Libreboot To Provide New Firmware ROMs With CPU Microcode Removed

[Developer12]

Sure, just run the highly optimized proprietary closed source synthesizing tool to make the binary to download to the FPGA. No problem 🙊

Yosys and Nextpnr are a thing.

[ElectricPrism]

Good.

"but muh sekuridy updates" some say -- sounds like Norton or Macafee antivirus shilling -- when the anti-virus IS the malware.

In a optimal world, cpu makers __ wouldn't __ need to ship "blob updates" to rush to market when shittily baked designs (literally). The internet is a luxary that we are already too dependent on.

But in not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good -- it sounds like there will be forks or something that do hack that back in -- so problem solved for the tech normies.

But lets be real -- tech normies are not going to give a half a-shit enough to use libreboot/coreboot in the first place.

[justinkb]

Pretty dumb comment. It's line saying "in a perfect world, I wouldn't have to lock my doors", so I don't want to replace the lock I have now which has a known design flaw.

[deusexmachina]

Funny how not a single group of people will publicize the truth because they're such cowards. Just start talking more about how AMD/Intel/Apple/etc all openly violate security 101: "security through obscurity" (all management engines are obscured root-of-trust backdoors). They have DMA and register access transparently with respect to the OS. Zero famous security researchers will call this out because they're all shills.

LibreBoot? Coreboot? System76? Bruce Schneier? "Daniel Micay" (if actually a real person)? Linus? Pretty unlimited list of those who get power and influence and then lie by omission.

[sadoon_albader]

Sure, just run the highly optimized proprietary closed source synthesizing tool to make the binary to download to the FPGA. No problem 🙊

I'd rather use a proprietary tool to build a chip that I control rather than use a proprietary chip altogether
with that said, the FOSS Hardware Design tools are quickly catching up and in some cases surpassing proprietary solutions in some areas at least.

[stargeizer]

Funny how not a single group of people will publicize the truth because they're such cowards. Just start talking more about how AMD/Intel/Apple/etc all openly violate security 101: "security through obscurity" (all management engines are obscured root-of-trust backdoors). They have DMA and register access transparently with respect to the OS. Zero famous security researchers will call this out because they're all shills.

LibreBoot? Coreboot? System76? Bruce Schneier? "Daniel Micay" (if actually a real person)? Linus? Pretty unlimited list of those who get power and influence and then lie by omission.

¿The truth?, The truth is out there for a long time, and the truth is "PENNIES DOES MATTER IN MILLIONS AMMOUNTS". Any management engine is there in the processors because SOMEONE PAID THE MANUFACTURERS TO BE IN THE CHIPS. In the case of the Intel, it is because is cheaper to flip some bits to activate VPRO for their more expensive chips sold to the enterprise environments (to control whenever their workers are really working or not, and for anti-theft features), and in AMD case because Microsoft and the Entertainment Mafia, Software and Gaming publishing groups paid them (Pluton) and/or because they want a pie of the enterprise money (Ryzen). (In ARM case, they invented the security blobs, so you need to pay them to remove from their designs).

Of course you must add the part of the firmware that fixes hardware bugs (After all, originally the firmware was just for that reason, nowadays is just a little part of the binary blob). After all no manufacturer wants again to replace thousands of defective chips like happened in the past. And no matter of you people view that kind of firmware, these part of the firmware is always a BLOB, because how electronics works. No manufacturer ever will let go the source of these blobs because modding them can damage the hardware and there's no way to tell if warranty applies or not in that case.

So, in the case of Libreboot, does that matter?. No. Really. In the end is just give more freedom and choice for the expert use: If the user wants the blob, use them, if not, get rid of them (and enjoy all the bugs manufacturers fixed before shipping the hardware, of course, and will never be fixed otherwise, because that list will never be public.)

An about influence, it doesn't work like social network bullshit. Do you want to influence hardware manufacturers?, you need money, and in quite big figures numbers to influence them. Or use the money to influence the US government to force laws against manufacturers. You would need billions, or maybe trillions of $$$ in that case. Good luck with that.