As of 2022 I use a Thinkpad x200 computer, which has a free initialization program (called Libreboot when it was installed, but now called GNU Boot) and a free operating system (Trisquel GNU/Linux). It was not sold that way by Lenovo, however; small businesses buy them used, recondition them, and install the free software. This is one of the computers endorsed by the FSF. I've used other Thinkpad models that similarly respect users' freedom since the early 2010s.
Annoying little stickers telling me things I already know about the hardware I own do not belong on the fucking hardware I own. I meticulously remove that shit before I even turn on the computer for the first time.
I don't think the GNU/Linux name is even correct anymore. The amount of GNU utils is not as high as it once were and there are so many other components that are important or even essential now that it is somehow unfair to even name GNU so prominently.
I have prepared the images to be flashed💾, an EEPROM programmer (Raspberry Pi Pico H)✏️ and configured my Lenovo Thinkpad T480's BIOS settings to receive the flash💻. Now I'm just waiting for the test clip to arrive in the mail. ETA tomorrow. Libreboot, here we go.
You may be able to disable the ME to some extent, although I believe the functionality that needs to be retained on newer versions is larger.
You will however still need the Intel FSP blob, which is a huge chunk of proprietary binary code. On anything below Skylake you still need at least an MRC blob.
I haven’t taken a dump on a T480 chip, yet, so you tell me what that’s like.
What I meant by grub was the init payload that gets loaded after BUP. Libreboot uses SeaBIOS first now, which is bad because anybody can start anything and you can’t set a password. This is before systemd or any OS.
I remember my first Intel CPU came with a whole mess of those "Intel Inside" stickers and I was slapping them on everything. At the time, it was funny because most shit didn't have a computer in it yet.
28 Comments
SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 97 pts · 167d
Mother, may I have some more pixels?
tpihkal@lemmy.world · 55 pts · 167d
In this economy?
SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 27 pts · 167d
At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your kitchen?
...May I see it?
Zanshi@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 166d
No.
blinfabian@feddit.nl · 17 pts · 167d
2010s: and here we have the 4K screen!!!
2026: 8 bit, take it or leave it
MonkeMischief@lemmy.today · 13 pts · 166d
ikidd@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 166d
Can't spare the RAM for more pixels.
varnia@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 73 pts · 167d
grue@lemmy.world · 33 pts · 167d
Still has a stupid Windows logo on the
superkey, though.NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 167d
https://stallman.org/stallman-computing.html
Morphite88@thelemmy.club · 4 pts · 166d
Why does this sound so much like Patrick Bateman
MIXEDUNIVERS@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 161d
woah the black on white and not zoomable page turns me so off
definitely_AI@feddit.online · 15 pts · 166d
Annoying little stickers telling me things I already know about the hardware I own do not belong on the fucking hardware I own. I meticulously remove that shit before I even turn on the computer for the first time.
chris@l.roofo.cc · 9 pts · 166d
I don't think the GNU/Linux name is even correct anymore. The amount of GNU utils is not as high as it once were and there are so many other components that are important or even essential now that it is somehow unfair to even name GNU so prominently.
swab148@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 9 pts · 166d
systemd/Linux
Quetzalcutlass@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 166d
Poetterinix.
jdr@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 166d
Did BSD tar write this?
sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 166d
I think I could get along without the other stuff, but if I had to lose the GNU stuff I'd just end up going outside or something.
ftbd@feddit.org · 2 pts · 166d
I use KDE/Linux btw
ikidd@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 166d
emotional_soup_88@programming.dev · 4 pts · 167d
I have prepared the images to be flashed💾, an EEPROM programmer (Raspberry Pi Pico H)✏️ and configured my Lenovo Thinkpad T480's BIOS settings to receive the flash💻. Now I'm just waiting for the test clip to arrive in the mail. ETA tomorrow. Libreboot, here we go.
ExtremeUnicorn@feddit.org · 1 pts · 167d
Not wanting to knock you, but Libreboot on a T480 is fake. There’s nothing “libre” about it.
Only until Ivy Bridge are you able to remove FSP, MRC and most of the Intel ME code.
They also don’t have grub-only builds anymore, so security went to shit.
Might aswell just build coreboot at that point.
emotional_soup_88@programming.dev · 3 pts · 167d
https://libreboot.org/docs/install/t480.html
It's a significant improvement to me that it's open source and that - according to the above description - Intel ME is indeed removed.
Have you flashed Libreboot on a T480, then taken a dump of the chip and confirmed that Intel code is still on there?
I also don't understand why I would need grub when I use systemd's bootloader. I only want to replace the BIOS.
ExtremeUnicorn@feddit.org · 1 pts · 166d
You may be able to disable the ME to some extent, although I believe the functionality that needs to be retained on newer versions is larger.
You will however still need the Intel FSP blob, which is a huge chunk of proprietary binary code. On anything below Skylake you still need at least an MRC blob.
I haven’t taken a dump on a T480 chip, yet, so you tell me what that’s like.
What I meant by grub was the init payload that gets loaded after BUP. Libreboot uses SeaBIOS first now, which is bad because anybody can start anything and you can’t set a password. This is before systemd or any OS.
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 4 pts · 166d
I remember my first Intel CPU came with a whole mess of those "Intel Inside" stickers and I was slapping them on everything. At the time, it was funny because most shit didn't have a computer in it yet.
sinextitan@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 166d
Mulligrubs@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 166d
That freaking Windows button that I have to disable for every laptop
thanks for nothing, I hope you get what you deserve
I wonder how many millions of hours around the world have been wasted on this one fucking button
RealBot@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 166d
Can you explain what do you mean by have to disable windows button?
Exec@pawb.social · 1 pts · 167d
This keyboard design hasn't been on ThinkPads for at least 10 years (except for the 25th Anniversary ThinkPad), sadly.
hexagonwin@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 167d
that seems like a t420 or some similar model