Worked Examples

This page provides outdated images as of 2017/2018.

The following machines of course aren't true free-design devices! Instead, these are refurbished and modified machines that carry a Coreboot Firmware and as few proprietary code as possible in their BIOS chips.

Regarding Intel’s integrated proprietary Manageability Engine (IME) which pops up severe privacy issues, mind these important categories:

• Machine free of IME hardware on board

  ZC-T60, ZC-X60/X60s, ...

• Machine compromised with integrated IME hardware on board...

  • ...and IME firmware untouched

  • ...but IME firmware stripped down

    ZC-X230, ZC-X230t, ZC-T430, ZC-T430s, ...

  • ...but IME firmware deleted

    ZC-X200, ZC-T400, ...

Please read The Intel Management Engine: an attack on computer users' freedom by Denis GNUtoo Carikli and Molly de Blanc in order to get precise details.

ZC-X200

This machine is very common when it comes to delete proprietary blobs in the BIOS chip. It runs blobfree, however the Intel Manageability Engine (IME) architecture still is on board and we don't know exactly about its hardcoded capabilities.

ZC-T400

Same as ZC-X200, but socketed CPU, integrated disk slot, touch-pad, more ports, stereo speakers, etc...

ZC-T60

This is an old laptop that still is very interesting for it offers modern 64bit support while lacking the annoying IME architecture:

[...] many Intel computers manufactured in 2006 have the ancestor of the Management Engine which is disabled from the start, such as the Lenovo Thinkpads X60, X60s, X60 Tablet and T60, and many more. — Denis GNUtoo Carikli Contributions (Source)

If you have a strong stance on trust rather than performance, use this machine.

ZC-X230

Very performant laptop with dual core processor, two threads per core; IME firmware is not yet deleted but stripped down with ME_Cleaner. Note the heads project may run on this type of machine to gain improved security, but we haven't tried it, yet.

ZC-X230 with Qubes R4.0

Zerocat’s Coreboot Configuration has been adjusted to provide the GRUB2.02 Bootloader with full authentication support, chainloading SeaBIOS as a secondary payload to allow for booting the Qubes R4.0 OS Installer from CD or USB-Stick.

Ethical Qualities

These machines gain ethical qualities, as the power of manufacturers and users is balanced by:

• usage of free licensed Coreboot firmware
• no usage (or usage of a reduced set) of proprietary binary blobs
• no usage (or usage of a reduced set) of IME’s proprietary firmware
• usage of Zerocat’s toolchain scripts and their free documentation
• usage of Zerocat’s RYF-Certified Chipflasher

Feel free to review or reproduce this approach and get convinced about its integrity.

Development and Testing

Since development of the true free-design chipflasher is still active, these machines are continued to be flashed for testing purposes. Please support the development with your hardware in case you can spare it.

Devices of Special Interest

Lenovo ThinkPad X1, X200s, X201, X220, T400s, T420, T430, T430s, T530, W530, T440p, T500, T520 and IBM ThinkPad T60 with Intel or ATI GPU

Shops

Flash services as well as ready made laptops are offered for purchase in Zerocat’s Online Shop. If no related sales page is available, feel free to request one.

Of course, this context suggests to mention shops like Minifree.org, TechnoEthical.com, and Store.Vikings.net as these are offering again refurbished but RYF certified Libreboot devices.

Another valuable source of information in german language is whiteboxdev.de, which has a shop for a selected set of ThinkPads running Coreboot firmware and the Qubes OS, for instance.