Libreboot (briefly known as GNU Libreboot) is a
free and open-source software project based on
coreboot, aimed at replacing some of the proprietary
BIOS or
UEFI firmware
In computing
Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computer, computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and the development of both computer hardware, h ...
on supported
x86-64 and
AArch64 computers. Libreboot performs the basic machine setup such as
CPU initialization or
memory controller initialization necessary to load and run a
32-bit or
64-bit operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common daemon (computing), services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems scheduler (computing), schedule tasks for ...
, such as
Linux
Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...
or
FreeBSD.
Characteristics
Libreboot is established as a distribution of
coreboot, but with some proprietary
binary blobs removed from coreboot.
Libreboot makes coreboot easy to use by
automating the build and
installation processes.
On some devices, Libreboot developers have reverse engineered the firmware from Intel and created a utility to create a free firmware that meets the specifications from Intel.
Hardware support includes but is not limited to the ASUS KGPE-D16,
ThinkPad T400,
X60
and X200.
Libreboot is officially endorsed by the upstream
coreboot project.
History
The Libreboot project was started in December 2013
as a distribution of coreboot, which excludes non-free
binary blobs. Coreboot began as LinuxBIOS in 1999 at
Los Alamos National Labs (LANL), and was renamed "
coreboot" in 2008.
Libreboot has been endorsed by the
Free Software Foundation, and was an official part of the
GNU Project
The GNU Project ( ) is a free software, mass collaboration project announced by Richard Stallman on September 27, 1983. Its goal is to give computer users freedom and control in their use of their computers and Computer hardware, computing dev ...
starting in May 2016. In January 2017, the project's maintainer Leah Rowe pulled Libreboot from the GNU Project, after a months-long dispute with the Free Software Foundation which oversees GNU.
Reception
In 2015, Kyle Rankin stated in ''
Linux Journal'' that Libreboot "greatly simplified and automated" the flashing process, "with a few caveats".
In 2016, Bryan Cockfield stated in
Hackaday that Libreboot installation was "harrowing" and "not as easy as you'd think".
References
External links
*
{{Firmware and booting
2013 software
Custom firmware
Firmware
Free BIOS implementations
Open-source firmware
Software related to embedded Linux