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Developer | Purism |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Purism |
Type | Laptop/Netbook, Desktop, Smartphone, Server |
Release date | 2014 |
Operating system | PureOS, QubesOS |
CPU | Intel Core |
Graphics | Intel HD Graphics |
Marketing target | Computer security purpose |
Website | puri |
Librem is a line of computers manufactured by Purism, SPC featuring free (libre) software. [1] [2] The laptop line is designed to protect privacy and freedom by providing no non-free (proprietary) software in the operating system or kernel, [3] [4] [5] avoiding the Intel Active Management Technology, [6] and gradually freeing and securing firmware. [7] [8] Librem laptops feature hardware kill switches for the microphone, webcam, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. [1] [2]
In 2014, Purism launched a crowdfunding campaign on Crowd Supply to fund the creation and production of the Librem 15 laptop, [9] conceived as a modern alternative to existing open-source hardware laptops, all of which used older hardware. [10] [11] [12] The 15 in the name refers to its 15-inch screen size. The campaign succeeded after extending the original campaign, [13] and the laptops were shipped to backers. [14] In a second revision of the laptop, hardware kill switches for the camera, microphone, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth were added.
After the successful launch of the Librem 15, Purism created another campaign on Crowd Supply for a 13-inch laptop called the Librem 13, [15] which also came with hardware kill switches similar to those on the Librem 15v2. [16] The campaign was again successful and the laptops were shipped to customers. [17]
Purism announced in December 2016 that it would start shipping from inventory rather than building to order with the new batches of Librem 15 and 13. [18]
As of January 2023 [update] , Purism has one laptop model in production, the Librem 14. [19]
Librem model | Coreboot version | CPU | Intel ME | Release | Max RAM (GB) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 v1 [20] | 4.21 (2023) [21] | Intel Core i7 5557U | Disabled | July 2015 | 32 |
13 v1 [22] | 4.21 (2023) [23] | Intel Core i5 5200U | Disabled | September 2015 | 16 |
15 v2 [24] | 4.21 (2023) [25] | Intel Core i7-5557U | Disabled | September 2015 | 32 |
13 v2 [26] | 4.21 (2023) [27] | Intel Core i5 6200U | Disabled | June 14, 2017 | 16 |
15 v3 [26] | 4.21 (2023) [28] | Intel Core i7 6500U | Disabled | June 28, 2017 | 32 |
13 v3 [29] | 4.21 (2023) [30] | Intel Core i7 6500U | Disabled | October 2017 | 16 |
15 v4 [31] | 4.21 (2023) [32] | Intel Core i7 7500U | Disabled | January 2019 | 32 |
13 v4 [33] | 4.21 (2023) [34] | Intel Core i7 7500U | Disabled | January 2019 | 16 |
14 v1 [35] | 4.21 (2023) [36] | Intel Core i7 10710U | Disabled | early Q4 2020 | 64 |
The Librem Mini is a small form factor desktop computer, [37] which began shipping in June 2020. [38]
Librem model | Coreboot version | CPU | Intel ME | Release | Max RAM (GB) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mini V1 | 4.21 (2023) [39] | Intel Core i7-8565U | Disabled | March 2020 [40] | 64 |
Mini V2 | 4.21 (2023) [39] | Intel Core i7-10510U | Disabled | November 2020 [41] [42] | 64 |
On August 24, 2017, Purism started a crowdfunding campaign for the Librem 5, a smartphone aimed to run 100% free software, which would "[focus] on security by design and privacy protection by default". Purism claimed that the phone would become "the world's first ever IP-native mobile handset, using end-to-end encrypted decentralized communication." [43] Purism cooperated with KDE and GNOME in its development of Librem 5. [44]
Security features of the Librem 5 include separation of the CPU from the baseband processor, [45] which, according to Linux Magazine , makes the Librem 5 unique in comparison to other mobile phones. [44] The Librem 5 also features hardware kill switches for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication and the phone's camera, microphone, and baseband processor. [46]
The default operating system for the Librem 5 is Purism's PureOS, a Debian derivative. The operating system uses a new user interface called Phosh, based on Wayland, wlroots, GTK and GNOME middleware. [47] It is planned that Phosh/Plasma Mobile, [44] Ubuntu Touch, [48] and postmarketOS can also be installed on the phone.
The release of the Librem 5 has been postponed several times. In September 2018, Purism announced that the launch date of Librem 5 would be moved from January to April 2019, because of two hardware bugs and the holiday season in Europe and North America. [49] The Librem 5's DevKits for software developers were shipped in December 2018. The launch date was later postponed to the third quarter because of the necessity of further CPU tests. [50] On September 24, 2019, Purism announced that the first batch of Librem 5 phones had started shipping. [51] The finished version of the Librem 5, known as "Evergreen", was finally shipped on November 18, 2020. [52]
The Librem server is a rack mounted server, released to the public in December 2019. [53]
Announced on 20 September 2018, the Librem Key is a hardware USB security token with multiple features, including integration with a tamper-evident Heads BIOS, which ensures that the Librem laptop Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) was not maliciously altered since the last laptop launch. [54] The Librem Key also features one-time password storage with 3x HMAC-based One-time Password algorithm (HOTP) (RFC 4226) and 15 x Time-based One-time Password algorithm (TOTP) (RFC 6238) and an integrated password manager (16 entries), 40 kbit/s true random number generator, and a tamper-resistant smart card. The key supports type A USB 2.0, has dimensions of 48 x 19 x 7 mm, and weighs 6 g. [55]
Initially planning to preload its Librem laptops with the Trisquel operating system, [56] Purism eventually moved off the Trisquel platform to Debian for the 2.0 release of its PureOS Linux operating system. [57] As an alternative to PureOS, Librem laptops are purchasable with Qubes OS preinstalled. [58] In December 2017, the Free Software Foundation added PureOS to its list of endorsed GNU/Linux distributions. [59] [60]
In 2015, Purism began research to port the Librem 13 to coreboot [61] [62] [63] but the effort was initially stalled. By the end of the year, a coreboot developer completed an initial port of the Librem 13 and submitted it for review. [64] In December 2016, hardware enablement developer Youness Alaoui joined Purism and was tasked to complete the coreboot port for the original Librem 13 and prepare a port for the second revision of the device. [65] Since summer 2017, new Librem laptops are shipped with coreboot as their standard BIOS, and updates are available for all older models. [66]
Purism calls a collection of these six components, involved in the boot process, as PureBoot: [67]
PureBoot protects the users from various attacks like theft, BIOS malware and kernel rootkits, vulnerabilities and malicious code in the Intel Management Engine, and interdiction. [67]
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