Coreboot Ported To Run On Lenovo's ThinkPad T420

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Coreboot Ported To Run On Lenovo's ThinkPad T420

For fans of Coreboot, the Lenovo ThinkPad T420 has been ported to this open-source BIOS/UEFI alternative and is one of the more recent laptops to be independently ported to this code-base formerly known as LinuxBIOS...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Coreboot-Ported-To-T420

[Amarildo]

This is actually good for Lenovo users, specially considering how the company's history with BIOS'es.

Hopefully all Firmware will be Open-Source in the future.

[msami]

OMG, exactly my laptop model
well, I know exactly what will I do in next few days, but first I'll find some leftover empty spi flash in my old junk box and make spi flash backup/copy... and heat up my rework station just in case

[uid313]

I wish someone ported Coreboot to the Dell XPS 13 "Sputnik" developer laptop.

[AlexFonewn]

@#3 msami, could you elaborate on spi flash? I had not heard about it. Thanks.

[efikkan]

These Thinkpads are truly great laptops, and people can grab one for a few bucks and throw in a new SSD and have a great laptop.

I'm hoping support for the models with Nvidia GPUs arrive soon.

[CrystalGamma]

@#3 msami, could you elaborate on spi flash? I had not heard about it. Thanks.

Firmware/BIOS is usually stored on flash these days, and most mainboards connect it to the system using a 4-Pin bus called SPI.
When you find the protocol for your specific chip, you can reflash the firmware by bit-banging GPIOs (flipping the state of the pins in software) connected to that flash chip.

[msami]

Firmware/BIOS is usually stored on flash these days, and most mainboards connect it to the system using a 4-Pin bus called SPI.
When you find the protocol for your specific chip, you can reflash the firmware by bit-banging GPIOs (flipping the state of the pins in software) connected to that flash chip.

Exactly. Or simply said firmware chip

[danmcgrew]

This article triggered so much of a response on my part that I--finally--signed up to Phoronix after all this time! Glad to be here, and not just as an observer.
Here's my problem:
I, fearing the worst for the general state of the pc market after trying VERY HARD--with no luck--to get information on installing Linux on the new generation of laptops such as the Lenovo IdeaPad 100S and the Asus X205TA, bought a very nice (refurbished) Lenovo ThinkPad with Win7 installed (I killed two birds with one stone: I got one of the nicest laptops ever; and I've got one of the last 'real' versions of Windows, if I ever need it to run some program which absolutely needs it). I immediately installed Mint Linux 17.3 Cinnamon on the machine, and have had nothing but a delightful experience ever since. So what's the problem?
Strictly philosophical: I can see NO reason (perhaps I have been doing stuff like this for far too long) to see any merit in waiting on Coreboot to get around to porting their S/W to a particular machine, when I see (a) how long it takes, (b) no benefit, when considering existing use cases, ie, this one.
How long has it been since the T420 was manufactured and actively marketed? Is Coreboot not for current solutions? What am I missing? I MUST be missing something very major, and the fact that I've been in this game for so long and can't understand is deeply disturbing. Please help.

[horizonbrave]

is coreboot flashable or do I need a more difficult procedure?