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diff --git a/docs/hcl/c201.md b/docs/hcl/c201.md deleted file mode 100644 index 1aede14a..00000000 --- a/docs/hcl/c201.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,180 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: ASUS Chromebook C201 -... - -This is a Chromebook, using the Rockchip RK3288 SoC. It uses an ARM CPU, -and has free EC firmware (unlike some other laptops). More RK3288-based -laptops will be added to libreboot at a later date. - -Paul Kocialkowski, a [Replicant](http://www.replicant.us/) developer, -ported this laptop to libreboot. Thank you, Paul! - -**More info will be added later, including build/installation -instructions. The board is supported in libreboot, however, and has been -confirmed to work.** - -Flashing instructions can be found at -[../install/\#flashrom](../install/#flashrom) - -- [Google's intent with CrOS devices](#googlesintent) -- [Considerations about ChromeOS and free operating systems](#os) -- [Caution: Video acceleration requires a non-free blob, software - rendering can be used instead.](#videoblobs) -- [Caution: WiFi requires a non-free blob, a USB dongle can be used - instead.](#wifiblobs) -- [EC firmware is free software!](#ec) -- [No microcode!](#microcode) -- [Depthcharge payload](#depthcharge) -- [Flash chip write protection: the screw](#thescrew) - -Google's intent with CrOS devices {#googlesintent} -================================== - -CrOS (Chromium OS/Chrome OS) devices, such as Chromebooks, were not -designed with the intent of bringing more freedom to users. However, -they run with a lot of free software at the boot software and embedded -controller levels, since free software gives Google enough flexibility -to optimize various aspects such as boot time and most importantly, to -implement the CrOS security system, that involves various aspects of the -software. Google does hire a lot of Coreboot developers, who are -generally friendly to the free software movement and try to be good -members of the free software community, by contributing code back. - -CrOS devices are designed (from the factory) to actually coax the user -into using proprietary web services (SaaSS) that invade the user's -privacy (ChromeOS is literally just the Google Chrome browser when you -boot up, itself proprietary and comes with proprietary add-ons like -flash. It's only intended for SaaSS, not actual, real computing). -Google is even a member of the *PRISM* program, as outlined by Edward -Snowden. See notes about ChromeOS below. The libreboot project -recommends that the user replace the default *ChromeOS* with a -distribution that can be used in freedom, without invading the user's -privacy. - -We also use a similar argument for the MacBook and the ThinkPads that -are supported in libreboot. Those laptops are supported, in spite of -Apple and Lenovo, companies which are actually *hostile* to the free -software movement. - -Considerations about ChromeOS and free operating systems {#os} -======================================================== - -This laptop comes preinstalled (from the factory) with Google ChromeOS. -This is a GNU+Linux distribution, but it's not general purpose and it -comes with proprietary software. It's designed for SaaSS. Libreboot -recommends that users of this laptop replace it with another -distribution. - -Debian GNU+Linux ----------------- - -<https://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebianOn/Asus/C201> shows how to -install Debian. - -TODO: instructions for Devuan - -Caution: Video acceleration requires a non-free blob, software rendering can be used instead. {#videoblobs} -============================================================================================= - -The Tamil driver source code for the onboard Mali T GPU is not released. -The developer has so-far withheld it. Until that is released, the only -way to use video (in freedom) on this laptop is to not have video -acceleration, by making sure not to install the relevant blob. Most -tasks can still be performed without video acceleration, without any -noticeable performance penalty. - -In practise, this means that certain things like games, blender and -GNOME shell (or other fancy desktops) won't work well. The libreboot -project recommends a lightweight desktop which does not need video -acceleration, such as *XFCE* or *LXDE*. - -The Tamil developer wrote this blog post, which sheds light on the -story: -[http://libv.livejournal.com/27461.html,http://libv.livejournal.com/27461.html](http://libv.livejournal.com/27461.html). - -Caution: WiFi requires a non-free blob, a USB dongle can be used instead. {#wifiblobs} -========================================================================= - -These laptops have non-removeable (soldered on) WiFi chips, which -require non-free firmware in the Linux kernel in order to work. - -The libreboot project recommends using an external USB wifi dongle that -works with free software. See -[\#recommended\_wifi](./#recommended_wifi). - -There are 2 companies (endorsed by Creative Commons, under their -*Respects your Freedom* guidelines), that sell USB WiFi dongles -guaranteed to work with free software (i.e. linux-libre kernel): - -- [ThinkPenguin sells - them](https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-linux/penguin-wireless-n-usb-adapter-gnu-linux-tpe-n150usb) - (company based in USA) -- [Tehnoetic sells - them](https://tehnoetic.com/tehnoetic-wireless-adapter-gnu-linux-libre-tet-n150) - (company based in Europe) - -These wifi dongles use the AR9271 (atheros) chipset, supported by the -free *ath9k\_htc* driver in the Linux kernel. They work in *linux-libre* -too. - -EC firmware is free software! {#ec} -============================= - -It's free software. Google provides the source. Build scripts will be -added later, with EC sources provided in libreboot, and builds of the EC -firmware. - -This is unlike the other current libreboot laptops (Intel based). In -practise, you can (if you do without the video/wifi blobs, and replace -ChromeOS with a distribution that respects your freedom) be more free -when using one of these laptops. - -The libreboot FAQ briefly describes what an *EC* is: -[../../faq/#firmware-ec](../../faq/#firmware-ec) - -No microcode! {#microcode} -============= - -Unlike x86 (e.g. Intel/AMD) CPUs, ARM CPUs do not use microcode, not -even built in. On the Intel/AMD based libreboot systems, there is still -microcode in the CPU (not considered problematic by the FSF, provided -that it is reasonably trusted to not be malicious, since it's part of -the hardware and read-only), but we exclude microcode updates (volatile -updates which are uploaded at boot time by the boot firmware, if -present), which are proprietary software. - -On ARM CPUs, the instruction set is implemented in circuitry, without -microcode. - -Depthcharge payload {#depthcharge} -=================== - -These systems do not use the GRUB payload. Instead, they use a payload -called depthcharge, which is common on CrOS devices. This is free -software, maintained by Google. - -Flash chip write protection: the screw {#thescrew} -====================================== - -It's next to the flash chip. Unscrew it, and the flash chip is -read-write. Screw it back in, and the flash chip is read-only. It's -called the screw. - -*The screw* is accessible by removing other screws and gently prying off -the upper shell, where the flash chip and the screw are then directly -accessible. User flashing from software is possible, without having to -externally re-flash, but the flash chip is SPI (SOIC-8 form factor) so -you can also externally re-flash if you want to. In practise, you only -need to externally re-flash if you brick the laptop; read -[../install/bbb\_setup.html](../install/bbb_setup.html) for an example -of how to set up an SPI programmer. - -Write protection is useful, because it prevents the firmware from being -re-flashed by any malicious software that might become executed on your -GNU+Linux system, as root. In other words, it can prevent a -firmware-level *evil maid* attack. It's possible to write protect on -all current libreboot systems, but CrOS devices make it easy. The screw -is such a stupidly simple idea, which all designs should implement. - -Copyright © 2015 Leah Rowe <info@minifree.org>\ -This page is available under the [CC BY SA 4.0](../cc-by-sa-4.0.txt) |