Libreboot is a Free Software BIOS replacement based on coreboot. Coreboot is an Open Source project to replace BIOS. BIOS is the vendor-provided software that provides initial hardware information to the Operating System. BIOS implementations are, with a sole exception, non-Free software. BIOS is available only as a binary blob. Coreboot is Open Source software, but it contains blobs for various hardware. Libreboot respects your freedoms and contains enhancements to make it easier for newcomers to install and use.

Topics

What libreboot is

A free-software version of coreboot. It supports only hardware that can run without blobs. It lives in CMOS, initializes RAM, builds a table called coreboot-table, then launches a payload. Default payload is GRUB2. Also SeaBIOS and the linux kernel are available.

Why you should care about it

Libreboot represents one way to eliminate (or at least minimize) opaque software blobs from your computing. Blobs represent potential security vulnerabilities and other problems.

Relationship to coreboot

Deliberately non-forking. Tracks main branch of coreboot (or some branch). If you want to add hardware support to libreboot, get it into coreboot first and then Free it.
Talk will include a demonstration of installing or upgrading (depending on the state of available target hardware) libreboot using software flashing or an external programmer.
The talk also introduces SILLY, a local project to provide Libre laptops for activists and training in Libreboot and related things.