So, I’ve got a Librem13v4 that I’ve come back to after some time, and while it’s okay, we have reached the point where I’m going to be doing some tinkering with the hardware.
Are there any resources for hardware hacking on these that I can review before I crack open the case?
I know that I can probably suss things out once I’ve got it open on the bench, but I’d really rather be able to do some theorycraft stuff before I disassemble the little beast.
If nothing else, I’m probably going to be replacing the battery with something more substantial, then custom-fabricating a bottom plate to 1) fit the new battery and 2) not flex enough to cut power if I pick up the laptop in one hand (currently, if I lift the device in my right hand, the case flexes and I get a hard shutdown --logs show sudden power loss, which suggests that it’s actually moving enough that the battery traces actually lose the connection, which is an issue for a number of reasons).
There are a number of other updates/upgrades I’m looking to pursue, but they’d all be easier if I had, for example, the proper wiring diagram and a full, chip-by-chip spec sheet, which is not easily available by my usual channels of searching the mobo serial number (reported by sudo lshw using PureOS) on That Search Engine or on the Purism forums.
Any pointers appreciated.
Edit: any helpful pointers, such as links to known-good resources, personal experiences, and so on welcome. “Contact the manufacturer” as the only advice on an OSHW forum is tantamount to trolling.
I honestly can’t tell if this is a troll response, or just the level of ability and friendliness I should expect here.
I’m not being unreasonable in asking if anyone else knows about this, and considering that we’re de facto part of the OSHW community, engaging with the community about our hardware isn’t a big ask.
It’s cool if you don’t know, but why would you think this was worth saying?
I don’t disagree. That said, the Librem 13 is not OSHW and I don’t view Purism as an OSHW company. Frankly, the only device they make that comes close to OSHW is the Librem 5. It’s not truly OSHW because while the schematics are Open, they don’t (yet) provide the CAD hardware design files. That’s a requirement for OSHWA’s “Open Hardware” definition: Definition (English)
I don’t see what’s wrong with that response. Indeed, Librem 13 is Purism’s in-house device, so only they know all the details about it. There is quite few information online, especially considering that this device was sold for a relatively short time before it was discontinued.
We cannot share the schematics nor design currently because it is copyright encumbered from Intel reference designs. In the future, on future versions we plan to be able to release those.
I asked the team about this. The schematic would likely not fully answer this question, as both the L13 and L15 use proprietary EC firmware. Purism warns that the use of an alternative battery may exhibit unexpected behavior. As I’m sure you are aware, there is a lot of inherent risk when experimenting with batteries; a larger 3-cell smart battery might be sufficient but it might not, and is not something Purism would recommend gambling on.