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AMD Steppe Eagle Flys To Coreboot

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  • AMD Steppe Eagle Flys To Coreboot

    Phoronix: AMD Steppe Eagle Flys To Coreboot

    Besides Coreboot for the Lenovo X220, other exciting code advancements this weekend for this project to replace proprietary systems' UEFI/BIOS is support for AMD's Steppe Eagle SoC...

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    it is starting to get really tempting... but still scary

    I read the "porting coreboot" on the laptop instructions on the coreboot page. Got an asus laptop with an AMD E450 APU. I am really tempted to go through if the various components on my motherboard are supported and compile coreboot (with bios or efi emulation payload). On the other hand, it is really scary to try (upgrading supported bios not so scary but here if you did something wrong when making the flashable image, your computer is bricked...)

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    • #3
      UEFI Replacement is Misleading

      Calling CoreBoot a UEFI replacement is both inaccurate, and misleading. First, coreboot has been around for longer that UEFI, so if anything is a replacement, logically it would be UEFI. Secondly, CoreBoot allows a UEFI payload, or any payload that a developer is likely to support. Thirdly, Coreboot originally intended to let Linux handle peripherals, rather than the bios. UEFI is a full stack environment for peripherals and was designed that way from the beginning.

      Now, CoreBoot is a great open source project that is needed. In fact, it is so good that Michael's trying to frame it into that mode is actually limiting it in your readers minds, which doesn't do it justice.

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      • #4
        I so wish there weren't so many problems in actual machines (laptops, mainboards) featuring AMD's chips. Sometimes you seem to have a very good match but then... some pesky SuperIO is undocumented. Bam! No flashrom, no coreboot. Something is always hampering your dreams. Meanwhile they support whole intel based laptops even though intel tried to hamper coreboot for all the time.
        Stop TCPA, stupid software patents and corrupt politicians!

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        • #5
          Originally posted by staalmannen View Post
          I read the "porting coreboot" on the laptop instructions on the coreboot page. Got an asus laptop with an AMD E450 APU. I am really tempted to go through if the various components on my motherboard are supported and compile coreboot (with bios or efi emulation payload). On the other hand, it is really scary to try (upgrading supported bios not so scary but here if you did something wrong when making the flashable image, your computer is bricked...)
          I haven't tried anything yet due to lack of time and not with notbooks. But I got some thin clients for cheap and they might be supported. Also, when the "BIOS" chip is socketed but some replacement chips and try to get the original firmware flashed upon them (some sellers offer flashing services or you could try by hotswap). Then you always have a replacement with the working classic BIOS at hand if something goes wrong. Don't know how far these chips are still socketed in laptops. If it is soldered... uh. I might dare to solder / unsolder a DIL/DIP but all these SMD things with their thousands of tiny feet... then I'd also be really worried about bricking the box.
          Stop TCPA, stupid software patents and corrupt politicians!

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Adarion View Post
            Don't know how far these chips are still socketed in laptops. If it is soldered... uh.
            When doing coreboot work, I recommend using an external flash programmer because things _will_ go wrong. The Pomona 5250 clip is useful to attach to many (not all) SPI flash chips out there. If you see 8 legs on the flash chip, it typically works. flash chips with solder balls are harder - luckily they're not that common.

            Originally posted by Adarion View Post
            I might dare to solder / unsolder a DIL/DIP but all these SMD things with their thousands of tiny feet... then I'd also be really worried about bricking the box.
            SPI flash, which is used on current devices, has 8 significant pins (sometimes the package has 8 more, but for home flashing purposes they can be ignored)

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            • #7
              Mainboards?

              And where are the Mainboards with G-Series (embedded Kabini)?

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