Now we will walk through building Coreboot from scratch. We will first install the required tools, then download Coreboot’s source code, build its toolchain, configure it for your mainboard, and finally compile it into a ROM file you can flash.
To build and install Flashprog, follow these steps
Generate the roms list
Why Coreboot?
Before we can flash Coreboot internally on a ThinkPad, we need to make sure the BIOS version is vulnerable enough to be overwritten.
External flashing is sometimes necessary instead of internal flashing. The main reasons are:
Flashing firmware always carries some risk.
Now that we have installed Libreboot, set up flashprog, and prepared our Raspberry Pi Pico as an SPI programmer, we are finally ready to flash the BIOS. Before we dive into the steps, I want to emphasize the importance of making a backup copy of your current BIOS. This way, if anything goes wrong during the flashing process, you will have a copy of the original BIOS that you can restore.
We created this guide specifically for installing Libreboot on Lenovo ThinkPad models with an SOIC8 (8-pin) BIOS chip. To get started, you'll need the following equipment:
Why Libreboot?
Coreboot supports a range of Lenovo ThinkPad models. In most cases, it has to be installed externally, which means opening the laptop and using a hardware flashing tool. However, some models allow internal installation, making the process much simpler since it can be done entirely through software.
Before flashing Coreboot internally, it’s important to understand the security protections built into the BIOS and how older versions can be exploited to bypass them.
Once Libreboot is already installed, you can update to new releases through internal flashing, without needing to disassemble your laptop again.