Re: [coreboot] Buying a new mainboard. Which vendors support coreboot?

[Niklas Cholmkvist]

Hi again,.

Jonathan wrote:
> What makes you think the open source ATI drivers aren't
> any good?

I'm not saying they are not good. If I didn't have an appreciation for
free libre or open source software I would have another idea of what
'good' means for me. What bothers me(although I'm not sure if you
understand why) though is some graphics microcode that AMD or ATI
doesn't want to release, possibly because it will spoil some Digital
Rights Management(DRM) technology that they have. Maybe I am mistaken
and they have released some of the "microcode" for some of their
integrated graphics cards?(if you know please tell) I don't know if you
consider "secret microcode" an issue. Also I just read about that this
"microcode" has not been released and I found the reference on an
AMD/ATI forum.
I'm not 100% that Intel has released the "microcode" for their G43
chipset.
So you can supply arguments(if you wish to help me with this) that
microcode isn't an important issue or find a reference that Intel
doesn't release their G43 graphics "microcode" either.
> AFAICT they're doing pretty well these days.

Any specific card? If yes, compare it to integrated Intel GMA
G43("X4500")

Regards,
Niklas

Buying a new mainboard. Which vendors support coreboot?

[Peter Stuge]

Niklas Cholmkvist wrote:
> What bothers me(although I'm not sure if you
> understand why) though is some graphics microcode that AMD or ATI
> doesn't want to release, possibly because it will spoil some Digital
> Rights Management(DRM) technology that they have. Maybe I am mistaken
> and they have released some of the "microcode" for some of their
> integrated graphics cards?

So this is one thing that you need to research further.
> Also I just read about that this "microcode" has not been released
> and I found the reference on an AMD/ATI forum.

I would strongly recommend to look beyond forums.
> I'm not 100% that Intel has released the "microcode" for their G43
> chipset.

I don't even know if they use one. This is also a point for your
further research.
> So you can supply arguments (if you wish to help me with this) that
> microcode isn't an important issue

That's a tricky discussion, and maybe one not so much on topic here.
> or find a reference that Intel doesn't release their G43 graphics
> "microcode" either.

Again, you'd need to check if they even use one.

(But why would it be more OK to pick ATI as long as Intel also keep
close microcode, assuming they both do use some?)
> > AFAICT they're doing pretty well these days.
>
> Any specific card? If yes, compare it to integrated Intel GMA
> G43("X4500")

This also needs research.

And here's the main point:

I think you have to do the research yourself. If someone had already
done it, maybe you could have gotten an answer, but I'm afraid it
seems that noone has. So please find out these things, and I know
that at least I would be curious to hear about what you find when
you're done. Please post your finding to the list.

(Hint: RS780-family chipsets are the recent ones that have a good
chance of working well with coreboot.)

//Peter