Coreboot Lands Support For The MSI PRO Z790-P Motherboards

[Rallos Zek]

Not AMD again. Who the hell buys intel heaters in 2023???

Who wants AMD chips that fry themselves to death because the memory is overclocked?

[ehansin]

Many already do, it's just in the form of Chromebooks. Unfortunately, the Tianocore payload is not yet ready for the mainstream market of Windows users, missing some important features (like Secure Boot) that are required by Windows 11. The only other viable payloads are SeaBIOS which, not being UEFI, would be seen as outdated, and baremetal GRUB, which can't boot Windows at all. Chromebooks are the perfect place for mainstream manufacturers to use Coreboot because it provides an open source, predictable boot environment that goes straight into Linux without any unnecessary bells and whistles (but it could have them being as modular as it is; see https://mrchromebox.tech).

Thanks for this write up. Makes me question some of my assessments above. I am sure inertia and indemnification play a role, but let's face it, if it is not ready for usage cases, then that is a big show-stopper

I am trying to understand better how coreboot works. Sounds like the core of coreboot just initializes the hardware, then loads something from there, whether a Linux kernel directly, or some other payload. Sounds like a solid and fully functional to specs (and able to handle Windows 11) UEFI payload is needed for more mass adoption. What I am reading is that TianoCore EDK II or the fork Project Mu (just speculating) might at some point be that payload. Or something else, but some standardized UEFI payload on top of coreboot.

Here is what I don't understand. Can a UEFI payload be generic, whereas (as I am understanding) coreboot needs to be customized for each set of hardware combinations? In other words, if a vendor can get coreboot running on their hardware, assuming there is a standardized and functional UEFI payload, is the UEFI part pretty easy? I am sure there is some customization that has to happen, just wondering where the "heaviest lifting" has to happen.

[zir_blazer]

I am trying to understand better how coreboot works. Sounds like the core of coreboot just initializes the hardware, then loads something from there, whether a Linux kernel directly, or some other payload. Sounds like a solid and fully functional to specs (and able to handle Windows 11) UEFI payload is needed for more mass adoption. What I am reading is that TianoCore EDK II or the fork Project Mu (just speculating) might at some point be that payload. Or something else, but some standardized UEFI payload on top of coreboot.

Windows 11 works on Dasharo for Z690-A since Day One: https://user-images.githubuserconten...af82801feb.png

[RejectModernity]

Who wants AMD chips that fry themselves to death because the memory is overclocked?

Somebody who does not want to see 100°C under water cooling on their CPU.

[BenTheTechGuy]

Sounds like a solid and fully functional to specs (and able to handle Windows 11) UEFI payload is needed for more mass adoption. What I am reading is that TianoCore EDK II or the fork Project Mu (just speculating) might at some point be that payload. Or something else, but some standardized UEFI payload on top of coreboot.

Yes, this is the "standardized" UEFI payload. Tianocore EDK2 is actually the official reference implementation of a UEFI firmware that others can look at when creating their own. Unfortunately, the Coreboot payload part of it is missing some important features (example: Secure Boot) that means it's not quite ready for mainstream adoption.

Here is what I don't understand. Can a UEFI payload be generic, whereas (as I am understanding) coreboot needs to be customized for each set of hardware combinations? In other words, if a vendor can get coreboot running on their hardware, assuming there is a standardized and functional UEFI payload, is the UEFI part pretty easy? I am sure there is some customization that has to happen, just wondering where the "heaviest lifting" has to happen.

Yes, all the "heavy lifting" is done by Coreboot and AFAIK the payloads are generic.

[BenTheTechGuy]

Windows 11 works on Dasharo for Z690-A since Day One: https://user-images.githubuserconten...af82801feb.png

Well yeah, EDK2 can run Windows 11 just fine, it's just not ready for mainstream audiences since Windows 11 considers it "unsupported hardware" and you need to disable some checks in setup.

[zir_blazer]

Yes, this is the "standardized" UEFI payload. Tianocore EDK2 is actually the official reference implementation of a UEFI firmware that others can look at when creating their own. Unfortunately, the Coreboot payload part of it is missing some important features (example: Secure Boot) that means it's not quite ready for mainstream adoption.

Well yeah, EDK2 can run Windows 11 just fine, it's just not ready for mainstream audiences since Windows 11 considers it "unsupported hardware" and you need to disable some checks in setup.

You are wrong on all counts.

Secure Boot is supported. fTPM too. Windows 11, on an unmodified MSDN ISO (No need for the Rufus shenanigans for unsupported Hardware) that I installed when I got the Z690-A system a year ago, installed fine.

[BenTheTechGuy]

You are wrong on all counts.

Secure Boot is supported. fTPM too. Windows 11, on an unmodified MSDN ISO (No need for the Rufus shenanigans for unsupported Hardware) that I installed when I got the Z690-A system a year ago, installed fine.

Okay, I've never used Dasharo. I can say that standard EDK2 and Coreboot doesn't support Secure Boot (does support TPM IIRC).