Coreboot Training Course

1. Introduction to Coreboot

• Defining Coreboot: An overview
• Comparative analysis of BIOS, UEFI, and Coreboot
• Examining Coreboot’s architecture and design philosophy
• Evaluating the benefits and constraints of open-source firmware
• Reviewing supported platforms and hardware compatibility

2. Getting Started with Coreboot

• Configuring the development environment
• Installing necessary tools and dependencies
• Navigating the Coreboot source code repository
• Comprehending the compilation and build workflow
• Utilizing official documentation and community resources

3. Understanding the Coreboot Source Tree

• Analyzing directory structures and project organization
• Reviewing primary configuration files
• Exploring board-specific implementations
• Handling mainboard, chipset, CPU, and SoC support
• Managing configurations via Kconfig and menuconfig

4. Configuring and Building Coreboot

• Identifying the target platform
• Tuning firmware options for optimal performance
• Selecting and configuring payloads
• Compiling a Coreboot image
• Validating build outputs
• Adhering to best practices in firmware configuration

5. Testing Coreboot with QEMU

• Foundations of firmware emulation
• Executing Coreboot within QEMU
• Verifying the integrity of the boot process
• Diagnosing and resolving startup anomalies
• Safely testing configuration modifications

6. Firmware Components and Boot Process

• Stages of Coreboot initialization
• The ROM stage
• The RAM stage
• Mechanisms for resource allocation
• Payload loading procedures
• An overview of the complete boot flow
• Deep dive into CBFS (Coreboot File System)

7. Payloads and Bootloaders

• Defining payloads and their role
• Integration with SeaBIOS
• Working with U-Boot
• Overview of Tianocore/EDK II
• Criteria for selecting the appropriate payload
• Booting operating systems via Coreboot

8. Coreboot in Practice

• Coreboot’s role in ChromeOS
• Applications in embedded systems
• Use cases for servers and workstations
• Assessing security advantages
• Performance considerations and optimizations
• Strategies for firmware updates

9. Troubleshooting and Debugging

• Interpreting Coreboot logs
• Debugging via serial console
• Addressing common build errors
• Resolving hardware compatibility challenges
• Recovery procedures after failed firmware flashes
• Leveraging useful debugging tools and techniques

10. Hands-on Lab and Summary

• Practical session: Building a Coreboot image
• Testing firmware functionality in QEMU
• Modifying basic configurations
• Analyzing boot logs
• Recap of key concepts
• Q&A Session
• Identifying next steps and additional learning resources