[Libreboot] What needs learning to kickstart?

[MingHeng Wang]

Hello Libreboot Devs,
I'm not sure if this fits in with user support mailing list, but here is
goes. I'm a software engineering graduate. I have some software
programming experience but a newbie in hardware. I read some wiki
on coreboot about chipset and firmware but still couldn't get the
idea. From libreboot's info page I learnt that recent Intel cpus
are impossible to support as they used various sign techniques.
While it also stated that libreboot has interest in Intel Atom
cpu, currently I'm using a HP stream 360 11 laptop, which seems
containing 'Atom' processor, but the cpu is celeron n2840. I'm
wondering if this modal is possible to be supported by coreboot
or even libreboot, if so, I may be able to start learning the
porting stuff by studying this modal, through I currently don't
quite get the details about
chipset/firmware/microcode/northbridge chip/hardware
initialization concepts. Anyway, here is some info regarding my
hardware:
Handle 0x0000, DMI type 0, 24 bytes
BIOS Information
Vendor: Insyde
Version: F.04
Release Date: 03/02/2015
Address: 0xF0000
Runtime Size: 64 kB
ROM Size: 4608 kB
Characteristics:
PCI is supported
BIOS is upgradeable
BIOS shadowing is allowed
Boot from CD is supported
Selectable boot is supported
EDD is supported
8042 keyboard services are supported (int 9h)
Serial services are supported (int 14h)
Printer services are supported (int 17h)
CGA/mono video services are supported (int 10h)
ACPI is supported
USB legacy is supported
ATAPI Zip drive boot is supported
BIOS boot specification is supported
Function key-initiated network boot is supported
Targeted content distribution is supported
BIOS Revision: 15.4
Firmware Revision: 57.16

Handle 0x0001, DMI type 1, 27 bytes
System Information
Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
Product Name: HP Stream x360 Convertible PC 11
Version: Type1 - ProductConfigId
Serial Number: 3CE5241VN0
UUID: E8B68056-FC0B-E511-A26A-308D99CA2127
Wake-up Type: Power Switch
SKU Number: M5H50UAR#ABA
Family: 103C_5335KV G=N L=CON B=HP S=PAV X=MIN

Handle 0x0002, DMI type 2, 17 bytes
Base Board Information
Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
Product Name: 802B
Version: 57.16
Serial Number: PETTQG2WV8TQNP
Asset Tag: Type2 - Board Asset Tag
Features:
Board is a hosting board
Board is replaceable
Location In Chassis: Type2 - Board Chassis Location
Chassis Handle: 0x0003
Type: Motherboard
Contained Object Handles: 0

Handle 0x0003, DMI type 3, 24 bytes
Chassis Information
Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
Type: Notebook
Lock: Not Present
Version: Chassis Version
Serial Number: Chassis Serial Number
Asset Tag: Chassis Asset Tag
Boot-up State: Safe
Power Supply State: Safe
Thermal State: Safe
Security Status: None
OEM Information: 0x0000010E
Height: Unspecified
Number Of Power Cords: 1
Contained Elements: 0
SKU Number: Not Specified

Handle 0x0004, DMI type 4, 42 bytes
Processor Information
Socket Designation: CPU 1
Type: Central Processor
Family: Atom
Manufacturer: Intel(R) Corporation
ID: 78 06 03 00 FF FB EB BF
Signature: Type 0, Family 6, Model 55, Stepping 8
Flags:
FPU (Floating-point unit on-chip)
VME (Virtual mode extension)
DE (Debugging extension)
PSE (Page size extension)
TSC (Time stamp counter)
MSR (Model specific registers)
PAE (Physical address extension)
MCE (Machine check exception)
CX8 (CMPXCHG8 instruction supported)
APIC (On-chip APIC hardware supported)
SEP (Fast system call)
MTRR (Memory type range registers)
PGE (Page global enable)
MCA (Machine check architecture)
CMOV (Conditional move instruction supported)
PAT (Page attribute table)
PSE-36 (36-bit page size extension)
CLFSH (CLFLUSH instruction supported)
DS (Debug store)
ACPI (ACPI supported)
MMX (MMX technology supported)
FXSR (FXSAVE and FXSTOR instructions supported)
SSE (Streaming SIMD extensions)
SSE2 (Streaming SIMD extensions 2)
SS (Self-snoop)
HTT (Multi-threading)
TM (Thermal monitor supported)
PBE (Pending break enabled)
Version: Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU  N2840  @ 2.16GHz
Voltage: 0.9 V
External Clock: 83 MHz
Max Speed: 2573 MHz
Current Speed: 2176 MHz
Status: Populated, Enabled
Upgrade: None
L1 Cache Handle: 0x0006
L2 Cache Handle: 0x0007
L3 Cache Handle: Not Provided
Serial Number: Not Specified
Asset Tag: Not Specified
Part Number: Not Specified
Core Count: 2
Core Enabled: 2
Thread Count: 1
Characteristics:
64-bit capable
Multi-Core
Execute Protection
Enhanced Virtualization
Power/Performance Control