Coreboot Now Has Basic UEFI Support Working With TianoCore

[iDont]

Wait... Are you saying switching over to Coreboot allows people to upgrade to Ivy Bridge?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Ivy Bridge is supposed to be compatible with Sandy Bridge motherboards, but it's up to the vendors to provide an appropriate BIOS update.

Would it work for other brands, like Dell for instance ? (Let's just imagine that someone adds some Sandy Bridge Dell laptops to Coreboot's compatible models.)

I'm not a Coreboot dev, but I don't see why that shouldn't work. You can always ask over at Coreboot's mailing list or IRC channel.

[starshipeleven]

Wait... Are you saying switching over to Coreboot allows people to upgrade to Ivy Bridge?

It works the same as any other BIOS, supporting the CPUs that can actually fit in the socket is a software thing. There are many PCs where the OEM limited the CPUs intentionally even within the same generation (sometimes for a reason, like allowing only 65w CPUs on a system that has crappy radiators and small form factor)
In most cases it is a microcode/whitelist thing, back then when board firmwares were not signed people would mod them to have the microcodes for other CPUs.

[GI_Jack]

Ahh good.

Next, I'd like to see a project with SeaBOIS, Tianocore, coreboot, and a decent GUI config, that we can port to as many mobos as possible

[wdb974]

It works the same as any other BIOS, supporting the CPUs that can actually fit in the socket is a software thing. There are many PCs where the OEM limited the CPUs intentionally even within the same generation (sometimes for a reason, like allowing only 65w CPUs on a system that has crappy radiators and small form factor)
In most cases it is a microcode/whitelist thing, back then when board firmwares were not signed people would mod them to have the microcodes for other CPUs.

The good old days of modded BIOSes... That I never got to experience, because I never had the right board for that sort of thing. Oh well... One can always hope for a modded BIOS for my laptop (even though the probability is reaally low).

[timofonic]

The good old days of modded BIOSes... That I never got to experience, because I never had the right board for that sort of thing. Oh well... One can always hope for a modded BIOS for my laptop (even though the probability is reaally low).

You're absolutely wrong. It's possible to mod ANY bios, but it requires a very skilled person with a big collection of obscure tools and a considerable amount of time (hours, maybe a day or more... depending on how hard it can be). If you use a MSI laptop, there's a Russian guy that does it. You have to find over the official MSI forums

[wdb974]

You're absolutely wrong. It's possible to mod ANY bios, but it requires a very skilled person with a big collection of obscure tools and a considerable amount of time (hours, maybe a day or more... depending on how hard it can be). If you use a MSI laptop, there's a Russian guy that does it. You have to find over the official MSI forums

That's what I meant by the probability being really low. I don't think it's easy to find people who know iASL to begin with, but people with that skillset and who also have time to spare? I can keep dreaming.

[timofonic]

That's what I meant by the probability being really low. I don't think it's easy to find people who know iASL to begin with, but people with that skillset and who also have time to spare? I can keep dreaming.

No. Just look over forums. You might be surprised...

[starshipeleven]

You're absolutely wrong. It's possible to mod ANY bios

Ahem. Most UEFI firmwares are signed nowadays (2012 onwards) and if the signature check fails the system does not start at all, so the amount of modification you can do is VERY limited.

I don't know if microcodes are placed in a signed part of the firmware or not, but what I know for sure is that all hacks that enabled advanced configuration pages and/or changed the actual firmware are now impossible unless the modder has the OEM keys to sign again the firmware.

Which again, it's entirely possible for a russian hacker, but the difficulty bar is rising.

[timofonic]

Ahem. Most UEFI firmwares are signed nowadays (2012 onwards) and if the signature check fails the system does not start at all, so the amount of modification you can do is VERY limited.

I don't know if microcodes are placed in a signed part of the firmware or not, but what I know for sure is that all hacks that enabled advanced configuration pages and/or changed the actual firmware are now impossible unless the modder has the OEM keys to sign again the firmware.

Which again, it's entirely possible for a russian hacker, but the difficulty bar is rising.

OEM keys? It might make sense too, as he has public posts on the vendor forum

I'll ask him. I found something about him...

BSD, Lunix, Debian and Mandrake are all versions of an illegal hacker operation system, invented by a Soviet computer hacker named Linyos Torovoltos, before the Russians lost the Cold War. It is based on a program called "xenix", which was written by Microsoft for the US government. These programs are used by hackers to break into other people's computer systems to steal credit card numbers. They may also be used to break into people's stereos to steal their music, using the "mp3" program. Torovoltos is a notorious hacker, responsible for writing many hacker programs, such as "telnet", which is used by hackers to connect to machines on the internet without using a telephone.

Your son may try to install "lunix" on your hard drive. If he is careful, you may not notice its presence, however, lunix is a capricious beast, and if handled incorrectly, your son may damage your computer, and even break it completely by deleting Windows, at which point you will have to have your computer repaired by a professional.

If you see the word "LILO" during your windows startup (just after you turn the machine on), your son has installed lunix. In order to get rid of it, you will have to send your computer back to the manufacturer, and have them fit a new hard drive. Lunix is extremely dangerous software, and cannot be removed without destroying part of your hard disk surface.

[starshipeleven]

OEM keys?

https://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thre...-Signed-BIOSes