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<!DOCTYPE html>
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<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<style type="text/css">
@import url('../css/main.css');
</style>
<title>ASUS KCMA-D8 desktop/workstation board</title>
</head>
<body>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="pagetop">ASUS KCMA-D8 desktop/workstation board</h1>
<p>
This is a desktop board using AMD hardware (Fam10h <b>and Fam15h</b> CPUs available). It can also be used
for building a high-powered workstation. Powered by libreboot. The coreboot port was done by
Timothy Pearson of <a href="https://raptorengineeringinc.com/">Raptor Engineering Inc.</a> and,
working with Timothy (and sponsoring the work) merged into libreboot.
</p>
<p>
<b>Memory initialization is still problematic, for some modules. We recommend avoiding Kingston modules.</b>
</p>
<p>
Flashing instructions can be found at <a href="../install/index.html#flashrom">../install/index.html#flashrom</a>
- note that external flashing is required (e.g. BBB), if the proprietary (ASUS) firmware is currently installed.
If you already have libreboot, by default it is possible to re-flash using software running in GNU/Linux
on the kcma-d8, without using external hardware.
</p>
<p>
<a href="index.html">Back to previous index</a>.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="cpu-compatibility">CPU compatibility</h1>
<p>
<strong>Use Opteron 4200 series (works without microcode updates, including hw virt).</strong>
4300 series needs microcode updates, so avoid those CPUs. 4100 series is too old, and mostly untested.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="boardstatus">Board status (compatibility)</h1>
<p>
See <a href="https://raptorengineeringinc.com/coreboot/kcma-d8-status.php">https://raptorengineeringinc.com/coreboot/kcma-d8-status.php</a>.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="formfactor">Form factor</h1>
<p>
These boards use the SSI EEB 3.61 form factor; make sure
that your case supports this. This form factor is similar
to E-ATX in that the size is identical, but the position of
the screws are different.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="ipmi">IPMI iKVM module add-on</h1>
<p>
Don't use it. It uses proprietary firmware and adds a backdoor (remote out-of-band management chip,
similar to the <a href="http://libreboot.org/faq/#intelme">Intel Management Engine</a>. Fortunately,
the firmware is unsigned (possibly to replace) and physically separate from the mainboard since it's
on the add-on module, which you don't have to install.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="flashchips">Flash chips</h1>
<p>
2MiB flash chips are included by default, on these boards. It's on a P-DIP 8 slot (SPI chip).
The flash chip can be upgraded to higher sizes: 4MiB, 8MiB or 16MiB. With at least 8MiB,
you could feasibly fit a compressed linux+initramfs image (BusyBox+Linux system) into CBFS
and boot that, loading it into memory.
</p>
<p>
Libreboot has configs for 2, 4, 8 and 16 MiB flash chip sizes (default flash chip is 2MiB).
</p>
<p>
<b>
DO NOT hot-swap the chip with your bare hands. Use a P-DIP 8
chip extractor. These can be found online.
See <a href="http://www.coreboot.org/Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools">http://www.coreboot.org/Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools</a>
</b>
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="graphics">Native graphics initialization</h1>
<p>
Only text-mode is known to work, but linux(kernel) can initialize
the framebuffer display (if it has KMS - kernel mode setting).
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="issues">Current issues</h1>
<ul>
<li>LRDIMM memory modules are currently incompatible</li>
<li>
SAS (via PIKE 2008 module) requires non-free option ROM (and SeaBIOS) to boot from it
(theoretically possible to replace, but you can put a kernel in CBFS or on SATA
and use that to boot GNU, which can be on a SAS drive. The linux kernel can use
those SAS drives (via PIKE module) without an option ROM).
</li>
<li>
IPMI iKVM module (optional add-on card) uses proprietary firmware. Since it's for
remote out-of-band management, it's theoretically a backdoor similar to the Intel
Management Engine. Fortunately, unlike the ME, this firmware is unsigned which
means that a free replacement is theoretically possible. For now, the libreboot project
recommends not installing the module. <a href="https://github.com/facebook/openbmc">This project</a>
might be interesting to derive from, for those who want to work on a free replacement.
In practise, out-of-band management isn't very useful anyway (or at the very least,
it's not a major inconvenience to not have it).
</li>
<li>Graphics: only text-mode works. See <a href="#graphics">#graphics</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h2 id="specifications">Hardware specifications</h2>
<p>
Check the ASUS website.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<p>
Copyright © 2016 Leah Rowe <info@minifree.org><br/>
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license
or any later version published by Creative Commons;
A copy of the license can be found at <a href="../cc-by-sa-4.0.txt">../cc-by-sa-4.0.txt</a>
</p>
<p>
Updated versions of the license (when available) can be found at
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode</a>
</p>
<p>
UNLESS OTHERWISE SEPARATELY UNDERTAKEN BY THE LICENSOR, TO THE
EXTENT POSSIBLE, THE LICENSOR OFFERS THE LICENSED MATERIAL AS-IS
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TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, IN NO EVENT WILL THE LICENSOR BE LIABLE
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<p>
The disclaimer of warranties and limitation of liability provided
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