Coreboot Training Course

1. Introduction to Coreboot

• Defining Coreboot
• Comparative analysis: BIOS, UEFI, and Coreboot
• Coreboot architecture and foundational design principles
• Benefits and constraints of open-source firmware
• Supported platforms and hardware compatibility

2. Getting Started with Coreboot

• Establishing the development environment
• Installing necessary tools and dependencies
• Navigating the Coreboot source code repository
• Gaining insight into the build process
• Accessing documentation and community resources

3. Understanding the Coreboot Source Tree

• Directory structure and project organization
• Key configuration files
• Board-specific implementations
• Support for mainboards, chipsets, CPUs, and SoCs
• Configuration via Kconfig and menuconfig

4. Configuring and Building Coreboot

• Choosing a target platform
• Setting firmware options
• Selecting and configuring payloads
• Generating a Coreboot image
• Validating build outputs
• Firmware configuration best practices

5. Testing Coreboot with QEMU

• Firmware emulation overview
• Running Coreboot in QEMU
• Verifying the boot sequence
• Troubleshooting startup issues
• Safely testing configuration modifications

6. Firmware Components and Boot Process

• Coreboot initialization stages
• The ROM stage
• The RAM stage
• Resource allocation
• Payload loading
• Overview of the boot flow
• Understanding CBFS (Coreboot File System)

7. Payloads and Bootloaders

• Definition of payloads
• SeaBIOS
• U-Boot
• Overview of Tianocore/EDK II
• Selecting the appropriate payload
• Booting operating systems with Coreboot

8. Coreboot in Practice

• Coreboot integration with ChromeOS
• Applications in embedded systems
• Use cases for servers and workstations
• Security advantages
• Performance implications
• Firmware update strategies

9. Troubleshooting and Debugging

• Interpreting Coreboot logs
• Serial console debugging techniques
• Addressing common build errors
• Resolving hardware compatibility issues
• Recovering from failed firmware flashes
• Useful debugging tools and techniques

10. Hands-on Lab and Summary

• Constructing a Coreboot image
• Testing the firmware in QEMU
• Modifying a basic configuration
• Analyzing boot logs
• Review of key concepts
• Questions and answers
• Next steps and additional learning resources