Best libre desktop computer 2024 | Coreboot, Libreboot, Gnuboot

carlosgonz · January 25, 2026, 9:26pm

Mesa v25.3.3

Still not Gnu Vulkan on ppc. However i will do a new retest soon.

However Gnu Vulkan still on v1.3.328 on x86, however Gnu Vulkan v1.4.3 still not yet as maxwell 1.0 support it, i hope to get Gnu Vulkan v1.4.3.x in Mesa 26

========
GPU0:
	apiVersion         = 1.3.328
	driverVersion      = 25.3.3
	vendorID           = 0x10de
	deviceID           = 0x1381
	deviceType         = PHYSICAL_DEVICE_TYPE_DISCRETE_GPU
	deviceName         = NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (NVK GM107)
	driverID           = DRIVER_ID_MESA_NVK
	driverName         = NVK
	driverInfo         = Mesa 25.3.3-1
	conformanceVersion = 1.4.3.0
	deviceUUID         = 1701de10-8113-0000-0100-000100000000
	driverUUID         = c4402fa1-e69a-f474-a0c2-6f944eae94a8

Nvidia maxwell 1.0 it the only gpu to get Vulkan mainstream without Linux BLOBs.

budullanza · February 1, 2026, 6:50am

Meanwhile I wait my asus kgpe-d16 which is still “flying” from China I have found this interested project.

https://libre.debian.net/

For ppc5 BE there is this discussion with the (sad) state about this architecture

https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/suse-opensuse-60/status-of-tumbleweed-ppc64-not-ppc64le-port-4175730025/page2.html

carlosgonz · February 1, 2026, 7:17am

Yes Intel,amd and opensource is killing Big Endian.

I still cant get gpu accelerator either a ppcbe full browser, however today i got a good advance, i hope tomorrow i got Gles2,3 and vpu.

Just now it is 2:AM but i wanted to continue…working.on PowerPC but too late despite i know my brain full unlock all power after 2am but postponed for tomorrow.
I guess that noise and light block my brain performance to kill Bugs..

I love PowerPC even as strict-mode compared to lazy-mode x86

carlosgonz · February 7, 2026, 10:22pm

Still i can not get GPU Accel on PPC64BE because i on OpenGL,NIR 4.6 enablements for Power5, however does on PPC64LE. Recently Gnu Trisque 12 enabled Vulkan for Libre Vulkan GPUs, so i still not tested if work on PPC64LE, last i tryed via backporting do not worked vulkan for ppc64le.

So this massive troubleshooting about, help to me to understand better the 16 gpu pipeline on L5 to super squeeze the 16 pipeline.

Also i started to building most expensive and super power(128 cores) opensil amd turin computer, it will long term, this time wanted that this compute to have 4 feet to bottom.

New Tyche scheme was out…

budullanza · February 11, 2026, 3:18pm

Meanwhile the package with mobo arrive (one ordered, one blocked somewhere with couriers) I add a device to list of device workings with gnu-libre-kernel

dmesg said

+0,074735] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: New device TerraTec Electronic GmbH Terratec G1 @ 480 Mbps (0ccd:10af, interface 0, class 0)
[ +0,000020] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: Video interface 0 found: isoc
[ +0,052619] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: chip ID is em2860
[ +0,110167] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: EEPROM ID = 1a eb 67 95, EEPROM hash = 0x9d3b7386
[ +0,000025] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: EEPROM info:
[ +0,000089] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: AC97 audio (5 sample rates)
[ +0,000006] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: 500mA max power
[ +0,000007] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: Table at offset 0x06, strings=0x1a6a, 0x3484, 0x0000
[ +0,063117] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: Identified as Terratec Grabby (card=67)
[ +0,000031] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: analog set to isoc mode.
[ +0,002206] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.1: audio device (0ccd:10af): interface 1, class 1
[ +0,000041] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.2: audio device (0ccd:10af): interface 2, class 1
[ +0,000066] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] usbcore: registered new interface driver em28xx
[ +0,135179] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: Registering V4L2 extension
[ +0,308870] [mer feb 11 16:12:12 2026] saa7115 10-0025: saa7113 found @ 0x4a (7-2:1.0)
[ +0,057229] [mer feb 11 16:12:13 2026] usbcore: registered new interface driver snd-usb-audio
[ +0,401407] [mer feb 11 16:12:13 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: Config register raw data: 0x50
[ +0,013590] [mer feb 11 16:12:13 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: AC97 vendor ID = 0x83847650
[ +0,007066] [mer feb 11 16:12:13 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: AC97 features = 0x6a90
[ +0,000024] [mer feb 11 16:12:13 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: Empia 202 AC97 audio processor detected
[ +1,312542] [mer feb 11 16:12:14 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: V4L2 video device registered as video0
[ +0,000021] [mer feb 11 16:12:14 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: V4L2 VBI device registered as vbi0
[ +0,000014] [mer feb 11 16:12:14 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: V4L2 extension successfully initialized
[ +0,000008] [mer feb 11 16:12:14 2026] em28xx: Registered (Em28xx v4l2 Extension) extension
[ +0,063690] [mer feb 11 16:12:14 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: Registering snapshot button…
[ +0,000343] [mer feb 11 16:12:14 2026] input: em28xx snapshot button as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:04.0/0000:03:00.0/usb7/7-2/7-2:1.0/input/input3
[ +0,000391] [mer feb 11 16:12:14 2026] em28xx 7-2:1.0: Remote control support is not available for this card.
[ +0,000006] [mer feb 11 16:12:14 2026] em28xx: Registered (Em28xx Input Extension) extension

budullanza · February 11, 2026, 3:20pm

List updated of hardware working or not with Libre gnu kernel

Changelog

02-11-2026: add TerraTec Electronic GmbH Terratec G1

CPU

AMD A10-Series A10 5800K A10 5800 (don’t work with gnu-boot as I know, works with some old version of coreboot (removed in the latest versions), no know about proprietary firmware needed, no amd psp

AMD Ryzen 3 3200G (avoid all ryzen serie, they had amd psp which is the “Intel me” of Amd, is impossible to disable it, no free bios support this cpu family atm (2025))

DVB-CARDS (dvb-s, dvb-c, dvb-t)

CINERGY TC2 Stick: id 0ccd:10b2, return a lot of errors, DON’T WORK, require non-free firmware dvb-usb-it9303-01.fw

TECHNOTREND TT-connect S2-4600 aka geniatech dvb-s2 with id 0b48:3011: DON’T WORK, the card is initialized, vdr start but no channel and no motor-dish steer, in few words: dont’t work, return this error message which mean this card has the driver free but the firmware proprietary!

m88ds3103 3-0068: firmware file ‘/(DEBLOBBED)/’ not found

Capture card (usb stick, capture with decent result from vhs, old cameras, etc..)

TerraTec Electronic GmbH Terratec G1: lsusb said Bus 007 Device 003: ID 0ccd:10af TerraTec Electronic GmbH Terratec G1

ETHERNET CARDS (PCI/USB)

Suceso Ethernet-1000Mbps USB aka Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8153 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter with id 0bda:8153 (works perfect, just plug and play, tested on kernel-gnu 6.14.11)

Amazon Basic Ethernet Adapter: Works perfect, no error messages at all, id: 0b95:1790 aka ASIX Electronics Corp. AX88179 Gigabit Ethernet

FS (ok is not hardware, but don’t make problems)

ZFS: a lot of users don’t like it because its license, but personally I consider it a great fs, compile fine and works with gnu-libre-kernel. The version used by Linux is open-zfs which is opensource (zfs official is a little different and has some obscure “oracleus” things)

GPU

[AMD/ATI] Caicos [Radeon HD 6450/7450/8450 / R5 230 OEM] (don’t work with gnu-libre, require a proprietary blob, the driver radeon is opensource, the firmware not, X11 don’t start)

Nvidia GP108 (138000a1) (don’t work with gnu-libre, require a proprietary blob, the driver nouveau is opensource, the firmware for this card not, X11 start but no 3d, and a lot of error messages in the log)

LAPTOPS

Dell Inspiron 3542/0FKWR5 (2014): no way to install gnu-boot, coreboot or other firmware, works fine with gnu-libre kernel, give only this error message, “3-1.6: Missing Free firmware (non-Free firmware loading is disabled)”, tested with version 6.17.5

IBM Thinkpad X60 (works with gnu-libre, gnu-boot) RECOMMENDED

NS5x_NS7xPU (works with dasharo firmware, not tested with other firmwares, expensive, possibility to disable Intel ME, not tested with gnu-libre)

Apple MacBook7,1/Mac-F22C89C8 (don’t work with any free firmware (gnu-boot, coreboot, libreboot) at 2025, works fine with libre-kernel except for integrated wifi, tested with version 6.17.5)

MOTHERBOARDS

Asrock B450M Pro4-F (don’t work with any free firmware (gnu-boot, coreboot, libreboot) at 2025, amd psp

Asrock HDV R4.0 (don’t work with any free firmware (gnu-boot, coreboot, libreboot) at 2025, amd psp

ASUS PRO B550M-C/CSM (don’t work with any free firmware (gnu-boot, coreboot, libreboot) at 2025

ASUS A88XM-E (works with Coreboot 4.18, support removed since 4.19, no amd psp)

ASUS F2A85-M (works with Coreboot 4.18, support removed since 4.19, no amd psp)

ASUS F2A85-M PRO (works with Coreboot 4.18, support removed since 4.19, no amd psp)

WORKSTATIONS/PC/SERVERS

HP Microserver NL40: Works all, except those devices (one is the Radeon VGA RS880M [Mobility Radeon HD 4225/4250], the cpu is very old and a little slow but is bug-free (no know hardware bugs like spectre and similar not-fixed), NO free bios available for this machine.

[ 3.396531] 2-3:1.0: Missing Free firmware (non-Free firmware loading is disabled)[ 21.940399] 0000:01:05.0: Missing Free firmware (non-Free firmware loading is disabled)[ 21.989491] 0000:01:05.0: Missing Free firmware (non-Free firmware loading is disabled)

IBM 9111-285 (works with gnu-libre, NO gnu-boot or other free bios, very outdated, slow but usable, cpu with serious hw bugs still not fixed, kernel 6.* is not recommended because can hang on boot), a notice: is very old hw, it belong to another era in which states don’t use amd psp, intel me and other shit to track users, so I think even without a libre firmware is more safe than more modern hardware with coreboot (and proprietary firmware loaded), PROBABLY!

biketool · February 11, 2026, 4:18pm

I really wish more was known about the AMD Platform Security Processor(PSP) and what it can really do, allegations it is mostly for DRM but a little CPU with DMA (shared system running RAM)access can do much good or bad. It would be useful to actually have full useful access to the PSP for watchdog-ing software or even watching out for malware. Some motherboards can allegedly switch PSP off in software post boot but it seems like most of the work is for the Intel CPU ME. Mostly because I prefer AMD.

budullanza · February 16, 2026, 2:03pm

Which motherboards can disable psp? I have read a lot of post about it but they had all one thing in common, nobody specify the exact name of board.

budullanza · February 16, 2026, 2:05pm

An interesting article

Personally I insist an open-bios is not sufficient

MUST be

open-bios
open-firmware
open-kernel

In the 2000’s they said (redhat) “Did you trust a car in which you cannot see the engine?” or something similar. A “semi-solution” is like a car in which you can see the engine but some parts are hidden.

biketool · February 17, 2026, 8:54am

I have read about Asus desktop mobos having the option in bios, though it is only disabled after booting up. Apparently it is involved in training memory and maybe parts of the CPU, if I recall correctly.

budullanza · February 17, 2026, 2:52pm

Yes, I believe you have read it, but I think was only “voices” without no proof wrote by others. “Asus desktop mobos” is really generic, is impossible to determine if is true or fake news, without a precise model to verify I think is a fake news.

carlosgonz · February 17, 2026, 3:37pm

Nvk vulkan just do not work on powerpc64le, so looks like i am the first one to reporting to mesa: Making sure you're not a bot!

I really hope that this fancy powerpc Tyche computer SAVE powerpcle-be software developments

I love PowerPC
X86 for microsoft WindowOS

sent from powerpc,raptor

carlosgonz · February 17, 2026, 6:48pm

I found the opensource-bug:

ca71056042@blackbird:~$ ls /usr/share/vulkan/icd.d/
gfxstream_vk_icd.json intel_icd.json lvp_icd.json radeon_icd.json virtio_icd.json

So Ubuntu base from Gnu Trisquel do not added: nouveau to mesa-vulkan ppc

biketool · February 17, 2026, 7:02pm

The PSP toggle is referred to in many forums and git bugs from ~2020-23 with some comments that it only disables higher level access, and only post UEFI, you can see the PSP toggle in a bios config screenshot in the wikipedia article AMD Platform Security Processor - Wikipedia

but this is interesting indeed!

and this well cited look into the difference between thr PSP and the ME plenty of great links off(Purism mention Woot!).

So I don’t love the PSP but it seems to just be the ARM trust zone hardware/software with some extensions, but this requires more study. Execution of onboard dirty tricks loaded via ‘evil maid or supply chain hacking’ seems to be possible even possibly network loadable if picked up via website or processed snippet in an email attachment or other network traffic considering it has DRM access but has no net stack unlike the IME Chapter 4 Basics: TrustZone-M | Embedded Systems Security and TrustZone I seems to mostly be about securely fencing VMs in safe sandboxes in server farms and has little use for consumers beyond perhaps DRM’ed media.

so that takes us back over to our Librem 5s and other ARM CPU gadgets, same deal as AMD it seems….

budullanza · February 17, 2026, 9:08pm

I already see the article on Wikipedia and the screenshot, but the precise model of motherboard is still missing. And without a precise model is impossible to determine if the possibility to disable psp is real or not, a screenshot can also be a fake or a “experiment” on some beta/private stuff.

carlosgonz · February 17, 2026, 9:13pm

X86

x-$ ls /usr/share/vulkan/icd.d/
asahi_icd.json gfxstream_vk_icd.json intel_hasvk_icd.json intel_icd.json lvp_icd.json nouveau_icd.json radeon_icd.json virtio_icd.json

As you can see nouveau it is on x86 mesa-vulkan but not on ppc.

I not sure why but GPUs work 50% more performance on PPC than X86.

biketool · February 17, 2026, 9:51pm

You are looking for a BIOS document from AMD or a motherboard maker re: a particular model or run of mo-bos? There is this about Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv4WPZFgtAk of course any video or document can be faked unless it is GPG signed by a proven known entity. It appears though that the PSP toggle option availability was short lived from around 2017 and around 2022-23 was possibly even rolled back in some firmware updates but that is also just from forum postings on the topic though there is also mention of EFI hacks to expose the option again leaving the question what toggling PSP off actually disables even if available since the PSP is a key part of the boot process unlike the IME.

ASRock AB350 Pro4 had the option in firmware AGESA 1.0.7.2 bios

budullanza · February 17, 2026, 10:09pm

Is a good news. A lot of people said Amd cannot boot without PSP. Waiting for Gnu-boot support for Ryzen atm

budullanza · February 20, 2026, 2:59pm

Finally motherboard arrive from China (35 days!), I have setup all correctly (I hope) but I cannot see anything on serial

speed is 19200 8n1

I have to boot with bios recovery first time?

Actually the system

a)turn on

b)fan works

c)no red lights or any sign of error

d)no output from serial

e)system shutdown correctly but no output of any kind (no serial. no vid)

EDIT: IT WORKS! I have tried to start it with coreboot 15th from git (rom with blobs and VGA because no serial output, I will try if serial works)

EDIT2: no output from serial, VGA works.

I have tried

Gnu-boot FAIL NO-VGA NO-SERIAL

Canoeboot FAIL NO-VGA NO-SERIAL

Coreboot new project from here VGA WORKS Serial no

biketool · February 20, 2026, 3:04pm

Those people appear to be correct, it is not documented outside of NDA need to know what level the bios toggle acts at, probably just disables the trusted computing functions, but the PSP does do things like train memory and other things before UEFI even gets started. AMD Platform Security Processor (PSP) Firmware Integration Guide — coreboot 25.12-53-gf24a2f35bf documentation