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diff --git a/README b/README deleted file mode 100644 index 97cc6b48..00000000 --- a/README +++ /dev/null @@ -1,156 +0,0 @@ - -Information about osboot can be found at <https://osboot.org/> -This is the *libre* version of osboot, so it only has support for hardware that -can boot without any binary blobs in the ROM image. - -This branch of osboot is basically pointless. It was created to then be forked -and adapted for a new Libreboot release. - -Free your BIOS today! GNU GPL style -=================================== - -osboot is -[freedom-respecting](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html) -*boot firmware* that initializes the hardware (e.g. -memory controller, CPU, peripherals) in your computer so that software can run. -osboot then starts a bootloader to load your operating system. It replaces the -proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware typically found on a computer. osboot is -compatible with [specific computer models that use the Intel/AMD x86 -architecture](docs/hardware/). osboot works well with GNU+Linux and BSD -operating systems. User support is available -at [\#osboot](https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=osboot) on Freenode -IRC. - -osboot is a *Free Software* project, but can be considered Open Source. -[The GNU website](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.en.html) -teaches why you should call it Free Software instead; alternatively, you may -call it libre software. - -osboot uses [coreboot](https://www.coreboot.org/) for hardware initialization. -However, *coreboot* is notoriously difficult to compile and install for most -non-technical users. There are many complicated configuration steps required, -and coreboot by itself is useless; coreboot only handles basic hardware -initialization, and then jumps to a separate *payload* program. The payload -program can be anything, for example a Linux kernel, bootloader (such as -GNU GRUB), UEFI implementation (such as Tianocore) or BIOS implementation -(such as SeaBIOS). While not quite as complicated as building a GNU+Linux -distribution from scratch, it may aswell be as far as most non-technical users -are concerned. - -osboot solves this problem in a novel way: -osboot is a *coreboot distribution* much like Debian is a *GNU+Linux -distribution*. osboot provides an *automated build system* that downloads, -patches (where necessary) and compiles coreboot, GNU GRUB, various payloads and -all other software components needed to build a complete, working *ROM image* -that you can install to replace your current BIOS/UEFI firmware, much like a -GNU+Linux distribution (e.g. Debian) provides an ISO image that you can use to -replace your current operating system (e.g. Windows). - -Information about who works on osboot, and who runs the project, can be -found on the [who.md](who.md) page. - -Why use osboot? -================== - -[Free software](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html) is important for -the same reason that education is important. -All children and adults alike should be entitled to a good education. -Knowledge begs to be free! In the context of computing, this means that the -source code should be fully available to study, and use in whatever way you -see fit. In the context of computer hardware, this means that -[Right to Repair](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=Npd_xDuNi9k) -should be universal, with full access to documents such as the schematics and -boardview files. - -**[The four freedoms are paramount!](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html)** - -You have rights. The right to privacy, freedom of thought, freedom -of speech and the right to read. In the context of computing, that means anyone -can use [free software](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html). Simply -speaking, free software is software that is under the direct sovereignty of the -user and, more importantly, the collective that is the *community*. osboot -is dedicated to the Free Software community, with the aim of making free software -at a *low level* more accessible to non-technical people. - -Many people use [proprietary](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/proprietary.html) -boot firmware, even if they use GNU+Linux. Non-free boot firmware often -contains backdoors, can be slow and have severe bugs. Development and support -can be abandoned at any time. By contrast, osboot is a free software project, -where anyone can contribute or inspect its code. - -osboot is faster, more secure and more reliable than most non-free -firmware. osboot provides many advanced features, like encrypted -/boot/, GPG signature checking before booting a Linux kernel and more! -osboot gives *you* control over *your* computing. - -Project goals -------------- - -- *Recommend and distribute only free software*. Coreboot - distributes certain pieces of proprietary software which is needed - on some systems. Examples can include things like CPU microcode - updates, memory initialization blobs and so on. The coreboot project - sometimes recommends adding more blobs which it does not distribute, - such as the Video BIOS or Intel's *Management Engine*. However, a - lot of dedicated and talented individuals in coreboot work hard to - replace these blobs whenever possible. -- *Support as much hardware as possible!* osboot supports less - hardware than coreboot, because most systems from coreboot still - require certain proprietary software to work properly. osboot is - an attempt to support as much hardware as possible, without any - proprietary software. -- *Make coreboot easy to use*. Coreboot is notoriously difficult - to install, due to an overall lack of user-focused documentation - and support. Most people will simply give up before attempting to - install coreboot. - -osboot attempts to bridge this divide by providing a build system -automating much of the coreboot image creation and customization. -Secondly, the project produces documentation aimed at non-technical users. -Thirdly, the project attempts to provide excellent user support via mailing -lists and IRC. - -osboot already comes with a payload (GRUB), flashrom and other -needed parts. Everything is fully integrated, in a way where most of -the complicated steps that are otherwise required, are instead done -for the user in advance. - -You can download ROM images for your osboot system and install -them without having to build anything from source. If, however, you are -interested in building your own image, the build system makes it relatively -easy to do so. - -Not a coreboot fork! --------------------- - -osboot is not a fork of coreboot. Every so often, the project -re-bases on the latest version of coreboot, with the number of custom -patches in use minimized. Tested, *stable* (static) releases are then provided -in osboot, based on specific coreboot revisions. - -Coreboot is not entirely free software. It has binary blobs in it for some -platforms. What osboot does is download several revisions of coreboot, for -different boards, and *de-blob* those coreboot revisions. This is done using -the *linux-libre* deblob scripts, to find binary blobs in coreboot. - -All new coreboot development should be done in coreboot (upstream), not -osboot! osboot is about deblobbing and packaging coreboot in a -user-friendly way, where most work is already done for the user. - -For example, if you wanted to add a new board to osboot, you should -add it to coreboot first. osboot will automatically receive your code -at a later date, when it updates itself. - -The deblobbed coreboot tree used in osboot is referred to as -*coreboot-libre*, to distinguish it as a component of *osboot*. - -A coreboot *fork* is planned for the future. Nowadays, coreboot drops support -for boards that are "unmaintained", which in some cases just means that nobody -submitted a new status update (to the *board-status* repository), so nowadays -osboot must maintain multiple versions of coreboot. This is unsustainable, -so a fork is planned, re-adding all of the deleted boards, backporting newer -coreboot features and, possibly, having support for those boards re-merged -upstream, where coreboot and the fork will share code back and forth. As of -27 April 2021, work on this fork has not yet begun. - - |