Re: [coreboot] Are any Chromebooks able to run fully libre?

[Peter Stuge]

Sam Kuper wrote:
> Brossard

Not a very nice word around here.

Don't take people's word for things, Sam, but do more research yourself.

The internet and even people presenting at conferences are not
indisputable sources.

Brossard included the abbreviation PIC in one of the slides for his
talk about how he supposedly created a backdoored BIOS (using an open
source x86 firmware implementation).

He identified PIC as one of the components on PC mainboards.

Unfortunately he seems to think that PIC refers to the family of
microcontrollers developed by Microchip instead of what it really
refers to; something very different, a quite well-understood and
rather fundamental component for everyone with strong knowledge about
PC technology.

//Peter

Are any Chromebooks able to run fully libre?

[Sam Kuper]

On Jan 4, 2014 12:56 AM, "Peter Stuge"  wrote:
> Sam Kuper wrote:
> > Brossard
>
> Not a very nice word around here.

Sorry; I didn't know there was bad feeling.
> Don't take people's word for things, Sam, but do more research yourself.
>
> The internet and even people presenting at conferences are not
> indisputable sources.

Very much agreed; but we each have to start somewhere :)
> Brossard included the abbreviation PIC in one of the slides for his
> talk about how he supposedly created a backdoored BIOS (using an open
> source x86 firmware implementation).
>
> He identified PIC as one of the components on PC mainboards.
>
> Unfortunately he seems to think that PIC refers to the family of
> microcontrollers developed by Microchip instead of what it really
> refers to; something very different, a quite well-understood and
> rather fundamental component for everyone with strong knowledge about
> PC technology.

What would you recommend as a good primer (textbook; website; manual;
whatever) that would give someone with limited experience enough knowledge
to avoid making that mistake and others like it?

Many thanks,

Sam

Are any Chromebooks able to run fully libre?

[Sam Kuper]

On Jan 4, 2014 12:56 AM, "Peter Stuge"  wrote:
> Sam Kuper wrote:
> > Brossard
>
> Not a very nice word around here.
>
> Don't take people's word for things, Sam

For clarity, do you think Brossard was wrong about microcode? If so, please
could you explain why?

He and Blank - and indeed Stallman - aren't the only "authorities" who've
stated misgivings about (closed-source) microcode updates.

Thanks again,

Sam