![]() ![]() ![]() As we’ve seen on Broadwell, that meant almost 93% of the code is removed and only 7% remains (that proportion is different on Skylake, see further below). When the ME is neutralized using the me_cleaner tool, most of the modules will be removed. The way the ME firmware is packaged on the flash, is in the form of multiple modules, and each module has a specific task, such as : Hardware initialization, Firmware updates, Kernel, Network stack, Audio/Video processing, HECI communication over PCI, Java virtual machine, etc.A neutralized ME is a ME image which had most of its code removed.The difference between the two might not be immediately visible to some of you, so I’ll clarify below. In my previous blog post about taming the ME, we discussed how we neutralize the ME (note that this was on the first generation, Broadwell-based Purism laptops back then), but we’ve taken things one step further today by not only neutralizing the ME but also by disabling it. Removed ME: the ME is completely removed and doesn’t execute anything at any time, at all.Disabled ME: the ME is officially “disabled” and is known to be completely stopped and non-functional.Neutralized ME: the ME is neutralized/neutered by removing the most “mission-critical” components from it, such as the kernel and network stack.Fully operational ME: the ME is running normally like it does on other manufacturers’ machines (note that this could be a consumer or corporate ME image, which vary widely in the features they ‘provide’).Think of the ME as having 4 possible states: In this post, I will dig deeper and explain in more details what this means exactly, and why it wasn’t done before today for the laptops that were shipping this spring and summer. Users who already received their orders can also update their flash to disable the ME on their machines. Starting today, our second generation of laptops (based on the 6th gen Intel Skylake platform) will now come with the Intel Management Engine neutralized and disabled by default. New Librem 5 USA Phone Customers Can Opt-in for 30-days of free AweSIM, Purism’s Privacy-First Prepaid Cellular Plan - February 8, 2023.USB-C Type Universal Travel Chargers Available from Purism - February 20, 2023.Conversation with Kyle Rankin, President, Purism and Matthias Kirschner, President at Free Software Foundation Europe. ![]()
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