Libreboot is a coreboot distribution — just as Debian is a Linux distribution — providing fully free (libre) boot firmware for x86 and ARM systems. It replaces proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware, initializing hardware and starting your operating system. Linux and BSD operating systems are well supported.

Coreboot provides essential hardware initialization and then jumps to a payload program that boots your OS. Libreboot provides several payloads including, but not limited to, U-Boot, SeaBIOS and GRUB. Firmware images are provided pre-compiled, for ease of installation.

Libreboot began in 2013 and, as of September 2025, is an official Associated Project of Software in the Public Interest (SPI), joining long-established Free Software initiatives such as Debian. This talk will be presented by Leah Rowe, Libreboot’s founder and lead developer.

Firmware freedom is more critical than ever as we increasingly depend on computing, for participation in every aspect of civil society. Proprietary firmware endangers privacy, ownership, and repairability. Libreboot ensures that users truly control their hardware — protecting both user freedom and hardware longevity — while promoting a sustainable culture of hardware reuse.

Libreboot provides faster boot speeds, better security, and greater flexibility than typical proprietary firmware. Libreboot continues to provide updates — including security updates — long after vendors have dropped official support. The project’s philosophy is simple: you should keep using your hardware until you decide otherwise. Planned obsolescence is only a lack of imagination. Unlike the vendors, we will not try to control the users; our goal is to set you free!

This talk will trace Libreboot’s long-term development history, its current progress, and its future roadmap. This talk will also include a live demonstration showing how easy and affordable it is for non-technical users to build and install Libreboot via automation. Libreboot makes free firmware accessible, practical, and even fun, empowering even non-technical users to take back control.

At the time of this talk, Libreboot 25.12 (December 2025) also includes a Tianocore UEFI payload and extensive new hardware support — including hundreds of Chromebooks, several Intel Alder Lake platforms, and numerous Kaby Lake and Skylake ThinkPads. These additions, the result of sustained work throughout 2024 and 2025, mark a major expansion of Libreboot’s scope and capability.

Libreboot’s main code repositories are hosted at: https://codeberg.org/libreboot

Libreboot’s SPI association provides fiscal sponsorship, ensuring transparent management and legal protection for the project. Libreboot also receives corporate support from Minifree Ltd, operated by Leah Rowe, which provides computers pre-installed with Libreboot firmware.

Libreboot is a community project and we welcome every new contributor. Join us on Libera IRC (#libreboot) or via our SourceHut mailing list to participate.