Libreboot’s developers have released version 26.01, codenamed “Magnanimous Max”, as a new stable release of this open-source BIOS/UEFI firmware based on Coreboot, designed to replace proprietary BIOSes on specific Intel/AMD x86 and ARM-based motherboards.
This release includes new board support for the HP Pro 3500 Series, Topton XE2 N150, ThinkPad T580, and Dell Latitude E7240. The inclusion of the Latitude E7240 is notable due to its Haswell-generation platform, which remains widely usable and supports internal flashing via dell-flash-unlock.
Several refinements were also applied to existing boards, including expanded CBFS space and improved handling of Intel ME.
While additional hardware work was originally planned for this release, several items were intentionally deferred. These include broader Chromebook support via integration of MrChromebox’s coreboot configurations, switching certain AMD server boards to the 15h.org coreboot fork, and adding newer Intel Alder Lake systems.
According to the project, these changes require further testing or unresolved tooling work and are now expected to land in a future testing release, likely Libreboot 26.06 RC1.
From a platform perspective, Libreboot 26.01 updates its core firmware base to a mid-January 2026 snapshot of Coreboot, bringing Libreboot close to upstream parity. The release also updates the bootloader payload to GNU GRUB 2.14, introducing broader cryptographic support through a newer libgcrypt version, improving LUKS2 compatibility, and enabling additional cipher options.
Finally, numerous bug fixes were merged across the build system and upstream components. These address issues ranging from locale handling and race conditions to safer Git operations and improved flashing behavior on certain laptops. Several fixes also improve thermal handling, device initialization, and audio behavior on supported ThinkPad models.
For more information, see the announcement.
Keep in mind that Libreboot applies only to a limited, explicitly supported set of boards, primarily older Intel systems such as certain ThinkPads, Dell Latitude laptops, and selected desktop boards.
