[libreplanet-discuss] libreboot workshop at libreplanet 2018

[Leah Rowe]

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Hi everyone,

The FSF isn't officially hosting a libreboot workshop at libreplanet
this year.

I'm proposing to set up an unofficial workshop at LibrePlanet 2018, so
that people at the conference can get their libreboot-supported
systems flashed. I myself (Leah Rowe, founder of libreboot) will not
be physically attending, unfortunately, but I do know that there are
others who would be willing to do this. I've already spoken to several
people on #libreboot IRC: sensiblemn (Kurt from Technoethical) is
willing. zyliwax is willing. I'm also CC'ing libiquity and
technoethical, asking them to take part.

obviously, any FSF staff e.g. sysadmins who want to take part and help
out, are more than welcome to. e.g. the staff at FSF who know how to
flash SPI chips, for libreboot installation

If anyone else on this list who is attending the conference wishes to
take part, please reply with your details including what equipment you
can bring.

We ideally need at least 2-3 people with SPI flashers.
If we can get at least a few people to commit to providing flashing
services, then I'll issue a pull request to get a news post published
on libreboot.org, announcing the unofficial libreboot installation
workshop. The news post will mention the names of all the people who
will be doing the installations.

Please confirm via reply on this list, if you're willing to commit to
this.

If someone wants their laptop flashed, they find one of those people
listed in the news post. Although the FSF isn't providing a room
dedicated to this, there are plenty of benches to sit down on at the
conference. There's also the speakers lounge, which usually has seats
available (and power sockets, and chairs, and tables) - doesn't matter
if you're not a speaker, go into there anyway and sit down with the
person, and flash their laptop on one of the tables in there. Then
there's the FSF office, in case the person wants to get their laptop
flashed there (E.g. a day or so before the conference); they have a
conference room. if it's empty, you could go in there. the FSF has an
open door policy

Kurt is also hosting a technoethical booth at libreplanet. You could
go there and have this person flash your laptop with libreboot. As
confirmed on IRC, this person has told me that they're bringing their
BBB and other equipment.

If anyone who knows how to use an SPI flasher to flash libreboot
(doesn't matter which flasher you use), who is going to the
conference, I'd be very grateful if you could offer your services to
flash libreboot for people there.

Equipment I can think of at the top of my head.

1) Set up the SPI flasher so that it's portable (USB powered, 3v3
supplied by the SPI flasher itself, not an external PSU) - SSH into
the flasher via ethernet cable or USB cable connected to your laptop.
Portable flashing setup. make sure it works etc. bring spare wires
just in case. make sure you've got soic-8 and soic-16 - to save time,
if you can, bring 2 SPI flashers, one with soic-8 one with soic-16
(less time messing about re-wiring between different laptops)

see guides on libreboot.org for setting up RPi or BBB. but any SPI
flasher will do. if you've got another setup, fine

make sure you have the entire ROM set from Libreboot 20160907 on the
flasher, ready to go. Since this conference in in the united states,
you should probably set up the ones with the US Qwerty layout in GRUB.
the ROM images in libreboot named *usqwerty*.rom

NOTE: if it's an X200 you're flashing, make sure to use the
workaround-mx patch in flashrom, for macronix chips. otherwise
flashing won't work.
see:
https://notabug.org/consts/libreboot/raw/2caaac00972d9ea56b0fcd7c95897e9
0283b05b8/projects/flashrom/patches/0005-Workaround-MX25-reliable-operat
ion.patch

patch is also in libreboot.git. apply that to flashrom src and build
that. for macronix chip on x200 (only x200. t400 dosen't need it) use
- --workaround-mx option in flashrom. tested on BBB and RPi

2) Screwdrivers

3) NOTE: optional -> soldering equipment, for X200T/X200S flashing
(including hot air gun etc, and soic8 spi chips)
- -> Kurt from technoethical tells me they're bringing soldering stuff
with them

Also the FSF has soldering equipment, which they could possibly lend
to people doing X200T flashing (X200T/X200S needs soldering to flash
it, unlike X200).

4) thermal paste and thermal paste cleaning material, and wipes etc ->
for T400 flashing. requires removing the heatsink

5) I doubt anyone will have D8/D16 to flash, so tools for flashing
DIP8 spi chips probably aren't required. most people wanting to be
flashed will have laptops

- -> you could maybe take DIP8 chips with libreboot on them with you,
just in case, for kcma-d8 and kgpe-d16, then the person just puts that
in their d8/d16 when they get home. in fact that seems more logical to
me. also plcc32 lpc chips (1mb) with libreboot, for asus kfsn4-dre

6) ditto on 5, regarding plcc32 lpc flash (asus kfsn4-dre)

5 and 6 are most likely moot/optional though.

- -- 
Leah Rowe

Libreboot developer and project founder.

Use free software. Free as in freedom.
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

Use a free BIOS - https://libreboot.org/
Use a free operating system, GNU+Linux.

Support computer user freedom
https://fsf.org/ - https://gnu.org/

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