[coreboot] [liberationtech] Fwd: Firefox OS with built in support for OpenPGP encryption

[David Hendricks]

>
> Both of these boxes let you reflash your system firmware with your
>
>> custom build of BSD-licensed TianoCore UEFI.
>>
> BSD-licensed TianoCore + heaps of binary modules that are currently only
> available under NDA.
> They'd also require some additional code (probably binary only?) to make
> Tiano resembling something like a complete and secure implementation.


And as far as FOSS firmware development goes, Gizmo Board (
http://www.gizmosphere.org/why-gizmo/gizmoboard/) is far superior and
actually ships with fully functioning open source firmware derived from
coreboot. No blobs, no restrictive licensing.


>  <soapbox>
>> There is a large OEM/ODM/IBV/IHV/ISV ecosystem that currently runs the
>> hardware, and it is UEFI-centric. IMO, focusing only on fringe
>> Lemote/Coreboot technology is not a good bet.
>>
> coreboot is your only bet on x86 if you aim for open source firmware. It
> can be combined with TianoCore to provide the UEFI APIs to the user (read:
> Operating System), but TianoCore alone won't do since it lacks hardware
> initialization drivers (that coreboot provides).


Indeed. TianoCore is not a full firmware implementation -- It usually sits
atop a layer cake of non-free / binary components that do the actual work
of initializing the hardware.

As Patrick points out, Coreboot running with TianoCore on top as a payload
can accomplish what you seem to be asking for. There has been substantial
work done here already, so if you *really* need UEFI services you can work
on polishing it up:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTI4ODU

-- 
David Hendricks (dhendrix)
Systems Software Engineer, Google Inc.
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