure to read the information in ../hcl/index.html#macbook21.
First, install the build dependencies.
Before you proceed, make *sure* to build flashrom from source. This is very important!
Look at #rom to see which ROM is suitable for your machine. Alternative you may be using your own custom ROM. Adapt.
Flash the ROM:
$ sudo ./flash bin/YOURBOARD/YOURROM
If you are flashing a ThinkPad X60 that is currently running libreboot 5th release or lower
(anything on or before June 22nd 2014), then use this to upgrade:
$ sudo ./x60flashfrom5 bin/YOURBOARD/YOURROM
You should see "Verifying flash... VERIFIED." written at the end of the flashrom output. SHUT DOWN after you see this, and then boot up again after a few seconds.
If you boot and you see nothing, try turning up the backlight (Fn+Home for X60/X60S/X60T/T60, F2 for macbook21).
Some thinkpads come with WWAN cards installed, along with sim cards. These use non-free firmware and should be removed. You might also want to remove bluetooth. See ../security/x60_security.html and ../security/t60_security.html.
If your X200 is running the original firmware (Lenovo BIOS), follow the instructions at x200_external.html first.
Software flashing instructions: the guide from #flashrom ought to work, but do make sure that the ROM you flash has a flash descriptor and gbe region dd'd into it, based on the instructions at ../hcl/x200_remove_me.html.
Copyright © 2014 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.