LIberating a MacBook 2,1 - flashing Libreboot and installing Trisquel
Work in progress!
# I'm writing this guide here because I find the ones available not easy enough to follow for non-techies like myself. Originally I wanted to make a full disk encryption (FDE) [1] but so far I haven't succeeded so this is a guide to an ordinary encrypted lvm [2] installation. This solution seems to be the second best regarding security and privacy. I don't have experience with building from source (i.e. making/compiling the software) on my own. Hence the software used in this guide is downloaded from repositories accessible via libreboot.org and trisquel.info. Installing other distros by this guide might work, but I'm not sure.
Following this guide will (supposedly) relatively easy lead you to a liberated MacBook 2,1.
The MacBook 2,1 has a built-in cd/dvd drive and this guide is based on using a live DVD, not a live USB pen drive. I don't know if using a live usb pen drive will lead to the same result.
Overview: Apple's OS doesn't allow you to flash Libreboot. Therefore you must first install an OS that will make flashing possible. Other GNU/Linux distributions will probably work too, but Trisquel is fine and easy to use. After installing Trisquel, Libreboot can be flashed by a simple command in the terminal. The tricky part here is to figure out which files to download, where exactly to download them from and not the least how and from where to run the command. Once Libreboot has been flashed to the MacBook 2,1 you must run a new installation of Trisquel.
1) First create a live DVD with Trisquel.
If you are in doubt here, it's easy to find a guide on the net. You have to burn an iso file to a DVD. That is an 'image' of the installation file of that particular OS (e.g. filename trisquel_7.0_amd64.iso)
2) In this step Trisquel is installed in order to allow for flashing Libreboot.
For the MacBook 2,1 to load the live DVD you gave to press the 'alt' key right after turning on power. In my case I inserted the DVD while running the original OS and closing down. The computer pushes the DVD out just before closing down but just push it back in instantly (i.e. before the power is of and the insertion mechanics don't work. You will be prompted to choose either to run th OS on the hard disk or the image file on the DVD. Choose the image file on the DVD and after some time you will be prompted with the Trisquel installation menu. I first chose 'Try without installing'. It's probably not necessary but when Trisquel was up and running I used Gparted (a disk partition utility) to delete the partition(s?) on the hard disk drive of the MacBook 2,1. Next I clicked the 'Install Trisquel' icon and followed instructions. For this purpose just choosing to let the installation program do an automated installation without lvm and encryption is fine (I assume it is the fastest method). Once Trisquel is installed, shut down the computer. Just before he power is turned off, the DVD is pushed out. Remove it.
3) The next step is to download the necessary files. You need two files: The actual Libreboot software (i.e. the rom) and the flashing program
Now turn on the computer, which will now run Trisquel. Now you have to download two zip-files, containing the flashing software itself and the rom (i.e. the Libreboot software for your particular computer and language). I found it cumbersome and uncertain which files to download, but finally figured out that the flashing software is in a zip-file containing utilities and therefore named libreboot_r20160907_util.tar.xz and the actual Libreboot software is in libreboot_r20160907_grub_macbook21.tar.xz. The numbers refer to their date and this is the newest stable version on the day I downloaded.
These files are found on libreboot.org, choosing 'Downloads' and then the mirror from which you want to get the files. I just chose 'https://libreboot.org/release/'. Then choose 'Stable' and newest date. From here, download the zipped utility file (libreboot_r20160907_util.tar.xz).
From the same directory of the utility file choose 'rom/' and then 'grub/'. Here your fine the rom (libreboot_r20160907_grub_macbook21.tar.xz) which you must download too.
I just downloaded them to the 'Downloads' folder on the computer and extracted them there.
4) Flashing Libreboot to your MacBook 2,1
Optional: From the unzipped libreboot_r20160907_grub_macbook21.tar.xz find the rom that suits your case.
To be continued as soon as possible
[1] E.g. https://libreboot.org/docs/gnulinux/encrypted_debian.html
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_Volume_Manager_%28Linux%29
