Group: Hardware/Computers/Laptops/Laptops with fatal flaws/Chromebooks

Someone needs to write a free replacement for some parts

Brand and Model	Type	Required and Optional Proprietary “BIOS Replacement” Components	Required and Optional Proprietary Components for Peripherals	Compatible BIOS Replacements	Compatible 100 % Free software distributions	Availability
Lemote Loongson 3A notebook	Notebook	ATI VGA BIOS/Option ROM required to have graphics, someone needs to write a free replacement for that.	Probably optional ATI microcode for the GPU (no acceleration without it). Probably mandatory for newer kernel versions.	Pmon	None, gNewSense needs just a custom kernel	Out of stock
Lenovo T60 (with ATI GPU)	Notebook	With Coreboot: ATI VGA BIOS/Option ROM required to have graphics (can be used in headless mode, without graphics. Serial console and SSH). CPU microcode: usually optional, like X60	The default Wi-Fi card is from Intel and requires non-free firmware, replace that card.	The default non-free BIOS can be replaced with Coreboot v4 (complicated procedure) Probably optional ATI microcode for the GPU (no acceleration without it).	Trisquel 5.5 and newer Parabola	Easy to find second hand
Lenovo X201	Small notebook	ME.bin: runs on another CPU, the Management Engine, very hard to replace and dangerous VGA ROM: like for X60 CPU microcode?	The default Wi-Fi card is from Intel and requires non-free firmware, replace it.	The default non-free BIOS can be replaced with Coreboot v4 (warning: complicated procedure)	Trisquel 5.5 and 6.0 ? Parabola ?	Second hand

Brand and Model	Type	Required and Optional Proprietary “BIOS Replacement” Components	Required and Optional Proprietary Components for Peripherals	Compatible BIOS Replacements	Compatible 100 % Free software distributions	Availability
OLPC XO-1	Small notebook	VSA (LGPL) cannot be built with free software yet.	Internal Wi-Fi card requires non-free firmware.	Free BIOS replacement (which one?).	?
Chromebook Pixel	Thin notebook	MRC.bin: RAM controller initialization, runs on the main CPU. ME.bin: runs on another CPU, the Management Engine, very hard to replace and dangerous. Optional non-free VGA BIOS (has a free replacement in Coreboot). CPU microcode?	None	Coreboot with uboot as payload by default.	?	Available new. Available in USA, UK, and probably other countries.
Samsung Series 3 Chromebook	Thin notebook	Required BL1: proprietary and signed.	Wi-Fi needs non-free firmware (issues [1] [2] show it uses the mwifiex_sdio driver), same chip provides Bluetooth probably also requiring non-free firmware.	Coreboot? Uboot.	?	Available new… …in which countries?

This page was a featured resource in September 2014.