firmware-open

Possible, maybe. End up with a working machine? Probably not. There are alternatives like coreboot [1] libreboot [2] system76 [3] but this isn't something that can be flashed to just any board. These alternatives would have to become supported by the manufacturer upstream from the dodgy resellers that end up on Amazon and I don't know if that might actually make it easier for dodgy players to replace it with a backdoor version. The low-end devices like mini-PC's do not have dual firmware options like some of the Asus mobo's and a few other mainstream vendors. [1] - https://coreboot.org/ [2] - https://libreboot.org/ [3] - https://github.com/system76/firmware-open

I mean, it isn’t impossible, just expensive and not worth much outside niche enthusiast markets. Even System76 has a mix of coreboot-with-schematics and more traditional closed hardware [1]. In theory, I would love to pay for a device which is well-documented and provides a repair and modification friendly interface at all levels of hardware and software abstraction but in practice I’ll probably buy a macbook air because they mostly just work and the air is cost competitive vs the “open” niche. And I don’t know about System76 in particular but my overall impression of binary blob driver acceptance is that the open folks lost that battle which narrows the gap with Apple tech. [1] https://github.com/system76/firmware-open

"System76 Open Firmware consists of multiple projects under different licenses. [...] Intel CSME Proprietary Intel FSP Proprietary Intel microcode Proprietary" https://github.com/system76/firmware-open/blob/master/LICENS...

> Unless they are featuring coreboot, they just tweaked options in say the Insyde bios, so no, not entirely different. What about a fully Free CoreBoot firmware and EC? https://github.com/system76/firmware-open https://github.com/system76/ec > Personally, I prefer quality. Me too! It's why I don't waste time with hostile hardware. I'm also glad I can rely on the original, preinstalled Pop! or Ubuntu distro instead of having to trust some stranger's spin of Arch to get full hardware support, or do it all myself.

System76 is working on a firmware update which targets all models listed here: https://github.com/system76/firmware-open/issues/340

While avoiding Chinese-made computer components approaches impossibility the deeper you go, one vendor I'd trust not to fool around with AMD's PSB is System76. Not only are they non-shady, but they also try to open the firmware of the motherboards they use. While their AMD systems aren't quite there yet, the laptops they sell are. https://github.com/system76/firmware-open https://github.com/system76/ec

> BTW I wish "normal" keyboards, especially in laptops, took some ideas from the QMK firmware, or adopted it as is. I completely agree! I believe that System76 laptops allow complete customization of the firmware, including the keyboard. https://github.com/system76/firmware-open

I am Jeremy Soller, Principal Engineer at System76. Let me know if you have any questions. The source for this can be found here: https://github.com/system76/firmware-open There are instructions there for building and testing the firmware in QEMU, you do not need to have our hardware to try it out.