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{{merge to|coreboot|discuss=Talk:coreboot#Merger proposal|date=August 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
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==Characteristics==
==Characteristics==
Libreboot is established as a distribution of [[coreboot]], but with proprietary [[binary blob]]s removed from coreboot.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gay|first=Joshua|date=4 August 2014|title=Replace your proprietary BIOS with Libreboot|url=https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/replace-your-proprietary-bios-with-libreboot|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716111953/https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/replace-your-proprietary-bios-with-libreboot|archive-date=16 July 2016|access-date=|website=|publisher=[[Free Software Foundation]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Libreboot|title=Libreboot|publisher=[[Free Software Foundation]]|accessdate=31 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bärwaldt|first=Erik|title=Liberated » Linux Magazine|url=http://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2018/210/Free-Firmware-with-Libreboot|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Linux Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> Libreboot is not a straight [[Fork (software development)|fork]] of coreboot; instead, it periodically [[Rebasing|re-bases]] itself on the latest versions of coreboot, with patches submitted and, if accepted, merged directly by the coreboot project. Libreboot also makes coreboot easy to use by [[Build automation|automating the build]] and [[Installation (computer programs)|installation]] processes, in addition to providing user-friendly documentation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot on an X60, Part I: the Setup {{!}} Linux Journal|url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-i-setup|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.linuxjournal.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot on an x60, Part II: the Installation {{!}} Linux Journal|url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-ii-installation|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.linuxjournal.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=By|date=2016-12-16|title=Harrowing Story Of Installing Libreboot On ThinkPad|url=https://hackaday.com/2016/12/16/installing-libreboot/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Hackaday|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=By|date=2018-08-20|title=Installing LibreBoot The (Very) Lazy Way|url=https://hackaday.com/2018/08/20/installing-libreboot-the-very-lazy-way/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Hackaday|language=en-US}}</ref>
Libreboot is established as a distribution of [[coreboot]], but with proprietary [[binary blob]]s removed from coreboot.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bärwaldt|first=Erik|title=Liberated » Linux Magazine|url=http://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2018/210/Free-Firmware-with-Libreboot|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Linux Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> Libreboot makes coreboot easy to use by [[Build automation|automating the build]] and [[Installation (computer programs)|installation]] processes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot on an X60, Part I: the Setup {{!}} Linux Journal|url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-i-setup|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.linuxjournal.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot on an x60, Part II: the Installation {{!}} Linux Journal|url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-ii-installation|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.linuxjournal.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=By|date=2016-12-16|title=Harrowing Story Of Installing Libreboot On ThinkPad|url=https://hackaday.com/2016/12/16/installing-libreboot/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Hackaday|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=By|date=2018-08-20|title=Installing LibreBoot The (Very) Lazy Way|url=https://hackaday.com/2018/08/20/installing-libreboot-the-very-lazy-way/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Hackaday|language=en-US}}</ref>

Libreboot made possible the required modifications for completely [[free software]] variants of some [[ThinkPad]], [[Chromebook]], and [[MacBook]] laptops, in addition to desktop, [[Server (computing)|server]], and [[workstation]] [[motherboard]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Software|first=Jiyu|date=2021-01-11|title=Building a high performance free as in freedom server on a budget|url=https://blog.jiyu.dev/building-a-high-performance-free-as-in-freedom-server|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Jiyu Software|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hardware/Laptops Comparison/Libreboot Laptops comparison - LibrePlanet|url=https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Hardware/Laptops_Comparison/Libreboot_Laptops_comparison|access-date=2021-08-22|website=libreplanet.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Coreboot Now Works On The Older MacBook 1,1 Too - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTc2NjE|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot Adds Experimental ThinkPad R500 Support - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Libreboot-R500-Experimental|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot Now Supports An AMD/ASUS Motherboard - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Libreboot-Adds-ASUS-Mobo|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot Now Supports The Chromebook C201 - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Libreboot-Chromebook-C201|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=A Modern Server Motherboard Is Now Supported By Coreboot/Libreboot - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Libreboot-ASUS-KGPE-D16|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot Gets Support For An Older Core 2 Desktop Motherboard - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Libreboot-GA-G41M-ES2L|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Another Intel Motherboard Has Been Set Free All The Way Down To The BIOS By Libreboot - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Intel-D510MO-Libreboot|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=GNU Libreboot Release Adds New Chromebook & ASUS/Gigabyte/Intel Board Support - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=GNU-Libreboot-2016-August|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref> Libreboot can work with a number of [[Linux distribution]]<nowiki/>s and BSD operating systems.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Installing Parabola on Libreboot with full disk encryption (including /boot) - ParabolaWiki|url=https://wiki.parabola.nu/Installing_Parabola_on_Libreboot_with_full_disk_encryption_(including_/boot)|access-date=2021-08-22|website=wiki.parabola.nu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Debian Installer with Libreboot - Elena ``of Valhalla'' Homepage|url=https://www.trueelena.org/computers/howto/debian_installer_with_libreboot.html|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.trueelena.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Trisquel GNU/Linux installation guides|url=https://trisquel.info/en/wiki/all-manuals|url-status=live|access-date=22 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Installation on libreboot - Gentoo Wiki|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Installation_on_libreboot|access-date=2021-08-22|website=wiki.gentoo.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot – BSD operating systems|url=https://libreboot.org/docs/bsd/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=libreboot.org}}</ref> [[Windows]] is not supported, and its use is strongly discouraged by the Libreboot project.


==History==
==History==
On 22 May 2021, a new Libreboot release was announced.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-26|title=Alternative Firmware Libreboot 20210522 unterstützt mehr Mainboards|url=https://www.linux-magazin.de/news/alternative-firmware-libreboot-20210522-unterstuetzt-mehr-mainboards/|access-date=2021-08-16|website=Linux-Magazin|language=de-DE}}</ref>
Libreboot was originally launched by Leah Rowe<ref>{{Cite web|title=Replace your proprietary BIOS with Libreboot — Free Software Foundation — Working together for free software|url=https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/replace-your-proprietary-bios-with-libreboot|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.fsf.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FSF Talks Up Libreboot As New Coreboot Downstream - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTc1NTc|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref> in 2013 to make a 100% [[free software]] version of [[coreboot]], by removing binary blobs included in the coreboot [[source code]]. The Free Software Foundation (FSF) heavily promoted Libreboot with a press release, several months later<ref>{{Cite web|title=Replace your proprietary BIOS with Libreboot — Free Software Foundation — Working together for free software|url=https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/replace-your-proprietary-bios-with-libreboot|access-date=2021-08-16|website=www.fsf.org}}</ref>, as did notable tech news website Phoronix<ref>{{Cite web|title=FSF Talks Up Libreboot As New Coreboot Downstream - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTc1NTc|access-date=2021-08-16|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref>. Since February 2015, the [[Free Software Foundation]] (FSF) has publicly endorsed Libreboot<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/free-bios.html|title=Campaign for Free BIOS|last=|first=|date=15 February 2015|website=|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215023025/http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/free-bios.html|archivedate=15 February 2015|url-status=live|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Recommended Complete Systems — Free Software Foundation — Working together for free software|url=https://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/systems|access-date=2021-08-16|website=www.fsf.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hardware Devices that Support GNU/Linux — Free Software Foundation — Working together for free software|url=https://www.fsf.org/resources/hw|access-date=2021-08-16|website=www.fsf.org}}</ref> and it is famously used by the FSF's founder, [[Richard Stallman]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=How I do my Computing|url=https://stallman.org/stallman-computing.html|access-date=2021-08-16|website=stallman.org}}</ref> It is listed on the coreboot project website, officially, as a "blob-free coreboot distribution".<ref>{{Cite web|title=coreboot for end users|url=https://coreboot.org/users.html|access-date=2021-08-16|website=coreboot.org}}</ref> Libreboot became part of the [[GNU Project]] in May 2016.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=GNU-Libreboot|title=Libreboot, Coreboot Downstream, Becomes A GNU Project|last=Larabel|first=Michael|date=19 May 2016|work=[[Phoronix]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629131054/https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=GNU-Libreboot|archive-date=29 June 2018|url-status=live|accessdate=19 May 2016}}</ref>

In September 2016, lead developer Leah Rowe announced that Libreboot would leave the GNU Project and in January 2017, [[Richard Stallman]] officially announced that Libreboot had left GNU.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-01-06|title=GNU Officially Boots Libreboot|url=https://fossforce.com/2017/01/gnu-officially-boots-libreboot/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=FOSS Force|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-gnu/2017-01/msg00001.html|title=Goodbye to GNU Libreboot|last1=Stallman|first1=Richard|authorlink=Richard Stallman|date=5 January 2017|website=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421205207/https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-gnu/2017-01/msg00001.html|archive-date=21 April 2018|url-status=live|access-date=5 January 2017}}</ref> Rowe, who is a transgender person, announced this decision after alleging that the FSF had discriminated against a [[trans woman]] employee by firing her after she had allegedly reported gender harassment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zammit.org/libreboot-screwup.html|title=Libreboot Screwup|last1=Zammit|first1=Damien|date=18 September 2016|website=zammit.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629155034/http://zammit.org/libreboot-screwup.html|archive-date=29 June 2018|url-status=live|accessdate=31 October 2016|quote=[the contributors] are not consulted about any of the views expressed on the libreboot.org website when they are hastily published by Leah Rowe.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot Leaves The GNU, The Free Software Foundation Denounced - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Libreboot-Not-GNU|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-09-16|title=Libreboot Leaves GNU Claiming Gender Identity Discrimination by FSF|url=https://fossforce.com/2016/09/libreboot-leaves-gnu-claiming-gender-identity-discrimination-fsf/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=FOSS Force|language=en-US}}</ref> The FSF publicly denied this allegation on the same day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fsf.org/news/free-software-foundation-statement|title=Free Software Foundation statement on 2016-09-16|last=Sullivan|first=John|date=16 September 2016|publisher=[[Free Software Foundation]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629130856/https://www.fsf.org/news/free-software-foundation-statement|archive-date=29 June 2018|url-status=live|access-date=24 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FSF, RMS Issue Statements Over Libreboot's Accusations - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=fsf-rms-statements-libreboot|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref> In April 2017, the Libreboot project removed all references to these allegations from its website, the lead developer Leah Rowe apologized for what happened and the leadership was transferred to other contributors, with Rowe remaining as a developer (but not the leader) in the project.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-04-05|title=Libreboot Reorganizes: Seeks to Make Amends|url=https://fossforce.com/2017/04/libreboot-reorganizes-seeks-amends/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=FOSS Force|language=en-US}}</ref> Three weeks later, an official proposal was published, advocating for Libreboot to re-join GNU.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Libreboot-Reconsiders-GNU|title=Libreboot Is Now Considering Whether To RE-Join The GNU|last=Larabel|first=Michael|date=22 April 2017|website=[[Phoronix]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032840/https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Libreboot-Reconsiders-GNU|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=live|accessdate=24 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-04-22|title=Libreboot Wants Back Into GNU|url=https://fossforce.com/2017/04/libreboot-wants-back-into-gnu/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=FOSS Force|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Christine|last=Hall|date=2017-04-26|title=Libreboot Applies to Rejoin GNU|url=https://fossforce.com/2017/04/libreboot-applies-rejoin-gnu/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=FOSS Force|language=en-US}}</ref>

On 30 March 2021, Leah Rowe appointed herself once again as leader of the Libreboot project, removing then lead developers Sebastian 'Swift Geek' Grzywna and Andrew Robbins in what the latter described as a coup.<ref>{{cite web|title=Leah Rowe Coups Libreboot|url=https://www.andrewrobbins.info/libreboot.html}}</ref> Rowe elaborated on the reasoning behind this decision, stating her own disagreement with what she perceived as a failed [[Rewrite (programming)|re-write]] of Libreboot's [[Build automation|build system]], a re-write which Leah herself had scrapped several months prior in her own development branch of Libreboot.<ref>{{cite web|title=swiftgeek and Andrew Robbins removed from the Libreboot project|url=https://libreboot.org/news/resignations.html}}</ref> On 31 March 2021, the project announced its full support for the reinstatement of Richard Stallman to the board of directors at the Free Software Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Darkcrizt|date=2021-03-31|title=Libreboot author comes to Stallman's defense as others continue to resign from FOSS|url=https://blog.desdelinux.net/en/libreboot-author-comes-to-stallman%27s-defense-while-others-continue-to-resign-from-foss/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Desde Linux|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Grass-roots Richard Stallman Support-Letter Has Reached 3600+ Signers|url=https://linuxreviews.org/Grass-roots_Richard_Stallman_Support-Letter_Has_Reached_3600%2B_Signers|access-date=2021-08-22|website=LinuxReviews|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Thomas Claburn in San|title=FSF doubles down on Richard Stallman's return: Sure, he is 'troubling for some' but we need him, says org|url=https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/12/free_software_foundation_doubles_down/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=www.theregister.com|language=en}}</ref> On 22 May 2021, under the direction of Rowe as lead developer, a new Libreboot release was announced, covered widely by tech media, the Free Software Foundation and the public at large.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot Sees First New Release In Nearly 5 Years, Supports More Old Motherboards - Phoronix|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Libreboot-20210522|access-date=2021-08-16|website=www.phoronix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Libreboot 20210522 released! {{!}} Tux Machines|url=http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/151505?quicktabs_bottomtabs=0|access-date=2021-08-16|website=www.tuxmachines.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-26|title=Alternative Firmware Libreboot 20210522 unterstützt mehr Mainboards|url=https://www.linux-magazin.de/news/alternative-firmware-libreboot-20210522-unterstuetzt-mehr-mainboards/|access-date=2021-08-16|website=Linux-Magazin|language=de-DE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Big news: Libreboot 20210522 has been released! This is the first new release since 2016...|publisher=Free Software Foundation|url=https://twitter.com/fsf/status/1397318757127688197|access-date=2021-08-16|via=Twitter|language=en|date=25 May 2021}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 14:05, 25 August 2021

Libreboot
Original author(s)Leah Rowe
Developer(s)The Libreboot project
Initial release12 December 2013; 10 years ago (2013-12-12)
Stable release20230625 (June 25, 2023; 10 months ago (2023-06-25)) [±][1]
Preview release20240225 (February 25, 2024; 2 months ago (2024-02-25)) [±][2]
Repositoryhttps://notabug.org/libreboot/lbmk
PlatformIA-32, x86-64, ARMv7[3]
TypeFirmware
LicenseGNU GPLv3[4]
Websitelibreboot.org

Libreboot (briefly known as GNU Libreboot[5][6]) is a free-software project based on coreboot, aimed at replacing the proprietary BIOS firmware contained by most computers. Libreboot is a lightweight system designed to perform only the minimum number of tasks necessary to load and run a modern 32-bit or 64-bit operating system.

Characteristics

Libreboot is established as a distribution of coreboot, but with proprietary binary blobs removed from coreboot.[7] Libreboot makes coreboot easy to use by automating the build and installation processes.[8][9][10][11]

History

On 22 May 2021, a new Libreboot release was announced.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Libreboot - Libreboot news". Libreboot. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Libreboot - Libreboot news". Libreboot. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Coreboot ARM". coreboot. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  4. ^ "libreboot's COPYING file". notabug.org. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  5. ^ "List of GNU software packages on 22 May 2016". GNU project. 22 May 2016. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  6. ^ "[Libreboot] GNU Libreboot, version 20160818 released". lists.gnu.org. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  7. ^ Bärwaldt, Erik. "Liberated » Linux Magazine". Linux Magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Libreboot on an X60, Part I: the Setup | Linux Journal". www.linuxjournal.com. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Libreboot on an x60, Part II: the Installation | Linux Journal". www.linuxjournal.com. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  10. ^ By (16 December 2016). "Harrowing Story Of Installing Libreboot On ThinkPad". Hackaday. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  11. ^ By (20 August 2018). "Installing LibreBoot The (Very) Lazy Way". Hackaday. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Alternative Firmware Libreboot 20210522 unterstützt mehr Mainboards". Linux-Magazin (in German). 26 May 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
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