You can help out Coreboot!

[uid313]

Coreboot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coreboot) is a free software project aimed at replacing the standard BIOS firmware found in most computers with a lightweight firmware system designed to perform only the minimum of tasks necessary to load and run a modern 32-bit or 64-bit operating system.

You can help out the Coreboot project, it doesn't require any programming skills.


$ sudo apt-get install subversion
$ svn co svn://coreboot.org/repos/trunk/coreboot-v2



$ cd coreboot-v2/util/getpir/
$ make
$ sudo ./getpir

getpir will generate a file called "irq_tables.c", you should send this to Coreboot.


$ cd coreboot-v2/util/mptable/
$ make
$ sudo ./mptable > mptable.txt

This generate a file called "mptable.txt", you should send this to Coreboot.


$ sudo apt-get install superiotool
$ sudo superiotool -dV > superiotool-dV.txt
$ sudo dmidecode > dmidecode.txt
$ sudo dmidecode --dump > dmidecode-dump.txt
$ lspci -tvnn > lspci-tvnn.txt
$ sudo lshw > lshw.txt

Now send an email to the Coreboot project mailing list.
http://www.coreboot.org/mailman/listinfo/coreboot
E-mail address: coreboot at coreboot dot org
Attach the files irq_tables.c, mptable.txt, superiotool-dV.txt, dmidecode.txt, dmidecode-dump.txt, lspci-tvnn.txt, and lshw.txt.

[uid313]

Anyone helped out?

[VeeDubb]

I may be willing to help out, but an awful lot more information might be helpful.

Just for starters...

What EXACTLY do those commands and programs do?

[Sef]

Moved to community cafe.

[zmjjmz]

While I'm all for coreboot, I'd also like to know exactly what these scripts do.

[uid313]

$ sudo apt-get install subversion
This command installs subversion (svn), a tool that is needed to download the latest development version of Coreboot from svn source code repository.

$ svn co svn://coreboot.org/repos/trunk/coreboot-v2
This command makes just recently installed subversion (svn) connect to subversion repository at coreboot.org, and download the latest coreboot-v2.

$ cd coreboot-v2/util/getpir/
This changes directory into the coreboot that you just downloaded.

$ make
This compiles the 'getpir' utility that come with coreboot from source code into a executable binary that you can run.

$ sudo ./getpir
This runs the 'getpir' utility that you just compiled.
This generates a file called 'irq_tables.c' in the same directory, which is a text file with C source code.
It needs to be run with the 'sudo' command which runs it with administrator privileges, because it needs to access the memory to grab the IRQ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrupt_request) routing tables.
This is motherboard hardware information.

$ cd coreboot-v2/util/mptable/
This changes the directory into 'mptable' utility of the coreboot.

$ make
This compiles the 'mptable' utility that come with coreboot from source code into a executable binary that you can run.

$ sudo ./mptable > mptable.txt
This runs the 'mptable' utility and saves the output it prints out into a file called mptable.txt
Sudo makes it run with administrator privileges, which it needs in order to access the memory and get the MP table from the motherboard. It is just motherboard hardware information.

$ sudo apt-get install superiotool
This command installs the 'superiotool' from the Ubuntu repository. It is a tool that figures out what kind of Super I/O (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_I/O) chip you have no your motherboard. Brand and model.

$ sudo superiotool -dV > superiotool-dV.txt
This runs the superiotool with administrator privileges, using the "d" and "V" parameters. The "d" parameter gets the Super I/O register contents, and "V" makes it verbose.

$ sudo dmidecode > dmidecode.txt
This runs the dmidecode utility with administator privileges. It fetches some DMI (Desktop Media Interface (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_Management_Interface)) information from the SMBIOS. It outputs it into the dmidecode.txt file.

$ sudo dmidecode --dump > dmidecode-dump.txt
This is the same as the command above, but it dumps it into the dmidecode-dump.txt file, without first decoding it.

$ lspci -tvnn > lspci-tvnn.txt
This runs the 'lspci' command which lists the PCI bus, and saves the output into a file called 'lspci-tvnn.txt'.

$ sudo lshw > lshw.txt
This runs 'lshw' with administrator privileges. It lists hardware, and saves them into a file called 'lshw.txt'.

[uid313]

After you're done, and have ran all the commands, and e-mailed Coreboot the files, you can remove the coreboot-v2/ directory.

You can also remove 'svn' (subversion) and 'superiotool' if you wish, since you no longer need them.
$ sudo apt-get remove subversion
$ sudo apt-get remove superiotool

[uid313]

Anyone helping out?

Were the descriptions of the commands suitable?
Anymore questions?

[zmjjmz]

I intend on doing it, I just wanted to know what those programs were.
I don't like running stuff with sudo that I don't know about.


Anyways, you'll be able to get more info from me because I have two computers (that I can use for this. I actually have 14 computers) and will be running these tests on both

[Polygon]

besides for OSS purists, why would a normal user wnat to use coreboot instead of the bios included on their motherboard?

I myself am EXTREMELY skeptical. This seems like the thing that one doesn't really want to mess with, as if you do something wrong, you have yourself a nice big doorstop.

[medic2000]

i shall help.

[Vadi]

Well, since it only gives info, I'll do this. Why not

[Vadi]

besides for OSS purists, why would a normal user wnat to use coreboot instead of the bios included on their motherboard?

Same reason someone would want to get an Android phone instead of a normal one?

@OP: It didn't work: http://pastebin.com/m4ae3dad5

[zmjjmz]

This is from my Thinkpad T20.

[zmjjmz]

2 more files, there's a max of 5 attachments/post.

[uid313]

besides for OSS purists, why would a normal user wnat to use coreboot instead of the bios included on their motherboard?
There are many reasons.
For one, its open, you can be sure its no trojans or backdoors.
Two, BIOS is a legacy piece-of-poop, with Coreboot you can either make it it load a legacy BIOS firmware like SeaBIOS, or you could load OpenFirmware IEEE 1275-1994, or you could load GNUFI which is an EFI implementation.
Coreboot is modern and uses 32-bit mode, not like some old 16-bit mode like BIOS.
Also, coreboot can boot in 2 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuzRsXKm_NQ


I myself am EXTREMELY skeptical. This seems like the thing that one doesn't really want to mess with, as if you do something wrong, you have yourself a nice big doorstop.
Yes, flashing the BIOS with Coreboot is not something you should do, this could go wrong and it could brick your motherboard.
The above mentioned commands however, does not install/flash Coreboot, it just downloads Coreboot, and runs some some utilities to obtain information from the hardware.

[Vadi]

It doesn't work for me :\

[uid313]

It doesn't work for me :\
That is not a very informative explanation.
What *exactly* does not work?

[artir]

I helped :)

[saulgoode]

What should the subject of the email be?

[artir]

I wrote "Useful data for the project"

[uid313]

I helped :)
Great! :)


What should the subject of the email be?
I don't know. The name of your motherboard would probably be a good subject line.

[Vadi]

@OP: It didn't work: http://pastebin.com/m4ae3dad5

See above

[uid313]

This is from my Thinkpad T20.
Please e-mail them to the coreboot mailing list.

[uid313]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X72LgcMpM9k

Coreboot just held a talk at Google.
It is available on YouTube.
It explains coreboot for those who are interested.

[mdancer]

I will do this thing. But I want more. If I want help you to bring support of coreboot on my gigabyte GA-965P-S3 can I do something more?

[john_spiral]

This Coreboot stuff looks interesting. Besides Tetris what's the most impressive application that's been built?

Is there any chance of frying my hardware with the commands on the first post?

thanks

John

[askyourpc.com]

Is there a motherboard that allows you to write your own BIOS?

[eternalnewbee]

I'd love to replace my BIOS with Coreboot, if that's possible, but as I'm not so deep in to Linux, I'll just patiently wait for reactions from Power users, like Caljohn, or staff members.
In the meantime I've subscribed to this Thread to stay in touch.
Keep up the good work.

[Lord Xeb]

Ummm... I am not going to even attempt this. I am not going to fudge my lappy by doing any of this becuase it is my only computer. Can you role back to the origional bios if you **** up

[zmjjmz]

Ummm... I am not going to even attempt this. I am not going to fudge my lappy by doing any of this becuase it is my only computer. Can you role back to the origional bios if you **** up

No, you're just screwed.
I'd test it on a machine where you can easily swap out the mobo.

[RaZoR1394]

Developers on the Coreboot mailing list have clearly stated that this information is spamming the list. Unless you want to try a patch or make your own patch and you are fully ready to test Coreboot on your system there is no point in posting your information to the list,