How do i flash Coreboot onto my Sony VPCCB17FG?

hd_scania · 07-05-2020, 11:21 PM

As of Sony no longer had BIOS upgrades for the laptop since 2012, so unable to install any UEFI managers, and currently installed ones are at NONE working
First of all, what are the ESP, EFI system partition roles for legacy systems, said from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BIOS_boot_partition? And how to get my ESP working over my BIOS_GRUB partition?
If those are all failed i then need to flash Coreboot for my laptop, but unfortunately there aren't any Coreboot wikies or docs for Sony laptops, but does this mean Sony laptops are NOT YET supported for Coreboot?

michaelk · 07-06-2020, 08:06 PM

Does not look like Sony devices are supported.

https://coreboot.org/status/board-status.html

With a legacy MBR formatted hard drive there are no ESP/EFI system partition roles.

If you are going to use a GPT formatted hard drive you need a BIOS boot partition. However, some legacy BIOS do have problems booting a GPT partitioned hard drive so if you end up trying and it does not work then go back to a MBR formatted drive.

The basic limitation to the legacy MBR is 2 TB max size for the hard drive.

hd_scania · 07-06-2020, 08:17 PM

But my one is an GPT scheme with BIOS boot partition under legacy BIOS (normally booting at all), so how does ESP work for this situation?

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelk

If you are going to use a GPT formatted hard drive you need a BIOS boot partition. However, not all legacy motherboards are capable of booting to a GPT partition hard drive so if you end up trying and it does not work then go back to a MBR formatted drive.
The basic limitation to the legacy MBR is 2 TB max size for the hard drive.

michaelk · 07-06-2020, 08:30 PM

I have not actually tried but the Arch Wiki has instructions.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php...c_instructions

hd_scania · 07-09-2020, 03:51 AM

Below are my details about my i7 cores and the BIOS, if Coreboot is NOT mainboard independent is my laptop mainboard capable for Coreboot?
On the other hand if Coreboot IS opposedly mainboard anarchy are my cores capable too?

Code:

$ sudo smbios-sys-info
Libsmbios version:      2.4.3
Product Name:           VPCCB17FG
Vendor:                 Sony Corporation
BIOS Version:           R0242V2
System ID:              Could not determine System ID.
Service Tag:            27538883-7000615
Express Service Code:   0
Asset Tag:              N/A
Property Ownership Tag: 
$ sudo smbios-sys-info-lite
Libsmbios:    2.4.3
Error getting the System ID:    unknown error.
Service Tag:  27538883-7000615
Express Service Code: 172273558179
Asset Tag:  N/A
Product Name: VPCCB17FG
BIOS Version: R0242V2
Vendor:       Sony Corporation
Is Dell:      0
OEM String 1: 1034672416H
OEM String 2: FNC-EXTB
OEM String 3: A3FM35fUNkXWM5fUw61WMbxgw61QGtpXnOcj1QNkXWO5fUwkXW
OEM String 4: Reserved
OEM String 5: 7.0.4.1197
$ neofetch|grep -ie i7
CPU: Intel i7-2620M (4) @ 3.400GHz 
$ screenfetch|grep -ie i7
CPU: Intel Core i7-2620M @ 4x 3.4GHz [72.0°C]
$

michaelk · 07-09-2020, 06:15 AM

In general the UEFI/BIOS is unique to each motherboard manufacture. This makes it difficult to port the firmware to existing hardware unless the manufacture is willing to provide that information to the coreboot project.

hd_scania · 07-09-2020, 07:04 AM

And for the FINAL gens of legacy BIOS laptops (from their DEBUT years), UEFI has likely been brought to you by the OEMs' BIOS upgrades.
A good news is, Intel has CEASED legacy BIOS since this year, proposed in 2017, you just enjoy pure UEFI.
AMD is going to cease (unsure if having ceased too) legacy BIOS too these years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelk

In general the UEFI/BIOS is unique to each motherboard manufacture. This makes it difficult to port the firmware to existing hardware unless the manufacture is willing to provide that information to the coreboot project.

hazel · 07-09-2020, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hd_scania

But my one is an GPT scheme with BIOS boot partition under legacy BIOS (normally booting at all), so how does ESP work for this situation?

You will need to create an EFI system partition on your hard drive. This is quite separate from your existing BIOS boot partition (which is for legacy boots only). Unlike BIOS Boot, it doesn't have to be the first partition. It can be anywhere. You can create it using gparted; it has a special ESP partition type. You also need to put a vfat filesystem on it.

Then you install GRUB, specifying that you want to install to this partition rather than the whole disk. And finally, you use efibootmgr to set GRUB on this partition to be your first boot choice.

hd_scania · 07-10-2020, 06:15 AM

And i HAVE HAD an EFI system partition in vfat numbered /dev/sda1 just by having upgraded the SSD to GPT scheme. Having an ESP in vfat but my actual boot processes are always getting this ignored somewhy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazel

You will need to create an EFI system partition on your hard drive. This is quite separate from your existing BIOS boot partition (which is for legacy boots only). Unlike BIOS Boot, it doesn't have to be the first partition. It can be anywhere. You can create it using gparted; it has a special ESP partition type. You also need to put a vfat filesystem on it.
Then you install GRUB, specifying that you want to install to this partition rather than the whole disk. And finally, you use efibootmgr to set GRUB on this partition to be your first boot choice.