Revert 'meetingNotes/20140417'to Revision Number '6'

Meta data of item revision to be reverted:

  • Action: SAVE
  • Address: 10.0.0.3
  • Comment: ''
  • Content Type: Moinmoin 1.9 [text/x.moin.wiki;format=1.9;charset=utf-8]
  • Data ID: 2855a5c36c2848f3a564c1a8ff2853b3
  • External Links: (None)
  • Item ID: 8b2e6f31e3b144c980619bc6975e9324
  • Item Links: (None)
  • Item Transclusions: (None)
  • Item Type: default
  • Language:
  • Modified Time: 2014-04-20 10:46:50z
  • Name: meetingNotes/20140417
  • Old Name: (None)
  • Namespace: ''
  • Parent Revision ID: 4121dab77a494c4280939540503561a1
  • Revision ID: 7096a594b9104827a7507d52db6e97d8
  • Revision Number: 6
  • SHA1: a187fe71695f8ffb326f0ae981a698889543bd0c
  • Size: 3.5 kB
  • Summary: ''
  • Tags: (None)
  • Trash: False
  • User ID: de0a5c52eff7499980f2de73bc1f18fe
  • Wiki Name: My MoinMoin

Content of item revision to be reverted:

Damien Zammit - Coreboot

  • Coreboot 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-M ~ $70 for board
  • Libreboot restricted subset of Coreboot without binary blobs
  • Also started a wiki 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

  • 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

Project Gooseberry

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

Embrace the Remix Ted video

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

Novena

Talk by Jacob Appelbaum at Libre Planet

  • talks and shows a Novena