lbwww/site/docs/hardware/ga-g41m-es2l.md

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title: Gigabyte GA-G41M-ES2L desktop board ...

![GA-G41M-ES2L]()

Specifications
Manufacturer	Gigabyte
Name	GA-G41M-ES2L
Released	2009
Chipset	Intel G41
CPU	Intel Core 2 Extreme/Quad/Duo,
Pentium Extreme/D/4 Extreme/4/Celeron
Graphics	Integrated
Display	None.
Memory	Up to 16GB
Architecture	x86_64
Original boot firmware	AWARD BIOS
Intel ME/AMD PSP	Present. Can be disabled
Flash chip	2x8Mbit

W+: Works without blobs; 
N: Doesn't work; 
W*: Works with blobs; 
U: Untested; 
P+: Partially works; 
P*: Partially works with blobs

Features
Internal flashing with original boot firmware	W+
Display	-
Audio	W+
RAM Init	P+
External output	P+
Display brightness	-

Payloads supported
GNU GRUB	Slow!
SeaBIOS	Works
SeaBIOS with GNU GRUB	Works

This is a desktop board using intel hardware (circa ~2009, ICH7 southbridge, similar performance-wise to the ThinkPad X200. It can make for quite a nifty desktop. Powered by libreboot.

As of Libreboot release 20221214, only SeaBIOS payload is provided in ROMs for this board. According to user reports, they work quite well. GRUB was always buggy on this board, so it was removed from lbmk.

IDE on the board is untested, but it might be possible to use a SATA HDD using an IDE SATA adapter. The SATA ports do work, but it's IDE emulation. The emulation is slow in DMA mode sia SeaBIOS, so SeaBIOS is configured to use PIO mode on this board. This SeaBIOS configuration does not affect the Linux kernel.

You need to set a custom MAC address in GNU+Linux for the NIC to work. In /etc/network/interfaces on debian-based systems like Debian or Devuan, this would be in the entry for your NIC:\ hwaddress ether macaddressgoeshere

Alternatively:

cbfstool libreboot.rom extract -n rt8168-macaddress -f rt8168-macaddress

Modify the MAC address in the file rt8168-macaddress and then:

cbfstool libreboot.rom remove -n rt8168-macaddress
cbfstool libreboot.rom add -f rt8168-macaddress -n rt8168-macaddress -t raw

Now you have a different MAC address hardcoded. In the above example, the ROM image is named libreboot.rom for your board. You can find cbfstool under coreboot/default/util/cbfstool/ after running the following command in the build system:

./build module cbutils

You can learn more about using the build system, lbmk, here:\ libreboot build instructions

Flashing instructions can be found at ../install/

RAM

Kingston 8 GiB Kit KVR800D2N6/8G with Elpida Chips E2108ABSE-8G-E

this is a 2x4GB setup and these work quite well, according to a user on IRC.

Many other modules will probably work just fine, but raminit is very picky on this board. Your mileage will fluctuate, wildly.