Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
485 lines (296 loc) · 23.7 KB

X60-Coreboot.md

File metadata and controls

485 lines (296 loc) · 23.7 KB

ThinkPad X60 Coreboot

Installing Coreboot on the ThinkPad X60 makes the good ol' computer into one of the few fully open-source laptop, endorsed by the Free Software Foundation. When the Libreboot fork of Coreboot is used and the original Intel wifi card is replaced, no proprietary blobs are used on this computer.

All ThinkPad X60 variants, from the X60, X60s, X60 Tablet are supported. (though the wacom pen lacks support, it shouldn't be too hard to support, just nobody bothered) The ThinkPad T60 and T60p are in the process of joining the X60 as an officially supported platform for Libreboot.; a godsend, as one with Intel graphics and QXGA resolution (2056x1536) makes it the best Libre laptop you can buy. The R60 uses a similar method.

Although installing Coreboot is only a matter of a few software steps, the official guide is very hard to follow, and Gluglug hasn't released their own documentation publicly.

Libreboot actually does have it's own official documentation, though it is very obscure and I have only recently found it.

Steps

The full list of steps is shown below:

(You need Linux installed on your laptop before proceeding)

  1. Fully disassemble the laptop, until you can flip over the motherboard.
  • Dust off the fan (recommended)
  • Reapply Thermal Paste (recommended)
  1. Visually identify the BIOS Chip using a magnifying glass.
  • Download Libreboot Source Code
  1. Patch flashrom to work with the BIOS Chip through SPI interfacing.
  2. Build flashrom
  3. Build Coreboot (optional)
  4. Backup your original BIOS
  5. Modify Coreboot ROM for first 64K of BIOS Chip
  6. Coreboot First time flash
  • Recover from Bucts bad flash
  1. Coreboot Second time Flash
  • Boot LiveUSB from Libreboot GRUB2 Payload
  • Compile Libreboot with SeaBIOS (optional)
  • Install Trisquel Linux (Optional)

Disassemble

Disassemble the ThinkPad X60 all the way down to the motherboard.

Source: Patterns in the Void - Replacing an X60 Bootflash Chip

Step 1 - Keyboard and Palmrest

Remove the keyboard and the palmrest.

(add images below the gif!)

Step 2 - Remove Motherboard Cards

Unplug the speaker, and remove the Wifi and 3G cards.

Step 3 - Remove Mainboard and Power Adapter

Identifying the BIOS Chip

(There might be a way to find the BIOS chip without disassembly, since the model ID signature does appear in Flashrom, if not auto detected)

  1. The best way to identify the BIOS chip is to visually identify it. Unfortunately, this means that you will need to disassemble the X60 down to the motherboard to even get a glimpse.
  2. Remove the black plastic covering on the underside of the right USB ports.
  3. There are three chips next to each other: one large "Lenovo" labeled ASIC chip in the middle, a medium sized BD4175KVT chip on it's right; and finally, the BIOS chip on the left.
  4. Remove the sticker covering the BIOS chip. If it doesn't come off easily, get a Q-tip with rubbing alcohol.
  5. The name of the BIOS chip is printed in very tiny letters on top of it. You may need a magnifying glass and good lighting to see it. It is either MX25L1605D or SST25VF016B for the X60 series.

Dust off the Fan

If the fan on your X60 is caked with dust, it cannot cool the system as effectively.

Get some compressed air, hold a small screwdriver in the gap of the fan to prevent it from turning, and blow away all that gunk.

Reapply Thermal Paste

Since your motherboard is already disassembled, we strongly recommend taking the time to reapply the thermal paste on the CPU.

After 6 years of use, the paste has probably worn out, which compounds the X60's existing tendency to overheat. Overheating will cause the computer to shut down randomly, not to mention induce possible damage to system components.

Worse yet, Libreboot itself has issues with CPU load handling, further straining the CPU to breaking point.

We recommend Arctic Silver, using the surface spread method. Make sure to keep the thermal paste on the CPU, and don't let it get anywhere else on the computer.

Put it all back together

Flashing Coreboot

Flashing Coreboot on the X60 for the first time involves a lot of hard work. However, Coreboot on the X60 can be installed entirely through software, no special hardware is necessary.

A Linux distribution is required, and Ubuntu/Debian based distros are recommended. Make sure you have one installed on the hard drive before continuing.

Download Libreboot Source Code

The Libreboot project has a convenient source code package with all the tools needed to flash Coreboot, as well as a prebuilt coreboot image.

Download the package from the Libreboot site. Make sure to Download Source.

Then, extract the archive, which will give you an X60_source folder.

Enter the X60_source folder, it contains everything that you need.

Patching flashrom to work with the BIOS chip

Enter the flashrom source code folder under X60_source.

Change the corresponding values under flashchips.c for your chip model:

  • MX25l1605D - Actual family name in flashchips.c is MX25l1605
    • .probe - probe_spi_res1
    • .model_id - 0x14
    • .write - spi_chip_write_1
  • SST25VF016B
    • .probe - probe_spi_res1
    • .model_id - 0xbf
    • .write - spi_chip_write_1

Note: At the time of this writing, I actually had to edit ".name = "MX25L1605" instead of ".name = "MX25l1605D" because 605D falls under the 605 family, so 605D does not exist as a stand alone ruleset. However, this may change in future flashrom versions.

Building Flashrom

  1. Install all the critical build dependencies:

    sudo apt-get install pciutils pciutils-dev zlib1g-dev

  2. Run the following commands to download the flashrom source code:

    svn co svn://flashrom.org/flashrom/trunk flashrom cd flashrom make

  3. The flashrom binary will be placed into the source code folder. You will need to add a ./ before the command, so that the terminal will use the flashrom binary in the current folder.

    sudo ./flashrom

Use flashrom to Identify BIOS Chip (experimental)

Below is an experimental method to determine the type of the BIOS chip in the X60. Be warned that while in theory, there is no reason why it should not work, it has not been fully tested for all use cases, so beware.

  1. First, we will test if the BIOS Chip is SST25VF016B. Patch the BIOS Chip for SST25VF016B and run this command to search for it's identifier. Don't worry, nothing is being flashed.

    sudo ./flashrom -p internal | grep "0xbf"

  2. If your BIOS Chip is a SST25VF016B, something similar to the following will be displayed:

    Probing for SST SST25LF040A, 512 kB: probe_spi_res2: id1 0xbf, id2 0x41 Probing for SST SST25LF080A, 1024 kB: probe_spi_res2: id1 0xbf, id2 0x41 Probing for SST SST25VF016B.RES2, 2048 kB: probe_spi_res2: id1 0xbf, id2 0x41 probe_spi_res1: id 0xbf probe_spi_res1: id 0xbf probe_spi_res1: id 0xbf

  3. If nothing was displayed, patch the BIOS Chip for MX25l1605D , and run this command to search for it's identifier:

    sudo ./flashrom -p internal | grep "0x14"

  4. If your BIOS Chip is a MX25l1605D, something similar to the following will be displayed:

    0x14: 0x00000000 (SPID1+4) Probing for PMC Pm25LV512(A), 64 kB: probe_spi_res3: id1 0x1414, id2 0x14 Probing for PMC Pm25LV010, 128 kB: probe_spi_res3: id1 0x1414, id2 0x14 Probing for SST SST25LF040A, 512 kB: probe_spi_res2: id1 0x14, id2 0x14 Probing for SST SST25LF080(A), 1024 kB: probe_spi_res2: id1 0x14, id2 0x14 probe_spi_res1: id 0x14 probe_spi_res1: id 0x14 probe_spi_res1: id 0x14 probe_spi_res1: id 0x14

  5. If your BIOS chip is neither of these types (a very rare situation), only the following will be displayed. Make sure flashrom was patched correct.

    0x14: 0x00000000 (SPID1+4)

Backup your Original BIOS

In case something goes wrong, it is a good idea to keep a backup of the original BIOS software.

sudo ./flashrom -p internal -r factory.bin

This step is IMPORTANT since the factory BIOS in your machine is tied to your particular system board (or "planar" in IBM FRU terms) with a unique ID not present in factory BIOS updates.

Compile Coreboot with SeaBIOS (optional)

Libreboot uses the GRUB2 payload in it's Coreboot image, but for the first flash, it is preferable to use SeaBIOS.

  1. Install the packages needed to build Coreboot.

    sudo apt-get install libncurses-dev iasl libc6-dev-i386 svn

  2. Grab a copy of the coreboot source code:

  3. In the coreboot folder, change the entire Payload section in .config to the text shown below. This will embed SeaBIOS into coreboot, rather than GRUB2.

    Payload

    CONFIG_PAYLOAD_SEABIOS=y CONFIG_SEABIOS_STABLE=y CONFIG_PAYLOAD_FILE="$(obj)/seabios/out/bios.bin.elf" CONFIG_COMPRESSED_PAYLOAD_LZMA=y

  4. Then, just run make to build the coreboot.rom file.

    make

  5. Copy the compiled coreboot.rom file to the flashrom source code folder.

Modify Coreboot ROM

  1. Copy the coreboot.rom file in X60_source to the flashrom source code folder.

  2. Run the dd command below to backup the first 64K of data from coreboot.rom .

    dd if=coreboot.rom of=top64k.bin bs=1 skip=$[$(stat -c %s coreboot.rom) - 0x10000] count=64k

  3. Run the dd command below to display the first 64k of coreboot.rom .

    dd if=coreboot.rom bs=1 skip=$[$(stat -c %s coreboot.rom) - 0x20000] count=64k | hexdump

  4. Verify that the complete range is filled with ff bytes before proceeding.

The output of the dd command above must EXACTLY match the text below. If not, the coreboot image needs to be rebuilt with the second-to-last 64kbyte block unused.

0000000 ffff ffff ffff ffff ffff ffff ffff ffff 
*
0010000

  1. Run the dd command below:

    dd if=top64k.bin of=coreboot.rom bs=1 seek=$[$(stat -c %s coreboot.rom) - 0x20000] count=64k conv=notrunc

Flash Coreboot for the First Time

  1. Run the bucts command to make the first 64K of the BIOS bootable.

Warning: This step is extremely important, because the remaining read-only 64K acts as a safety net in case Coreboot is flashed incorrectly.

sudo ./bucts 1

  1. Run this flashrom command to install Coreboot to your BIOS chip.

    sudo ./flashrom -p internal -w coreboot.rom

Note: This flash will take a while, and will output errors for addresses 0x0 and 0x1f0000 if working with a 2 Mbyte flash chip.

  1. At the end, flashrom may output FAILED! (since the last 64K is write protected). No need to panic; errors are normal. However, the error output must match the text shown below:

    Reading old flash chip contents... done. Erasing and writing flash chip... spi_block_erase_20 failed during command execution at address 0x0 Reading current flash chip contents... done. spi_block_erase_52 failed during command execution at address 0x0 Reading current flash chip contents... done. Transaction error! spi_block_erase_d8 failed during command execution at address 0x1f0000 Reading current flash chip contents... done. spi_chip_erase_60 failed during command execution Reading current flash chip contents... done. spi_chip_erase_c7 failed during command execution FAILED! Uh oh. Erase/write failed. Checking if anything changed. Your flash chip is in an unknown state.

Note: If you get a different set of errors, the flash has failed. DO NOT TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER!

Tip: One of the most common issues is failing to set .write - spi_chip_write_1 in flashchips.c, so fix that, rebuild flashrom with make, and try again.

  1. Run the bucts command below to check whether it was set successfully. If the line with Current BUC.TS=1 is identical, you may continue safely.

    sudo ./bucts

bucts utility version '2'
Using LPC bridge 8086:27b9 at 0000:1f.00
Current BUC.TS=1 - 64kb address ranges at 0xFFFE0000 and 0xFFFF0000 are swapped

  • If the flash was NOT completed correctly, do not turn off the computer, and run the following command to restore the original BIOS.

    sudo ./flashrom -p internal -w factory.rom

  1. If you are sure that the flash was completed correctly, fully turn off the computer (don't just restart). Then remove and reinsert the battery.

  2. Your computer will boot into a basic version of coreboot now, but you're not done yet. We will need to flash the full version of coreboot in the next section.

Recovering from a bad flash (First Flash Only)

Note: This unbrick method only works on the first flash of Coreboot, when bucts 1 is enabled; since the factory BIOS still exists.
After Coreboot is flashed for the second time, the factory BIOS will be overwritten, so this method wouldn't work anymore.

If flashrom was misconfigured or the coreboot ROM is corrupt, and you turned off the computer, it will be bricked upon startup.

Thankfully, the factory BIOS has not been fully overwritten yet. By unplugging the CMOS battery, bucts 1 will be unset, and the computer will boot normally again.

  1. Unplug the CMOS battery for about 10 seconds. The CMOS battery is found under the keyboard.
  2. After the CMOS battery has been removed, the factory BIOS will boot again.
  3. Press the ThinkVantage button once you see the ThinkPad bootsplash.
  4. Wait a while, and there will be an error informing you to set the correct date.
  5. Press Enter to continue and set a correct date and time in the BIOS
  6. Save your changes and restart. Wait for the BIOS to boot the hard drive. (this will take longer than normal)
  7. Return to your Linux OS and go back to the beginning of this guide.

Tip: One of the most common issues is failing to set .write - spi_chip_write_1 in flashchips.c, so fix that, rebuild flashrom with make, and try again.

Flash Coreboot a Second Time

After the first flash has succeeded, the last 64K of the BIOS flashchip will now be writable. Flash Coreboot a second time to complete the installation.

We recommend using Libreboot's binary coreboot.rom for a second flash.

  1. Download a fresh copy of the flashrom source code using this command:

    svn co svn://flashrom.org/flashrom/trunk flashrom cd flashrom make

Tip: Keep the first modified flashrom somewhere safe, (in case you ever want to install coreboot on another fresh X60) but don't use it on this computer any longer.

  1. Compile flashrom using make:

    make

  2. Run this flashrom command, which will now successfully overwrite the entire flash chip, including the last 64k that were write protected with the factory BIOS.

    sudo ./flashrom -p internal -w coreboot.rom

Note: This time, flashrom will run without errors and verify itself successfully.

  1. Finally, set bucts back to 0. (If you are on your third flash and so on, bucts is already set to 0, skip this step) Bucts is no longer necessary after this point, now that Coreboot has been flashed to the entire chip.

    sudo ./bucts 0

  2. Coreboot has now been successfully installed. Now you can just repeat the steps in Flash Coreboot a Second Time whenever you want to update Coreboot, or install Libreboot.

Libreboot

Libreboot, the fork of Coreboot best supported on the X60 and FSF approved, eschews all binary blobs to create a fully free BIOS.

While it does have a few compromises, we strongly recommend using Libreboot, as it is the best maintained fork of Coreboot on the X60.

Libreboot Workarounds

Since Libreboot abandons all proprietary blobs, there are a few issues with it compared to Coreboot:

  • Most of the critical function keys work now, sound buttons as well
  • Suspend to RAM works, but Hibernate (suspend to disk) requires a few modifications
  • The kernel argument processor.max_cstate=2 is required to keep the system running cool, since the CPU scaling in Libreboot does not work well without binary blobs
  • Brightness is stuck at 100% and cannot be set lower with function key combo. Currently no one is working on fixing this.

Working with Libreboot's GRUB2 Payload

Libreboot's default configuration has GRUB2 installed onto the BIOS chip, which can be a new experience.

(copy from Libreboot README)

Booting from LiveUSBs with GRUB2

Since GRUB2 on Coreboot does not work like a traditional BIOS, special steps need to be taken to boot typical LiveUSB disks.

Try the Parse ISOLINUX menu (USB) option first. It will usually autodetect the ISOLINUX menu and things will work out.

If not, you will have to use SeaBIOS; probably as a GRUB2 payload.

Compile Coreboot with GRUB2 as SeaBIOS payload

SeaBIOS is an open source BIOS that works exactly like the typical old legacy BIOS. Since SeaBIOS is guaranteed and tested to work, we strongly recommend using it.

First, build Libreboot with SeaBIOS as shown above. Then, compile GRUB2.

Next, use these commands to add GRUB2 as a payload of SeaBIOS.

build/cbfstool build/coreboot.rom add-payload -n img/grub2 -f grub2.elf -t raw
build/cbfstool build/coreboot.rom print

Testing GRUB2 Payload with QEMU

If you ever recompile GRUB2 and plan to use it as the Coreboot payload, it is strongly recommended that you thoroughly test it using the QEMU emulator.

If GRUB2 doesn't work, your BIOS will be bricked, and external hardware flashing is required for recovery.

Compile Coreboot with SeaBIOS as GRUB2 Payload

To get traditional liveUSB boot support and the option of booting Windows, you will want to add SeaBIOS as a GRUB2 Payload (not a Coreboot payload)

(needs some way of testing the coreboot image on QEMU, so we can avoid bricks)

Add this to grub.cfg

menuentry 'SeaBios' {
    set root='memdisk'
    echo    'Loading SeaBios ...'
    chainloader /bios.bin.elf
}

Now put the following into a bash script, make it executable, and run it:

#!/bin/sh
rm -f grub2-x60.elf
#copy the payloads you want
cp ../../seabios-x60/out/bios.bin.elf ./memdisk/
cp ../../coreboot-qemu/payloads/nvramcui/nvramcui.elf ./memdisk/
cp ../../coreboot-x60/payloads/coreinfo/build/coreinfo.elf ./memdisk/
cp ../../memtest86+-4.20/memtest ./memdisk/memtest.elf
#and some files
cp ../../coreboot-x60/bootsplash.jpg  ./memdisk/
cd memdisk
grub-mkstandalone -O i386-coreboot -o ../grub2-x60.elf $(find -type f)
echo "--RESULT--"
ls -l -h ../grub2-x60.elf

Afterwards, recompile Coreboot using the generated grub2-x60.elf .

Set New SeaBIOS Bootsplash

You can add your own SeaBIOS bootsplash using cbfstool. Make sure the image is named background.png or background.jpg, and is 1024x768.

Then use cbfstool to embed the image in a compiled coreboot.rom.

./cbfstool coreboot.rom add -f background.png -n background.png -t bootsplash

Finally, confirm that they exist inside the rom:

./cbfstool coreboot.rom print

(FSF-Approved Linux) Trisquel Linux

The ThinkPad X60 with Libreboot is one of the few laptops capable of eschewing all nonfree software, so to complete FSF certification, try out Trisquel Linux.

Replace the WiFi card with a Free Alternative

Since the default Intel wireless chipset requires the use of binary blobs, it is advised to replace it with a Wireless-N WiFi card that can use free software drivers, such as Atheros cards. You might even have one in a broken laptop that's lying around; but if not, they're usually only $15.

And don't worry about the mPCI whitelist; Coreboot has no such restrictions.

Make sure that the replacement card you get is full height, or at least has a half size adapter.

  • Atheros - Atheros cards are all supported out of the box with the open source ath9k driver.
    • Atheros AR5B91 (abgn) - A full size card that can be cheaply procured.

Sources

Discussion