On 03/01/2014, mrnuke mr.nuke.me@gmail.com wrote:
On Friday, January 03, 2014 12:37:34 AM Sam Kuper wrote:
There was some guide somewhere on how to download the stock ROM.
Thanks. Bedtime for me now, but if I decide the Chromebooks are still a potential option for me, I'll try to find time an opportunity to look it up (or failing that, maybe dissect one of John Lewis's prebuilt binaries?) another day.
The presence of CPU microcode should be the least of your concerns. Really. How about an out-of-band processor with full DMA access, and networking access transparent to the OS?
Already aware of that and I've ruled out everything with vPro/AMT.
Seriously, the CPU microcode is nothing. Besides, nobody cares if an internal PLL is configured properly so that the CPU can switch to its highest clock without hanging.
I hear you; but I also hear Jonathan Brossard saying that as far as security goes, "[If you control CPU microcode] updates, you basically win."
AMD is your best bet, but be prepared to get your feet wet. Server boards are hard to find, and you'll most likely need to port it.
That was my understanding; thank you for confirming it.
Chromebook, if you actually want to vote on free firmware. If you want to stick it to Intel (which I think you should), there are ARM models available. I also hear rumours of an octa-core coming soon. There are also some well-supported Lenovos, but getting one counts as not voting.
I'm no Intel boot-licker - I think the way Intel behaved re: OLPC was appalling (Intel Classmate, etc) - but I haven't found any suitable ARM models yet.[1] So it's down to:
- C7/C710; - Pavilion 14; - X60(s); - Yeeloong.
All of which are compromises; and (at least in my view) all of which are votes.
Ask away, but please keep Stallmanism out of it.
I find that if I mute Stallman, I hear Blank and Brossard ;)
Thanks again :)
Sam
[1] Besides, as far as current readily-available laptops are concerned, it seems that some ARM models are more likely to have restricted boot than Wintel laptops: http://media.libreplanet.org/u/libby/m/embracing-secure-boot-and-rejecting-r...