[coreboot] Minifree Libreboot D16 server/workstation launched

[Timothy Pearson]

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On 01/07/2017 09:14 PM, Taiidan at gmx.com wrote:
> Ah thanks for the info, I had thought all IBM POWER8 systems had open
> firmware :(
> So to confirm, the more reasonably priced S812LC for 4.8K doesn't have
> it? What a shame.

Correct.  The S812LC is loaded with proprietary firmware; as I think
I've mentioned before Raptor Engineering would be willing to port the
libre firmware to the S812LC under contract, but it would probably take
a few interested parties pooling resources to actually fund the work
since this would be a full hardware reverse engineering effort plus a
port of two very complex (much larger than coreboot!) firmware projects.

> Yeah I proselytized by asking them a few questions on the web-form but
> they never replied.
> I asked them:
> If you can use them as workstations by slotting in a graphics card and
> attaching it to a VM like with x86 IOMMU GFX.

Yes.  We've actually done this with dual Radeon cards.  The catch is you
won't be able to use drivers that you don't have the source code for
since almost no manufacturer compiles their proprietary drivers for
POWER at this time (IBM seems to be hedging that open drivers are
actually better for POWER systems).

> Which systems have open blob free firmware and how easy it is to do a
> user-compile/flash.

Palmetto is the only one at the moment.  The S822LC is close but needs a
bit more work to get it all working together.  No other system is
anywhere near blob-free at this time.

> What is the difference between the shipping firmware and the "open"
> firmware.

For the system firmware, not much, mainly a collection of internal IBM
machine-patches needed to get the system booting that were not
applicable to the upstream tree in the state they were in.  For the BMC,
it's the difference between a fully closed AMI network-enabled firmware
and the libre BMC firmware.

> Man things are really going to hell these days, nothing we buy is really
> ours - even the box of trash bags in my kitchen has an EULA printed on
> the bottom.

+1.  The community needs to step up and fund libre systems wherever
possible, even if that just means helping port libre firmware to modern
systems that can still accept it.  Modern machines are too complex for a
single "cowboy coder" / hacker to make much difference I'm afraid.

- -- 
Timothy Pearson
Raptor Engineering
+1 (415) 727-8645 (direct line)
+1 (512) 690-0200 (switchboard)
https://www.raptorengineering.com
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