[Trisquel-users] GNU/Linux installation on libreboot machines

[i***@protonmail.com]

Hello everyone!

I just received my first librebooted machine, the X200 Thinkpad. Thank you
vikings!

It has Trisquel 8 installed, with full disk encryption, ready to go. I'm
enjoying the great keyboard on this thing right now as I type. Feels great to
finally own this!

Since this is the first time I ever held a machine with libreboot in my
hands, I have some questions.

1. How much of a hit does performance take with full disk encryption? My past
experiences show that performance does take a very significant hit when
encrypting /home. But maybe I was doing it wrong? My new X200 feels really
fast and responsive, but I didn't try anything more demanding than using
abrowser yet...


2. How difficult is it to install a GNU/Linux on the X200 with libreboot? I
read the documentation on libreboot.org and it mentions typing in commands in
the grub menu, and manually creating a grub configuration after install to
get a bootmenu and prevent manually typing boot commands each time. Is that
actually required for all machines with libreboot?

[a***@disroot.org]

1. I use full disk encryption since a while now and I would say it is not
significant. Since I'm using a SSD, this is very hard to see a difference. It
depends on the cipher algorithm you use I guess. (I use serpent-xts)

2. It is very easy. Libreboot (coreboot) only init the hardware then switch
to a payload, GRUB, which sits on the flashchip rather than on your hard
drive. It includes a grub.cfg (grub config) which allows to boot from your
hard drive, a usb key, a cdrom etc.. This file can be tweaked to allow more
configuration.
You don't need to install GRUB actually (since it is already there, on the
flashchip) but for pratical reason, you can still install it on your hard
drive. (For example, if you need to boot your OS on a other computer) -> When
you start your x200, GRUB (payload) will locate the second GRUB (installed on
your hard drive) and it will boot normally.

Unless you are configuring full disk encryption, you don't have anything to
tweak, just install GNU/Linux normally.

[i***@protonmail.com]

thank you for the detailed answer! I think I might try a re-install in the
future. The worst that can happen is, I'll have to re-format all the drives
and lose all data, right?

[a***@disroot.org]

Since your Trisquel 8 installation is fully encrypted, a Trisquel reinstall
or installation of an other distro implies to fully format the drive.
So indeed you will lose the data on it. ;)
it will not touch the grub.cfg file (the one in the coreboot filesystem in
the flashchip) since you need to use various tools to tweak it (namely
flashrom to extract the rom and "cbfstool" to show the content in the
coreboot filesystem where grub.cfg resides) so no worries here.

I don't know what you want to achieve ? A standard clean installation
unencrypted ? Or with full disk encryption like the one vikings set up ? For
the latter, it might implies to tweak the grub.cfg file a little. Maybe
vikings are using a custom grub.cfg, better ask them directly.
If you have an hard drive laying around, you can also switch the hard drive
and try to install the distro of your choice until you're feeling
confortable.

[i***@protonmail.com]

My goal was initially to have different partitions for / and /home, and
install with the KDE environment. I did check "no operating system" when
ordering, but somehow I got a X200 with Trisuqel 8 installed. I actually have
a spare SSD laying around, which I definitely can practice on.

But right now it seems I did something wrong with the docking station, the
notebook has gone into some hibernate state and I can't wake it up anymore :P
The screen remains black but the notebook seems to be running (I can hear an
extremely quiet fan running). The inidicator LED on the X200 also seems to
show that it is turned on. But the screen is black, can't do anything about
it. Can't turn it off too, when I turn it off it just powers back on
instantly. It beeps when removed from the docking station and keeps beeping
until the notebook is put back on the dock...

[a***@disroot.org]

Mmh. I have a docking station for my x200 but I don't use it much. I'm not
sure hibernation is fully working with Libreboot. I would disable it
entirely.

[i***@protonmail.com]

Sleep and hibernate don't work, sad but true. Have to keep the lid open even
when the X200 sits on the dock, which really looks stupid on my table
(otherwise the machine boots normally, only to end up in sleep mode right
after login, even though I disabled sleep and hibernate as far as I can
tell).

Thanks for the suggestion with customized resume variable, I'll be able to
reinstall in about two weeks when I'll be having more spare time.