1+ ---
2+ title : FAQ
3+ ---
4+
15![ Installing LinuxBoot on an Intel S2600 mainboard] ( ../../images/s2600-flash.jpg )
26
3- ### Additional Reasons for LinuxBoot
7+ ## Additional Reasons for LinuxBoot
48
59Just in case the front page did not convince you...
610
@@ -19,7 +23,7 @@ Just in case the front page did not convince you...
1923* You can use external hardware tokens like a Yubikey to sign the OS install
2024 and have the firmware validate the GPG signature.
2125
22- ### LinuxBoot, NERF, HEADS? What's What?
26+ ## LinuxBoot, NERF, HEADS? What's What?
2327
2428* * LinuxBoot* is the project that replaces specific firmware functionality
2529 with a Linux kernel. LinuxBoot is agnostic to what initramfs is used with
@@ -39,7 +43,7 @@ Initially, all three of these projects were called NERF. Because this would have
3943only become more confusing, and because we do not want to be prescriptive of the
4044initramfs, we named the Linux kernel in firmware * LinuxBoot* .
4145
42- ### Will Anyone Ever Ship This?
46+ ## Will Anyone Ever Ship This?
4347
4448[ Horizon Computing] ( http://www.horizon-computing.com ) plans to ship Open
4549Compute Platform
@@ -55,7 +59,7 @@ The [Equus R1560](https://www.equuscs.com/servers/whitebox-open/r1560/)
5559server board
5660[ supports LinuxBoot] ( https://www.equuscs.com/introducing-the-whitebox-open-r1560-servers/ ) .
5761
58- ### Do I Need A coreboot-compatible Motherboard?
62+ ## Do I Need A coreboot-compatible Motherboard?
5963
6064No, LinuxBoot is compatible with UEFI as well as coreboot. You can use
6165LinuxBoot as a UEFI DXE or as a [ coreboot
@@ -64,7 +68,7 @@ talk "Replace your exploit-ridden firmware with a Linux kernel":
6468[ video] ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iffTJ1vPCSo ) /
6569[ slides] ( https://schd.ws/hosted_files/osseu17/84/Replace%20UEFI%20with%20Linux.pdf )
6670
67- ### What Does Booting Look Like?
71+ ## What Does Booting Look Like?
6872
6973Our generally recommended approach is to use the Linux kernel in ROM to locate
7074the actual kernel you want to boot, verify it is signed as you expect, and boot
@@ -80,26 +84,26 @@ smallest attack surface possible, so it should be compiled with the lowest
8084common denominator of kernel features you need. That means it likely lacks
8185features you may want to use in a Linux kernel.
8286
83- ### Technical Details
87+ ## Technical Details
8488
85- #### Platform init and memory training
89+ ### Platform init and memory training
8690
8791As part of the hardware setup the so called "SoC" init is required. It consists
8892of the platform bring-up and memory training. If the RAM training succeeds the
8993Linux kernel can be loaded.
9094
91- #### x86 bootblock magic
95+ ### x86 bootblock magic
9296
9397Under x86 architecture there is no cache as RAM support from the beginning of
9498the platform init. Therefore, a register must be used as memory in order to
9599initialize CAR.
96100
97- #### Cache As RAM
101+ ### Cache As RAM
98102
99103In order to do RAM [ training] ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-Lkkg03Erk ) some
100104sort of memory is needed. That is why the CPU caches are utilized.
101105
102- #### What about SMM, ACPI, PCI DT and GFX init?
106+ ### What about SMM, ACPI, PCI DT and GFX init?
103107
104108Graphics init and PCI Device Tree enumeration are already part of the linux
105109kernel. System Management Mode can be integrated as
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