Libreboot

Last updated

Libreboot
Original author Leah Rowe
Developer Leah Rowe
Initial release12 December 2013;12 years ago (2013-12-12)
Stable release
25.06 [1]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg / 30 June 2025;7 months ago (30 June 2025)
Preview release 20241008 (October 8, 2024;15 months ago (2024-10-08)) [±] [2]
Repository
Written in C, Shell, Python
Type Open-source firmware
License GNU General Public License, version 3
Website libreboot.org   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Libreboot (briefly known as GNU Libreboot [3] [4] ) is a free and open-source software project based on coreboot, aimed at replacing some of the proprietary BIOS or UEFI firmware 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, such as Linux or FreeBSD.

Contents

Characteristics

Libreboot is established as a distribution of coreboot, but with some [5] proprietary binary blobs removed from coreboot. [6] Libreboot makes coreboot easy to use by automating the build and installation processes. [7] [8] [9] [10]

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. [11] Hardware support includes but is not limited to the ASUS KGPE-D16, [12] ThinkPad T400, [13] [14] X60 [7] [8] and X200. [14] [15] Libreboot is officially endorsed by the upstream coreboot project. [16]

Installation

Internal flashing is possible, but it's recommended to have a working external flashing setup that could be used to recover from mistakes when flashing internally. [17]

It is strongly advised not to use the CH341A programmer, as it can easily damage BIOS chips. For safety, please use the Raspberry Pi Pico with a crocodile clip or adapter. [18]

Installation usually goes as follows:

Security

Probably the most famous feature of Libreboot, and one that also highly impacts the security and possibly the privacy of the user, is that on most machines, Libreboot disables the Intel Management Engine by default. On older machines (before ME version 6.0), the Intel ME code could be entirely removed from the flash memory, thus completely disabling the ME. This is the case on devices like the ThinkPad X200 or ThinkPad T400. On newer devices, the Intel ME is needed to boot the machine, because of this, the ME is not completely disabled, but rather put into a inactive or "disabled" state after the machine boots. [21]

Other optional security features include, but are not limited to:

History

The Libreboot project was started in December 2013 [6] 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. [23]

Libreboot has been endorsed by the Free Software Foundation, and was an official part of the GNU Project 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. [24] [25]

Reception

In 2015, Kyle Rankin stated in Linux Journal that Libreboot "greatly simplified and automated" the flashing process, "with a few caveats". [7] [8] In 2016, Bryan Cockfield stated in Hackaday that Libreboot installation was "harrowing" and "not as easy as you'd think". [9]

    References

    1. ↑ Leah Rowe (30 June 2025). "Libreboot 25.06 "Luminous Lemon" released!" . Retrieved 10 July 2025.
    2. ↑ "Libreboot - Libreboot news". Libreboot. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
    3. ↑ "List of GNU software packages on 22 May 2016". GNU project. 22 May 2016. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
    4. ↑ "[Libreboot] GNU Libreboot, version 20160818 released". lists.gnu.org. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
    5. ↑ "Binary Blob Reduction Policy". 1 November 2023. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
    6. 1 2 Bärwaldt, Erik. "Liberated » Linux Magazine". Linux Magazine . Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
    7. 1 2 3 Rankin, Kyle (28 September 2015). "Libreboot on an X60, Part I: the Setup". Linux Journal . Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
    8. 1 2 3 Rankin, Kyle (28 October 2015). "Libreboot on an x60, Part II: the Installation". Linux Journal . Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
    9. 1 2 Cockfield, Bryan (16 December 2016). "Harrowing Story Of Installing Libreboot On ThinkPad". Hackaday . Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
    10. ↑ Nardi, Tom (20 August 2018). "Installing LibreBoot The (Very) Lazy Way". Hackaday . Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
    11. ↑ Vaughan-Nichols, Steven J. "Taurinus X200: Now the most 'Free Software' laptop on the planet". ZDNet . Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
    12. ↑ "Minifree Ltd.'s GNU+Linux Computers". Linux Journal . Retrieved 2 May 2023.
    13. ↑ Biggs, John (11 August 2017). "The Minifree Libreboot T400 is free as in freedom". TechCrunch . Retrieved 2 May 2023.
    14. 1 2 Benchoff, Brian (28 October 2016). "Apple Sucks Now, Here's A ThinkPad Buyer's Guide". Hackaday . Retrieved 2 May 2023.
    15. ↑ "Flash ROMs with a Raspberry Pi". Linux Journal . Retrieved 3 May 2023.
    16. ↑ "coreboot for end users". coreboot.org. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
    17. ↑ "Libreboot – Install Libreboot Open Source BIOS/UEFI boot firmware". Libreboot – Install Libreboot Open Source BIOS/UEFI boot firmware. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
    18. ↑ "Libreboot – Read/write 25XX NOR flash via SPI protocol". Libreboot – Read/write 25XX NOR flash via SPI protocol. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
    19. ↑ "Libreboot – Install Libreboot on Dell OptiPlex 3050 Micro". Libreboot – Install Libreboot on Dell OptiPlex 3050 Micro. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
    20. ↑ "Libreboot – Install Libreboot on Dell OptiPlex 3050 Micro". Libreboot – Install Libreboot on Dell OptiPlex 3050 Micro. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
    21. ↑ "Libreboot – Frequently Asked Questions about Libreboot firmware". Libreboot – Frequently Asked Questions about Libreboot firmware. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
    22. ↑ "Libreboot – Hardened GNU boot loader (GRUB payload)". Libreboot – Hardened GNU boot loader (GRUB payload). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
    23. ↑ Sun, Jiming; Jones, Marc; Reinauer, Stefan; Zimmer, Vincent (2015), "Building coreboot with Intel FSP", Embedded Firmware Solutions: Development Best Practices for the Internet of Things, Berkeley, CA: Apress, pp. 55–95, doi: 10.1007/978-1-4842-0070-4_4 , ISBN   978-1-4842-0070-4, archived from the original on 6 May 2024, retrieved 27 May 2023{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
    24. ↑ Hall, Christine (6 January 2017). "GNU Officially Boots Libreboot". FOSS Force. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
    25. ↑ Hall, Christine (16 September 2016). "Libreboot Leaves GNU Claiming Gender Identity Discrimination by FSF". FOSS Force. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
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