Libreboot – Libreboot project

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2021-06-24 12:30:04

Libreboot is freedom-respecting boot firmware that initializes the hardware (e.g. memory controller, CPU, peripherals) in your computer so that software can run. Libreboot then starts a bootloader to load your operating system. It replaces the proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware typically found on a computer. Libreboot is compatible with specific computer models that use the Intel/AMD x86 architecture. Libreboot works well with GNU+Linux and BSD operating systems. User support is available at #libreboot on Libera Chat network.

Libreboot is a Free Software project, but can be considered Open Source. The GNU website teaches why you should call it Free Software instead; alternatively, you may call it libre software.

Libreboot uses coreboot for hardware initialization. However, coreboot is notoriously difficult to compile and install for most non-technical users. There are many complicated configuration steps required, and coreboot by itself is useless; coreboot only handles basic hardware initialization, and then jumps to a separate payload program. The payload program can be anything, for example a Linux kernel, bootloader (such as GNU GRUB), UEFI implementation (such as Tianocore) or BIOS implementation (such as SeaBIOS). While not quite as complicated as building a GNU+Linux distribution from scratch, it may aswell be as far as most non-technical users are concerned.

Libreboot solves this problem in a novel way: Libreboot is a coreboot distribution much like Debian is a GNU+Linux distribution. Libreboot provides an automated build system that downloads, patches (where necessary) and compiles coreboot, GNU GRUB, various payloads and all other software components needed to build a complete, working ROM image that you can install to replace your current BIOS/UEFI firmware, much like a GNU+Linux distribution (e.g. Debian) provides an ISO image that you can use to replace your current operating system (e.g. Windows).

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