On Friday, January 03, 2014 12:37:34 AM Sam Kuper wrote:
Thank you, but unfortunately, I don't own a Samsung Series 5 550 or a Series 3 Chromebox, nor any other CrOS device from which to extract a stock coreboot.rom.
There was some guide somewhere on how to download the stock ROM.
I freely admit I'm not terribly well-informed on the subject. That's why I'm reading to learn as much as I can and asking questions here to fill in the gaps.
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? 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.
- Server: x86, not necessarily Intel, with Core Solo performance or
better, that supports 16GB+ of RAM with double bit error correction (e.g. Chipkill).
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.
- Laptop/netbook: not necessarily x86, with Core Solo performance or
better, that supports 2GB+ of RAM.
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.
Some Trisquel folks are running without microcode updates.[2]
Sounds like a foul's paradise. Their firmware most likely installs some microcode updates.
Anyhow, since I've managed inadvertently to generate a couple of slightly tetchy replies here since I started this thread (i.e. yours and the earlier one from Gregg Levine), maybe that's a hint that I'm asking too many questions or something, and that I should take my leave for now?
Ask away, but please keep Stallmanism out of it. CPU microcode is better compared to a hardware descriptor than a set of instructions, and it's probably a mix of both. It's definitely not software in the normal sense of the word.
Alex
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...
-
mrnuke -
Sam Kuper