{{Short description|Coreboot distribution with no proprietary code}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox software | name = Libreboot | logo = Libreboot logo.svg | logo alt = Graphic of Canteloupe, Libreboot's mascot, which is a running deer in black and white. | logo size = 120px | screenshot = File:Libreboot on an x200 with docking station..jpg | caption = ThinkPad X200 running Libreboot | author = Leah Rowe | developer = Leah Rowe | released = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2013|12|12}} | latest release version = {{Wikidata|properties|preferred|references|edit|P348|P548=Q2804309}} | latest release date = {{Start date and age|{{Wikidata|qualifier|single|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}}} | latest preview version = {{Wikidata|properties|preferred|references|edit|P348|P548=Q3295609}} | latest preview date = {{Start date and age|{{Wikidata|qualifier|single|P348|P548=Q3295609|P577}}}} | programming language = C, Shell, Python | platform = | genre = Open-source firmwares | license = GNU General Public License, version 3 }}
'''Libreboot''' (briefly known as '''GNU Libreboot'''<ref>{{Cite web|date=22 May 2016|title=List of GNU software packages on 22 May 2016|url=https://www.gnu.org/software/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522044936/https://www.gnu.org/software/|archive-date=22 May 2016|access-date=22 August 2016|website=GNU project}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=[Libreboot] GNU Libreboot, version 20160818 released|url=https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/libreboot/2016-08/msg00040.html|access-date=2021-08-22|website=lists.gnu.org|archive-date=18 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018041811/https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/libreboot/2016-08/msg00040.html|url-status=live}}</ref>) 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 BSD. It was tested on FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD.<ref>https://libreboot.org/docs/bsd/</ref>
==Characteristics== Libreboot is established as a distribution of coreboot, but with some<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-01 |title=Binary Blob Reduction Policy |url=https://libreboot.org/news/policy.html |access-date=2023-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101164256/https://libreboot.org/news/policy.html |archive-date=1 November 2023 }}</ref> proprietary binary blobs removed from coreboot.<ref name="Bärwaldt">{{Cite web|last=Bärwaldt|first=Erik|title=Liberated » Linux Magazine|url=http://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2018/210/Free-Firmware-with-Libreboot|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Linux Magazine|language=en-US|archive-date=22 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822203232/https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2018/210/Free-Firmware-with-Libreboot}}</ref> Libreboot makes coreboot easy to use by automating the build and installation processes.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name="thinkpad">{{Cite web|first=Bryan|last=Cockfield|date=2016-12-16|title=Harrowing Story Of Installing Libreboot On ThinkPad|url=https://hackaday.com/2016/12/16/installing-libreboot/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Hackaday|language=en-US|archive-date=7 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907074125/https://hackaday.com/2016/12/16/installing-libreboot/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Nardi|first=Tom|date=2018-08-20|title=Installing LibreBoot The (Very) Lazy Way|url=https://hackaday.com/2018/08/20/installing-libreboot-the-very-lazy-way/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Hackaday|language=en-US|archive-date=24 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124042859/https://hackaday.com/2018/08/20/installing-libreboot-the-very-lazy-way/}}</ref>
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.<ref name="Vaughan-Nichols">{{Cite web|last=Vaughan-Nichols|first=Steven J.|title=Taurinus X200: Now the most 'Free Software' laptop on the planet|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-new-free-software-laptop-arrives/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-06|website=ZDNet|language=en|archive-date=26 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826133134/https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-new-free-software-laptop-arrives/}}</ref> Hardware support includes but is not limited to the ASUS KGPE-D16,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Minifree Ltd.'s GNU+Linux Computers |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/minifree-ltds-gnulinux-computers |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=Linux Journal}}</ref> ThinkPad T400,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Biggs |first=John |date=2017-08-11 |title=The Minifree Libreboot T400 is free as in freedom |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/11/the-minifree-libreboot-t400-is-free-as-in-freedom/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Benchoff |first=Brian |date=2016-10-28 |title=Apple Sucks Now, Here’s A ThinkPad Buyer’s Guide |url=https://hackaday.com/2016/10/28/apple-sucks-now-heres-a-thinkpad-buyers-guide/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=Hackaday |language=en-US}}</ref> X60<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> and X200.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Flash ROMs with a Raspberry Pi |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/flash-roms-raspberry-pi |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Linux Journal}}</ref> Libreboot is officially endorsed by the upstream coreboot project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=coreboot for end users |url=https://coreboot.org/users.html |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=coreboot.org}}</ref>
== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libreboot – Install Libreboot Open Source BIOS/UEFI boot firmware |url=https://libreboot.org/docs/install/ |access-date=2026-02-02 |website=Libreboot – Install Libreboot Open Source BIOS/UEFI boot firmware |language=en}}</ref>
It is strongly advised not to use the CH341A programmer, as it can easily damage BIOS chips. For safety, use the Raspberry Pi Pico with a SOIC clip.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libreboot – Read/write 25XX NOR flash via SPI protocol |url=https://libreboot.org/docs/install/spi.html |access-date=2026-02-02 |website=Libreboot – Read/write 25XX NOR flash via SPI protocol |language=en}}</ref>
Installation usually goes as follows:
* Compile or download the necessary tools and dependencies * Build or download the BIOS image * Insert binary files if the image has been downloaded from a repository * Flash your images with flashprog or internally<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libreboot – Install Libreboot on Dell OptiPlex 3050 Micro |url=https://libreboot.org/docs/install/dell3050.html |access-date=2026-02-02 |website=Libreboot – Install Libreboot on Dell OptiPlex 3050 Micro |language=en}}</ref>
== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libreboot – Frequently Asked Questions about Libreboot firmware |url=https://libreboot.org/faq.html |access-date=2026-02-02 |website=Libreboot – Frequently Asked Questions about Libreboot firmware |language=en}}</ref>
Other optional security features include, but are not limited to: * Full disk encryption * Software flash memory write protection<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libreboot – Hardened GNU boot loader (GRUB payload) |url=https://libreboot.org/docs/linux/grub_hardening.html |access-date=2026-02-02 |website=Libreboot – Hardened GNU boot loader (GRUB payload) |language=en}}</ref>
== History == The Libreboot project was started in December 2013<ref name="Bärwaldt" /> 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.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Sun |first1=Jiming |title=Building coreboot with Intel FSP |date=2015 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-0070-4_4 |work=Embedded Firmware Solutions: Development Best Practices for the Internet of Things |pages=55–95 |access-date=2023-05-27 |place=Berkeley, CA |publisher=Apress |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-4842-0070-4_4 |isbn=978-1-4842-0070-4 |last2=Jones |first2=Marc |last3=Reinauer |first3=Stefan |last4=Zimmer |first4=Vincent |doi-access=free |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506204215/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4842-0070-4_4 |archive-date=6 May 2024 }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Christine |date=2017-01-06 |title=GNU Officially Boots Libreboot |url=https://fossforce.com/2017/01/gnu-officially-boots-libreboot/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=FOSS Force |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506202851/https://fossforce.com/2017/01/gnu-officially-boots-libreboot/ |archive-date=6 May 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Christine |date=2016-09-16 |title=Libreboot Leaves GNU Claiming Gender Identity Discrimination by FSF |url=https://fossforce.com/2016/09/libreboot-leaves-gnu-claiming-gender-identity-discrimination-fsf/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=FOSS Force |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506202329/https://fossforce.com/2016/09/libreboot-leaves-gnu-claiming-gender-identity-discrimination-fsf/ |archive-date=6 May 2024 }}</ref>
== Reception == In 2015, Kyle Rankin stated in ''Linux Journal'' that Libreboot "greatly simplified and automated" the flashing process, "with a few caveats".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Rankin |first=Kyle |date=September 28, 2015 |title=Libreboot on an X60, Part I: the Setup |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-i-setup |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822203226/https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-i-setup |archive-date=22 August 2021 |access-date=2021-08-22 |website=Linux Journal}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Rankin |first=Kyle |date=October 28, 2015 |title=Libreboot on an x60, Part II: the Installation |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-ii-installation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822203221/https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-ii-installation |archive-date=22 August 2021 |access-date=2021-08-22 |website=Linux Journal}}</ref> In 2016, Bryan Cockfield stated in Hackaday that Libreboot installation was "harrowing" and "not as easy as you'd think".<ref name="thinkpad"/> {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website}}
{{Firmware and booting}}
Category:2013 software Category:Custom firmware Category:Firmware Category:Free BIOS implementations Category:Open-source firmware Category:Software related to embedded Linux