Group: Hardware/History/Laptops Comparison

Revision as of 15:00, 4 September 2014

Introduction

Nowadays, some laptops are able to run only free software.

This means that they are not "just" able to run 100% free software distributions: they go way beyong that.

What initialises the hardware before loading the operating system(like a fully free distribution) is software.

This software can have many names (BIOS, EFI, UEFI etc...).

Free software initialisation code, along with a 100% free operating sytem, and peripherals that work with free software can result in a 100% free system on some laptops.

Good Laptops

Lemote

Brand and Model	Type	Required and Optional Proprietary “BIOS Replacement” Components	Required and Optional Proprietary Components for Peripherals	Compatible free BIOS Replacements	Compatible 100% Free software distributions	Availability
Lemote 8089D	Netbook	None	None	Pmon Grub2	gNewsense Parabola	Out of stock
Lemote 8101B	Netbook	None	None	Pmon Grub2	gNewsense Parabola	Last stock at Tekmote

Laptops supported by libreboot

Brand and Model	Type	Required and Optional Proprietary “BIOS Replacement” Components	Required and Optional Proprietary Components for Peripherals	Compatible free BIOS Replacements	Compatible 100% Free software distributions	Availability
Lenovo X60 / X60s / X60 Tablet	light/compact Notebook	The VGA option rom can be replaced^[1] CPU Microcode: most devices work without it^[2]	Some default Wi-Fi Card are from Intel and require non-free firmware. If you buy the laptop second hand and have an intel card, replace it. Else glugglug already ships with the good cards.	The default non-free BIOS can be replaced with libreboot, trough very dangerous and very complicated ^[3]instructions. Else glugglug laptops ship already flashed, and once the non-free BIOS has been replaced, reflashing is way easier but still dangerous.^[4]	Trisquel 5.5 and newer Parabola	Easy to find second hand, but very complicated and risky install procedure Can be bought already liberated at glugglug
Lenovo T60 (with Intel GPU)	Notebook					Easy to find second hand
Apple MacBook 2,1 / MacBook 1,1	Notebook		The default Wi-Fi card is an Atheros chipset which works fully with the Linux-libre kernel.	The default non-free EFI firmware can be replaced with libreboot, trough a dangerous ^[5]procedure		Easy to find second hand

Rereferences

↑
It can be replaced by:
- Coreboot code, with text mode graphics support
- SeaBIOS's option rom that gives VGA compatibility
Both are probably needed, and coreboot changes will land soon in Libreboot, at the time of writing(august 2014)
↑ Some of the impact of not updating the microcode can be found in intel's CPU erratas, like the Core solo/duo erratas. A good way to avoid the issues described there is to have a cpu that has the bus you care about fixed in hardware: The more recent batches you get, the more erratas are fixed
↑ There is a big risk of breaking the laptop: Some time ago, lots of users tried and broke it, they cound't buy the laptop already flashed, so they tried it. They broke it because the instructions to switch from the original BIOS to free BIOS replacements are complicated.
That's due to some restrictions of the original BIOS, which tries to prevent easy reflashing.
↑ Once the free BIOS replacement is flashed, reflashing is easy, but still dangerous: if the free BIOS replacement doesn't work, then the user has to disassemble the laptop and reflash with an external flash programmer to recover.
↑ If your macbook has the right flash chip, flashing it is easy, but still dangerous: if the free BIOS replacement doesn't work, then the user has to disassemble the laptop and reflash with an external flash programmer to recover.

Laptop that can be 100% free

Laptop that can be 100% free

Bad for freedom

[1] It can be replaced by:

Coreboot code, with text mode graphics support

SeaBIOS's option rom that gives VGA compatibility

Both are probably needed, and coreboot changes will land soon in Libreboot, at the time of writing(august 2014)

[2] Coreboot code, with text mode graphics support

[3] SeaBIOS's option rom that gives VGA compatibility

[2] Some of the impact of not updating the microcode can be found in intel's CPU erratas, like the Core solo/duo erratas. A good way to avoid the issues described there is to have a cpu that has the bus you care about fixed in hardware: The more recent batches you get, the more erratas are fixed

[3] There is a big risk of breaking the laptop: Some time ago, lots of users tried and broke it, they cound't buy the laptop already flashed, so they tried it. They broke it because the instructions to switch from the original BIOS to free BIOS replacements are complicated.
That's due to some restrictions of the original BIOS, which tries to prevent easy reflashing.

[4] Once the free BIOS replacement is flashed, reflashing is easy, but still dangerous: if the free BIOS replacement doesn't work, then the user has to disassemble the laptop and reflash with an external flash programmer to recover.

[5] If your macbook has the right flash chip, flashing it is easy, but still dangerous: if the free BIOS replacement doesn't work, then the user has to disassemble the laptop and reflash with an external flash programmer to recover.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 <references/>
-== Laptop that can be made 100% free ==
+== Laptop that can be 100% free ==
-* [[/Freeable_laptops]]
+* [[/Freeable_laptops|Laptop that can be 100% free]]
 == Bad for freedom ==
 * [[/Common Laptops| Common laptops]]
 * [[/Partially free laptops| Partially free laptops]]

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