BIOS mods - Unlock everything?

[MrBeasterer]

Hello,

Let's start a project to Unlock everything in BIOS:

1. Booting and storage option ROMs:

- better USB booting detections to boot from more media
- Faster booting if it is possible to replace some code that improves the fastboot to initialize only the important devices from BIOS and offload the rest of initialization to the OS
- Boot from software RAIDs but most importantly boot from ReFS/NTFS storage spaces volumes
- Add UEFI to Legacy BIOS - Booting an efi file from HDD / Letting the already existing EFI (v1.x?), boot from HDD (as currently I think it's only for CD/DVD)
- Upgrade all the roms for all the onboard storage chips to enable trim in raid

2.

- Improve RAM detection with dissimilar modules, or improved memory training
- RAM overclocking or improved (slower) memory training to squeeze every little bit of performance from the RAM
- Unlock more RAM compatibility such as workstation modules ECC unbuffered or server modules ECC registered

3.
- CPU OC improvements beyond Intel specification, that focus on max turbo frequency that provides more voltage and more time to the max turbo
- undervolting and power efficiency optimizations especially to the lower CPU states

4
- Unlocking CPU and chipset unused features that Intel forgot to disable when they copied over stuff from products for server markets etc.
- Override CPU flags from BIOS such as Vt-d
- Unlock the possibility to set PCI-e speeds for each slot, for example to assign more PCI-e bandwidth to another slot, lock the first PCI-e x16 slot to x16 speed to avoid being reduced do x8 speed if there is anything in the other slot
- Unlock / add PCI-e bifurcation
- Enable running latest GPUs that require some stuff such as Resizable (Re-Size) BAR - no idea if this is possible but a workaround may be possible?

5.
- Rename and re-arrange BIOS options to make it more logical and tidy (currently it's weird because the manufacturer is using marketing words for technical things in the BIOS)


What do you think? Is it possible to make a modern BIOS Patcher ?

 

[MrBeasterer]

This should be an open-source project.

Does anyone have any idea on how to sponsor support and host such a project?

 

[R-T-B]

Look at UBU. It's the closest you are going to get. Too many trade secrets in bios land.

That's Universal Bios Updater, abreviated. Only works on intel platforms well tbh.

 

[MrBeasterer]

OK so one main application + the cheeky modules hosted somewhere similar to how Kodi is designed?

 

[İsmailTPC_Hastanesi]

Hello,

Let's start a project to Unlock everything in BIOS:

1. Booting and storage option ROMs:

- better USB booting detections to boot from more media
- Faster booting if it is possible to replace some code that improves the fastboot to initialize only the important devices from BIOS and offload the rest of initialization to the OS
- Boot from software RAIDs but most importantly boot from ReFS/NTFS storage spaces volumes
- Add UEFI to Legacy BIOS - Booting an efi file from HDD / Letting the already existing EFI (v1.x?), boot from HDD (as currently I think it's only for CD/DVD)
- Upgrade all the roms for all the onboard storage chips to enable trim in raid

2.

- Improve RAM detection with dissimilar modules, or improved memory training
- RAM overclocking or improved (slower) memory training to squeeze every little bit of performance from the RAM
- Unlock more RAM compatibility such as workstation modules ECC unbuffered or server modules ECC registered

3.
- CPU OC improvements beyond Intel specification, that focus on max turbo frequency that provides more voltage and more time to the max turbo
- undervolting and power efficiency optimizations especially to the lower CPU states

4
- Unlocking CPU and chipset unused features that Intel forgot to disable when they copied over stuff from products for server markets etc.
- Override CPU flags from BIOS such as Vt-d
- Unlock the possibility to set PCI-e speeds for each slot, for example to assign more PCI-e bandwidth to another slot, lock the first PCI-e x16 slot to x16 speed to avoid being reduced do x8 speed if there is anything in the other slot
- Unlock / add PCI-e bifurcation
- Enable running latest GPUs that require some stuff such as Resizable (Re-Size) BAR - no idea if this is possible but a workaround may be possible?

5.
- Rename and re-arrange BIOS options to make it more logical and tidy (currently it's weird because the manufacturer is using marketing words for technical things in the BIOS)


What do you think? Is it possible to make a modern BIOS Patcher ?

You specifically requested from me NVMe SSD BIOS MOD for Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4 (rev. 1.0) motherboard with Hardware Credentials PCI\VEN_1987&DEV_5019.
File Ready.

• Gigbayte GA-P55A-UD4(rev. 1.0)-NVME_M.2_SSD_BIOS_MOD

Once the update is complete, please let me know.
Also, share your results and evaluations with us to help other people as well.
Finally, you can support this by adding Images.
Thank you.

 

[meatwar]

Look at UBU. It's the closest you are going to get. Too many trade secrets in bios land.

That's Universal Bios Updater, abreviated. Only works on intel platforms well tbh.

Not true... Intel platform has just a little more support options in the tool, but AMD platform is also supported.
Right now the tool lacks full support for Intel 400 up / AMD 400 up
But totally agree with "It's the closest you are going to get"... this is not as simple as some users think of it.

 

[R-T-B]

Not true... Intel platform has just a little more support options in the tool, but AMD platform is also supported.
Right now the tool lacks full support for Intel 400 up / AMD 400 up
But totally agree with "It's the closest you are going to get"... this is not as simple as some users think of it.

I just meant intel had more options yeah.

 

[ShiBDiB]

This sounds more like a list of things you want but don't actually understand what it takes to do any of them... under the guise of organizing an open source project.

 

[MrBeasterer]

What are the dependencies that can add complexity to each point? Hardware power budget? PCB lane latency? What stops us from transplanting most of the code from a better BIOS?

 

[R-T-B]

You just can't transplant things like that mainly. It's like stitching pig organs into a human as a direct replacement. Sure, there's some crossover, but most of the time this ends with a corpse because shit just doesn't plug and play like that.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

I know very little about BIOS editing, I looked into it some time ago just for the software. I found that Award and Pheonix each had thier own versions of a Hex Editor. After editing you also have to match the SHA hash, I think( I forget what its called).

 

[Solaris17]

I know very little about BIOS editing, I looked into it some time ago just for the software. I found that Award and Pheonix each had thier own versions of a Hex Editor. After editing you also have to match the SHA hash, I think( I forget what its called).

Checksum which could be based off SHA

 

[İsmailTPC_Hastanesi]

What are the dependencies that can add complexity to each point? Hardware power budget? PCB lane latency? What stops us from transplanting most of the code from a better BIOS?

Bios modding is not a task that can be bypassed only with software or that will bring the project to life by making the changes you want.
Because the Hardware has to support it or be compatible with it.
The software is not an achievement in itself.
Where is the software installed?
to hardware
If there is no hardware to respond to the software, a situation like "I did it and it's done" occurs.
Result "0" Zero.
Manufacturers present a brand new motherboard to the market by showing it as a revision change with minor changes.
The new motherboard is essentially the same as the previous revision.
But the sales policy is there to lure users.
Each user will want fancy and flashy motherboards that will appeal to their eyes.
Sometimes the difference between the two revisions is like an ethernet chip change or a sata driver change.
So even though most of the modules on both motherboards are the same, these minor changes mean that the same bios won't work on both motherboards.
Even if it works, it is not fully usable as there is no software module with different hardware.
Just an opinion regardless of the subject;
New generation motherboards also have controllers for led lighting.
While this fancy motherboard may look imposing to the user, it's actually prone to failing soon.
Because most of the controllers work with low voltage.
A sudden high current from the mains power sometimes passes through the PSU and this negative situation causes the motherboard to malfunction.
My opinion;
I don't care if the motherboard or other hardware is gaudy or fancy.
What matters is what I need.
Future-proof, I shouldn't need to buy a new motherboard.
A proverb in my country;
The important thing is not the size of the hammer, but the nail it drives.

You just can't transplant things like that mainly. It's like stitching pig organs into a human as a direct replacement. Sure, there's some crossover, but most of the time this ends with a corpse because shit just doesn't plug and play like that.

I agree with you.

 

[R-T-B]

Checksum which could be based off SHA

Since the whole firmware virus scares, almost all firmware is actually signed via a full secureboot certificate now. So even more than that.

 

[MrBeasterer]

So the mod app can be a server side tool that can resign things? For the subset of more-modern BIOS that includes secure boot.

The hard to debug BIOS due to encrypted binary is a small sub-set.

The fact is - most motherboards use the same bios with small modifications. Some have better improvements than others and more Intel features turn-on. These can be transplanted.

So what to do about it?

There also exists open-source bios coreboot etc however those may need more dev work, but are still very promising.

 

[R-T-B]

So the mod app can be a server side tool that can resign things?

No. You simply can't resign things without getting the manufacturers to hand out keys (they won't).

The fact is - most motherboards use the same bios with small modifications.

Again, no, not really. This is a major oversimplification. It's like saying "all intel PCs are the same" in accuracy level.

 

[MrBeasterer]

Yeah but you do not provide information about how specifically the limitations apply to the project?

No limitations apply everything can be circumvented by the right person.

 

[Wirko]

This sounds more like a list of things you want but don't actually understand what it takes to do any of them... under the guise of organizing an open source project.

Even if all of this is true, is it a bad thing in itself?

 

[ShiBDiB]

Even if all of this is true, is it a bad thing in itself?

Sort of. A planner in a group is always a good thing, but a hopeless dreamer who lacks understanding on the things they want is not.

 

[MrBeasterer]

Unless you know about x86 assembly and hardware initialization during boot up, do not even post your philosophical nonsense.

ONLY ENGINEERING CONTENT ALLOWED.

 

[R-T-B]

Unless you know about x86 assembly and hardware initialization during boot up, do not even post your philosophical nonsense.

ONLY ENGINEERING CONTENT ALLOWED.

Hate to break it to you dude, but I fit those qualifications. This just isn't doable.

No limitations apply everything can be circumvented by the right person.

You'd need signing keys or a world class keybreaking supercomputer. Or just support very old boards.

Goodluck I guess.

 

[MrBeasterer]

Maybe the author of CoffeeTime 0.99 can pitch in. No idea how to reach them.

 

[MrBeasterer]

xCuri0/ReBarUEFI: Resizable BAR for (almost) any UEFI system (github.com)
dl from Actions last green one https://github.com/xCuri0/ReBarUEFI/actions

 

[MrBeasterer]

You specifically requested from me NVMe SSD BIOS MOD for Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4 (rev. 1.0) motherboard with Hardware Credentials PCI\VEN_1987&DEV_5019.
File Ready.

• Gigbayte GA-P55A-UD4(rev. 1.0)-NVME_M.2_SSD_BIOS_MOD

Once the update is complete, please let me know.
Also, share your results and evaluations with us to help other people as well.
Finally, you can support this by adding Images.
Thank you.

View attachment 267993

Works. If it fails for someone - reset and turn Off PCI-e attached things in BIOS, add HDD delay 1s.

 

[MrBeasterer]

With the MSI leaked sources not sure if they are leaked yet this project is now more possible.

To protect the innocent IP of the innocent caring loving corporations, we can put the trade secrets stuff through some hoops so the normal users can't reach it unless they know how to let's say download torrents from some private site and compile sources. This should be enough for the corps to not need to purse it.

The MSI BIOSes are full of good options but they are not very documented so with that information this would be the way to move forward with chasing every last frame.

If someone still thinks it's bad to let users blow up their system they are not doing it right and not thinking it right, just let the user know for certain where the risk actually is rather than hiding it in any way.

@R-T-B

Bro dude my man, is it doable yet, with leaks + the CopilotX and ChatGPT ? What do you think ?