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diff --git a/Documentation/index.md b/Documentation/index.md index d205151292..7ba88f30ef 100644 --- a/Documentation/index.md +++ b/Documentation/index.md @@ -139,6 +139,45 @@ Every now and then, coreboot is present in one way or another at [conferences](community/conferences.md). If you're around, come and say hello! +## Blob policy in the coreboot project + +The goal of the coreboot project is to provide a FOSS firmware solution across +multiple CPU architectures, such as ARM, x86, and RISC-V. While fully open +source implementations for these architectures are encouraged and preferred, +we understand that a fully open implementation whereby every firmware component +is available as source code for modern platforms is not always feasible. +Different reasons inhibit the availability of fully open implementations, +including limited development resources, 3rd party license constraints of +IP blocks, or a legacy mindset of the silicon vendors. + +It is important for the coreboot project to have support for modern CPU +platforms in order to provide a viable alternative for proprietary firmware +implementations. We do not have direct control over how hardware vendors design +their products, however we can provide an attractive alternative to the +expensive and complicated proprietary firmware model that exists today. +For modern platforms, we are largely dependent on the silicon +vendor to provide additional information on how to properly initialize the +hardware, as the required datasheets are often only available with an NDA. +Therefore, one possible way to have coreboot support for the latest platforms +is binary code (aka, a blob) provided by the silicon vendor. While we do +discourage this solution, it can be a door opener for coreboot’s support of a +given platform and thus keep coreboot functional on modern platforms. It is +clearly not the goal of the project to accept every blob a silicon vendor wishes +to use without question. On the contrary, each new blob needs to be examined +critically by the community, evaluating the need, risk, and alternative options. + +Wherever possible, introducing new blobs should be avoided. That said, there +can be situations where a piece of code provided as a blob will enable the rest +of the fully open source firmware stack on a brand new platform. If blocking +this blob would lead to no support at all for the platform in question in +coreboot, this situation needs to be examined carefully. While these kinds +of discussion will be coordinated closely with the community (e.g. on the +mailing list or dedicated meetings), ultimately it is up to the leadership to +decide if there is no agreement between the community and the vendor pushing for +the new blob. This decision will be communicated on the mailing list. +Please see additionally +[coreboot binary policy](https://github.com/coreboot/blobs/blob/master/README.md). + ## Getting the source code coreboot is primarily developed in the |