Am 2014-08-28 23:38, schrieb Todd Weaver:
Comparing the blob-free versions from Intel (which are apparently
signed, so according to http://www.coreboot.org/Binary_situation are
at a 9000+ panic level), would it be possible to have blob-free
(probably through RE) that would work (meaning does not require signed
binaries) on an AMD board?
Newer chipsets (as in yet to be released) come with signed parts, but it
seems the scope of the signature is configurable somehow by AMD. There
were some mails about that a couple of days ago ("AMD PSP").
We will do what we can here. The issue is even with immense leverage,
having the source released (from AMI, or AMD, (or Intel for that
matter)) would undermine tremendous profit that these companies make
by keeping this proprietary.
AMD claims that they stopped working on open sourcing their
initialization code because it's lots of work (ie. money) with limited
return on investment. How much work that is isn't here or there (most of
that is because their internal development process is less than optimal
and, like most processes in most organizations, hard to change).
But it means that someone could make it worth their while given the
right kind of project.
What they don't provide sources for is CPU microcode updates (no one
does since it's of limited value without the microcode development
toolchain and the microcode itself that is getting updated) and various
smaller firmware (USB3 which is a licensed core, IMC, an embedded
controller, and the SMU).
For IMC and SMU there's some reverse engineering effort, partially
documented in the wiki, so by asking the right questions to the right
people in this community, plus some development, it might be possible to
get them opened up even without AMD's help.
Patrick
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