coreboot flashing

В 21:13 +0100 на 20.01.2014 (пн), name at domain написа:
> In few days I will recieve a thinkpad T60 with non free BIOS
> I decided to flash by myself the machine, this is the instruction:
> https://www.coreboot.org/Board:lenovo/x60/Installation
>
> I read it, and I cannot understand well what I have to do...
> If any of you has some more detailed infos on how to proceed will be very
> helpful

I haven't done it for the x60, though that was the idea when I bought
the laptop. Lack of time and too many tasks. :/ I've flashed Coreboot
on a desktop motherboard, where there is one advantage - the flash
chip can be replaced (in some cases).

Basically, Coreboot has a sister project which is a general purpose
flash (&& EEPROM) chip programmer. You have to use it to install
Coreboot. It communicates with the flash/BIOS chip over a system bus
from GNU/Linux.

The procedure describes how to change flashrom source code to
work-around the proprietary BIOS restrictions which prevents BIOS
flashing on the entire chip. It seems the modification is flash chip
specific. The proprietary BIOS is read from the chip for backup
(recovery if necessary). The Coreboot image is prepared and the flash
chip is programmed with the special image. When Coreboot is flashed
and the laptop boots, the entire chip is reprogrammed. This procedure
uses the internal system bus for programming. If an external
programmer and a SO-8 IC clip mentioned in the recovery section is
used, the modifications should not be needed. The external programmer
approach is more complicated.

If you need more help, I would be glad to help. You can also find me
on the Trisquel IRC channel as thedreamer. I'm usually online most of
the time (UTC+2:00), but during work hours I'm at work, (duh! :)) so I
won't be able to spare more than 10 minutes.

A few days ago I did the same with a x60. It took me about a week to 1) read, 2) understand most parts, or at least understand enough for success and 3) actually upgrading the BIOS. Once you know which steps to do, it will take a few minutes only.

You might want to read a few more pages. GNUtoo has a spearate coreboot branch with removed microcode and a so-called native vga code that replaces the non-free vga code. this branch is used by gluglug too, as far as I understood and thus this branch is what is ryf-certified by fsf

http://www.coreboot.org/User:GNUtoo

https://www.gitorious.org/gnutoo-for-coreboot/coreboot/source/0c4ce5539a16ea32c903e7596f12a412f9afe2ca:

make sure to checkout the production-x60+v5 branch, not the master branch.

EDIT: bummer, I just notice, that I do not know whether this code works on a T60 too. um, you should find someone to ask.

On GNUtoo's page the description is mostly about how to flash (this means write) the new BIOS to the eeprom chip (aka flash chip). To my understanding you should not skip the step that says: get to know which chip is installed in you computer by inspection. I had to remove almost all parts from the x60 inside to find this chip and I had to use a magnifier glass and good zoom photo to be able to read the chip name. The lenovo hardware manual is a very good resource for how to install and deinstall all the parts.

For actually learning how to build coreboot, which results in a file named coreboot.rom and which is to be flashed/written to the eeprom chip you might read the generic HowTo

http://www.coreboot.org/Build_HOWTO

and for me this was even more helpful:
http://www.coreboot.org/User:Fchmmr
it uses GNUtoo's code.

For me it was very new that the bootloader grub now is stored in the eeprom chip, it is not stored at the hard disk anymore. well there are other possibilities, you should read about it.

hope this helps a little,
cheers Mono

Thank you guys for the infos, appreciate, I will start to read, hope to understand how everythings works, seems little bit complicated to me, but I'll try. THX