Coreboot-Based Dasharo Updated For MSI Z690-A With Raptor Lake S, MSI FLASHBIOS

The firmware folks at 3mdeb have released Dasharo 1.1.2 for the MSI PRO Z690-A motherboard. In case you missed it, last year 3mdeb ported Coreboot/Dasharo to select MSI desktop motherboards that are readily available in retail channels and supporting the latest Intel processors. This started with the MSI PRO Z690-A and since extended to the Z790 series. 3mdeb has released an updated Dasharo build with some new features for replacing the proprietary BIOS on these motherboards.

Dasharo/Coreboot for the supported MSI motherboards is quite a treat compared to Coreboot mostly being found on select Linux laptops, Google Chromebooks, and then for desktop hardware often relegated to generations-old platforms. Thanks to 3mdeb, one can go buy one of these MSI motherboards and easily flash and begin running with this free and largely open-source alternative to the proprietary BIOS/firmware shipped by MSI. It's a real treat for supporting latest-generation processors, the newest desktop features, and motherboards that are readily available in retail channels without a significant cost premium compared to other choices like say the POWER-based Raptor systems.

A Dream Come True: Running Coreboot On A Modern, Retail Desktop Motherboard

With Dasharo 1.1.2 for the MSI PRO Z690-A they have extended their firmware solution with MSI FlashBIOS recovery support, Raptor Lake S CPU support on the Z690 board, support for logo customization of the initial firmware screen, a Firmware Update Mode feature, and a number of bugs fixed. With the MSI FlashBIOS Recovery support, there is greater reassurance against potentially bricking your motherboard in the event the firmware flashing goes awry.

More details on the updated 3mdeb Dasharo build via the 3mdeb blog.