Re: [qubes-users] Re: Lenovo G505S Coreboot
On Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at 7:08:37 AM UTC, qma ster wrote: > Hi there Friend ! What 8 cells battery you have got, and from which seller? > It is either your battery needs a few power cycles to get to its' full > performance, > or maybe you have received a battery with the different power cells > (not SANYO) : > e.g. your original battery was SANYO but that new 8cells could be SMP ? :P > > If you would look at the PDF Hardware Maintenance Manual for Lenovo G505S > laptop > (easily found online, contains many FRU replacement parts > descriptions/IDs, useful) > you will see that - even for the official G505S batteries, there were > three manufacturers: > Sanyo, LG, SMP (Simplo). According to some tests, Sanyo are much > better than SMP/LG. > > Please look at the attached picture - it contains a small review of > the battery cells (could be expanded) > > my 8cells battery is Sanyo, and its almost twice longer battery life! > Mike result is ~1.5x longer, > but he haven't told me who made his cells, or I forgot what he has > replied to me and couldnt find. > Guess its a bit of a lottery... If your battery would not perform > better after a few power cycles, > you could try getting another 8 cells battery, preferably from another > seller - for a higher chance > that these batteries would be from the different batches with the > different internals - and we will see > > However, if you would look through this guide above, there are some > more worthy investments: > in example, AR9462 wireless network adapter from ath9k family - does > not need the binary blobs, > runs on 100% open source and supports 2.4GHz/5GHz and even Bluetooth, > works fine even at the > Stallman-endorsed Linux distros. Ideally, batteries should be bought > after you have got everything else. > By the way, 2-3 times per year you could get 10-20% off AliExpress > coupons for a great real discount > > Retyped table from the attached image (so that it will be searchable > through the Internet) : > Thanks for all the info! I bought my battery from some random seller on eBay and it was disappointing initially but seems better after a few cycles. I may check out your recommended ones anyway. I did many of the other recommended upgrades already, including replacing the thermal paste, the WiFi adapter and upgrading to 16gb of Patriot Viper RAM and an SSD. I'm very happy with my current setup thanks to you and others. One question I have is regarding boot time for 4.0. Is it several minutes long for you on coreboot/Qubes 4.0? I also get a Failed to Load Kernel Modules message early on in Qubes boot if that matters. Once it's up and running, things run smoothly. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "qubes-users" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to qubes-users+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to qubes-users@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/qubes-users/a7dfba15-9558-48bf-a2f8-452b98ba45cd%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [qubes-users] Re: Lenovo G505S Coreboot
Among other suggestions, I added an 8-cell battery to my G505s. What kind of battery life are people getting with these? Mine seems hardly better than the OEM 4-cell. Just wondering if I got a bum battery or if the improvement isn't really that significant. Thanks again to everyone for helping me get my G505s up and going with coreboot and for all the useful info on recommended upgrades here. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "qubes-users" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to qubes-users+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to qubes-users@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/qubes-users/0b9d5ae8-6650-47de-9de1-1d520e7b77d5%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [qubes-users] Re: Lenovo G505S Coreboot
On Sunday, April 1, 2018 at 10:20:29 AM UTC-5, awokd wrote: > On Sun, April 1, 2018 2:53 pm, qubesthrowa...@gmail.com wrote: > >> 1) Erase a BIOS chip and flash it with coreboot - > >> http://dangerousprototypes.com/docs/Flashing_a_BIOS_chip_with_Bus_Pirat > >> e . For a BIOS image you could either: > > > > I decided to use your prebuilt rom and flashed it successfully on my > > G505s last night. Afterwards, I began the Qubes 4.0 installation. It > > installed fine, but following the restart it freezes while setting up the > > Template VMs. I waiting several hours to verify that it was indeed > > frozen. I restarted and tried setup again and it keeps freezing at > > various points (Fedora Template, Debian Template, Whonix). I then tried > > a fresh reinstall but that yielded the same result. > > > > I'm currently in the process of downloading 4.0 again and I'll try the > > install on a different usb stick. Is there anything else that I might > > try to make this work? Thanks for any assistance. > > If you're referring to the rom from Qmaster's post from a year ago, it > doesn't contain the microcode update needed to run 4.0. See > https://review.coreboot.org/22843? . There are some more notes > http://dangerousprototypes.com/docs/Lenovo_G505S_hacking, but be warned > it's still pretty rough. I can help you build your own Coreboot image with > the patch or if you trust anonymous strangers bearing gifts, send you the > one I built for myself. Let me know if you need either! I'd love to try your prebuilt one! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "qubes-users" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to qubes-users+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to qubes-users@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/qubes-users/50f8866d-849d-4bad-806a-9cafa8c62d68%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [qubes-users] Re: Lenovo G505S Coreboot
> 1) Erase a BIOS chip and flash it with coreboot - > http://dangerousprototypes.com/docs/Flashing_a_BIOS_chip_with_Bus_Pirate . > For a BIOS image you could either: I decided to use your prebuilt rom and flashed it successfully on my G505s last night. Afterwards, I began the Qubes 4.0 installation. It installed fine, but following the restart it freezes while setting up the Template VMs. I waiting several hours to verify that it was indeed frozen. I restarted and tried setup again and it keeps freezing at various points (Fedora Template, Debian Template, Whonix). I then tried a fresh reinstall but that yielded the same result. I'm currently in the process of downloading 4.0 again and I'll try the install on a different usb stick. Is there anything else that I might try to make this work? Thanks for any assistance. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "qubes-users" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to qubes-users+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to qubes-users@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/qubes-users/00a0dca6-69a6-4322-91b9-105db0c33470%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [qubes-users] Re: Lenovo G505S Coreboot
On Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at 4:52:33 PM UTC-5, awokd wrote: > > Could you please trim emails when you reply? It was hard to find your > questions in all that text! > Sorry about not trimming the original! > > I'm not sure you could fit one in there, the hole is only big enough for > half-height mini-PCIe cards. > Okay. I found some half mini PCIe SSD but it appears to just use SATA interface and probably not worth losing WiFi. > > Not sure on this one; Coreboot can be picky on memory timings. Might have > to dig in to the source code to see if that is supported, if nobody else > knows. > Good to know. > Welcome! Some of us G505s users are putting together a page with tips on > Coreboot and Qubes, but I'm not sure where it will end up yet. That would be amazing and much appreciated. This seems like a great hardware choice for running Qubes. I have the tools and have flashed a BIOS chip before so I feel okay about that part, but building the coreboot file is going to stretch me a bit. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "qubes-users" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to qubes-users+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to qubes-users@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/qubes-users/bcc0c21d-ce90-4e2d-8c61-6594826a89b8%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [qubes-users] Re: Lenovo G505S Coreboot
On Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 7:28:12 AM UTC-6, qma ster wrote: > четверг, 19 января 2017 г., 12:16:12 UTC+3 пользователь qmast...@gmail.com > написал: > > четверг, 19 января 2017 г., 7:08:46 UTC+3 пользователь Asterysk написал: > > > On Thursday, 19 January 2017 03:04:32 UTC+4, tai...@gmx.com wrote: > > > > As always physical access is a checkmate situation, you need to not be > > > > an idiot and don't leave your stuff in overseas hotel rooms or not have > > > > secure locks on your door. > > > > > > Unless USB port seals (e.g. > > > http://www.padjack.com/padjack-versions/usb-port-lock/) are put in place > > > as soon as the laptop is removed from the manufacturers box it is > > > impossible to know whether someone has installed a device that has in > > > turn infected firmware. A similar situation for any DMA access ports > > > (Thunderbolt etc) > > > > > > I'm interested in being able to take a possibly infected laptop (i.e. > > > infected with firmware malware) and reset it to a known safe starting > > > point. Coreboot seems to handle the BIOS (thank you for clarification > > > that it completely rewrite legacy and UEFI). Replacing the HD with a new > > > SSD should handle that firmware attack vector. That leaves the other > > > EEPROMS. > > > > > > I figure, if I'm going to strip down my G505S to reflash with Coreboot, I > > > should see what other EEPROMs I can reflash. > > > > > > Apart from the obvious RAM and SSD upgrade and possible putting switches > > > on peripherals, are there any other hardware mods you can suggest for the > > > G505S. > > > > > > Having sorted out the hardware, I am then going to be looking to use > > > Qubes to protect against any attempts to reflash through Malware and > > > after thats done, I'll be looking for ways to detect that any attack is > > > being attempted. > > > > > > All in all I think I've got about a years work ahead ! > > > > To reduce the number of "EEPROMs" you could disconnect: a touch pad, DVD > > drive, web camera ; Maybe also a small board with LS-9901P part number > > (dont confuse with LA-9901P), see its' google pictures online - and > > according to G505S laptop's LA-A091P motherboard datasheet (which also > > contains a datasheet for laptop's smaller boards) this board has a Realtek > > chip for card reader. By the way, you could either find out what lines of > > flex cable the card reader is using, and install a custom jumper on them ; > > or maybe get a flex cable with the same number of pins / same pitch between > > them , find (from datasheet?) what lines that lonely USB port is using to > > get to Bolton-M3 FCH, get a USB female header and solder a custom adapter > > which adds only a USB port to laptop (so no card reader chip). Probably the > > hardest thing to do is to disconnect a web camera - you will need to tear > > down a screen which is quite risky. BTW screen also contains the internal > > reprogrammable memory (e.g. for storing EDID), and a malicious firmware > > could cause screen to transfer information through electromagnetic impulses > > (TEMPEST? - http://www.surasoft.com/articles/tempest.php ) > > > > Actually it is possible to remove a motherboard with CPU, CPU Fan, > > Heatsink, Power Jack Wire, and Power Button Board attached (could make a > > custom power button adapter with huge convenient buttons!) and create a > > custom case for all this stuff. If you are lucky you could find someone > > selling a used G505S with broken screen for very cheap price, and do that. > > This way you avoid webcam, screen, dvd drive, touchpad, card reader chip, > > and internal keyboard (see below why) > > > > Maybe don't need to seal the USB ports yet: it not just seriously reducing > > the usability of this laptop, but also makes it impossible to connect a USB > > keyboard. Maybe you would prefer that, when you type, your keystrokes are > > going through external keyboard's USB controller, rather than through > > laptop's Embedded Controller KB9012 which has a closed source firmware and > > controls PS/2-like laptop's internal keyboard. You could make your own open > > hardware USB keyboard with open source firmware, and using it will be > > slightly safer (and slightly less convenient) than laptop's internal one > > > > Also, another possible hardware mod (not related to security) - instead of > > DVD drive you could install a fan for extra cooling, see > > http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/10mm-5v-cooler-instead-of-laptops-dvd-slimline-sata.797064/ > > . Although dont know if it worth it, because some really great external > > USB coolers are available - > > https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mini-LCD-Vacuum-USB-Cooler-Air-Extracting-Cooling-Fan-Turbo-Radiator-Low-Noise-Desgin-for-Laptop/32231641439.html > > Please read a message above... If we are talking about the motherboard, main > board of this laptop : aside from 4MB BIOS flash chip and 128KB EC KB9012's >
