Syntax highlighting of 8b2e6f3 ~( meetingNotes/20140417)

## Damien Zammit - Coreboot ##

* [Coreboot](http://www.coreboot.org/) is a Free Software replacement for proprietary BIOS - really important project 
* Coreboot does the minimal initialisation of hardware, hands off rest of the task to a "payload" program like GRUB or SeaBIOS
* sister project Flashrom handles complex task of writing to different flash ROM chips
* lots of manual work for Coreboot to support each new machine, even if similar components
* recent Intel machines require proprietary blob
* AMD have an agreement with Coreboot to provide full specs - yay!
* installing Coreboot on Lenovo Thinkpad T60
    * T60 that Damien owns has about 5 different variations
    * visually identify flashrom chip (get hands dirty)
    * first time compiled Coreboot and flashed, machine was dead
        * you need a recovery method first, eg. external flashing device
        * always take a backup of existing BIOS with Flashrom
    * was able to restore original BIOS with external clip and Rasberry Pi
    * T60 had some unusual settings that reverse flash memory - challenging
    * once installed relatively easy to upgrade
* Damien also working on replacing binary blob in modern Intel boards
    * null modem cable to give serial output from Coreboot eg. printf
* EFI is just software with an agreed spec. - Coreboot replaces it
* Damien also tried Coreboot on a modern AMD AGESA HUDSON board and worked first time - [F2A85](F2A85)-M ~ $70 for board
* [Libreboot](http://libreboot.org/) restricted subset of Coreboot without binary blobs
* Also started a [wiki](http://me.bios.io/) about why proprietary blobs in BIOS is bad and issues with Intel
    * additional ARC CPU with RSA signed code that can control main CPU and talk to the Internet
        * runs a real-time OS
        * every model after T60/X60
        * not an issue with AMD boards

## Gnews ##

[OpenSSL Heartbeat vulnerability](https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv_20140407.txt)

* affects both servers and clients
    * upgrade Android 4.1 or greater
    * not all TLS implementations, not GnuTLS
    * not GPG related
* upgrade and replace private keys
* must also restart all services
* broken into mainstream, lots of confusion and bad reporting
* interesting issues relating to free software
    * wouldn't have been discovered or fixed easily otherwise
    * trolling about Free Software negatives
* interesting that two discovered at same time

[TPP](https://action.sumofus.org/a/trade-sustainers/4/4/)

* [http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/large-crowds-fill-taipei-streets-in-protest-over-china-trade-bill/](http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/large-crowds-fill-taipei-streets-in-protest-over-china-trade-bill/) 
* not much happening right now - that makes it hard to fight
    * nebulous
* possibly get a talk on this some time from EFA

[Project Gooseberry](http://cloud.blender.org/gooseberry/)

* looking for more donations by this weekend
* feature length film

[Embrace the Remix Ted video](http://www.ted.com/talks/kirby_ferguson_embrace_the_remix)

* ted.com videos supported by free software without flash!
* very much worth a watch - touches on copyright and patent problems

[Novena](http://www.crowdsupply.com/kosagi/novena-open-laptop)

* [http://makezine.com/2014/04/02/the-worlds-first-open-source-laptop-makes-its-debut/](http://makezine.com/2014/04/02/the-worlds-first-open-source-laptop-makes-its-debut/)
* support folks who are supporting open hardware

[Talk by Jacob Appelbaum at Libre Planet](http://media.libreplanet.org/u/zakkai/m/free-software-for-freedom-surveillance-and-you/) 

* first talk available from March 2014 [LibrePlanet](LibrePlanet) conference (because it was given by videoconference)
* talks and shows a Novena{: page-href="wiki:///meetingNotes/20140417"}