CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="description" content=""> <meta name="keywords" content="libreboot, coreboot, canoeboot, opensource, libre, free software, bios, uefi"> <meta name="generator" content="pandoc"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=yes"> <link rel="icon" type="image/x-icon" href="/favicon.ico"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://minifree.org/faq.html" />  <meta property="og:title" content="Minifree Ltd – Frequently Asked Questions"> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://av.minifree.org/glugluglug/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/t480.jpg"> <meta property="og:url" content="https://minifree.org/faq.html"> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"> <meta property="og:description" content="Minifree Ltd – Frequently Asked Questions"> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Minifree Ltd – Frequently Asked Questions"> <meta name="twitter:image:alt" content="Minifree Ltd – Frequently Asked Questions"> <title>Minifree Ltd – Frequently Asked Questions</title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/global.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href=""> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS Feed" href="/feed.xml"/> </head> <body> <div class="page"> <header> <div class="title" onclick="location.href='/';"> <p class="title-logo"> <a href="/"><img loading="lazy" class="title-logo" alt="Minifree logo" src="/favicon.ico" /></a> </p> <h1 class="title">Frequently Asked Questions</h1> </div> <ul> <li><strong><a href="/">Products</a></strong></li> <li><a href="/about.html">About</a></li> <li><strong><a href="/contact.html">Contact</a></strong></li> <li><a href="/shipping.html">Shipping</a></li> <li><strong><a href="/warranty.html">ToS / 5-Year Warranty</a></strong></li> <li><a href="/faq.html">Frequently Asked Questions</a></li> <li><a href="/privacy.html">Privacy Policy</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Main products:</strong></li> <li><strong><a href="/product/libreboot-t480.html">Libreboot T480</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="/product/libreboot-3050-micro.html">Libreboot 3050 Micro</a></strong></li> <li><a href="/product/installation-service.html">Libreboot Installation Service</a></li> <li>-</li> <li><a href="/contact.html">Contact Minifree</a> to place an order</li> </ul> <hr/> </header> <nav id="TOC"> <h2>Navigate this page:</h2> <ul> <li><a href="#minifree-ships-worldwide" id="toc-minifree-ships-worldwide">Minifree ships worldwide</a></li> <li><a href="#shipping-to-north-america-uscanada" id="toc-shipping-to-north-america-uscanada">Shipping to North America (US/Canada)</a></li> <li><a href="#shipping-to-european-union" id="toc-shipping-to-european-union">Shipping to European Union</a></li> <li><a href="#what-other-hardware-does-minifree-sell" id="toc-what-other-hardware-does-minifree-sell">What other hardware does Minifree sell?</a></li> <li><a href="#how-to-change-the-keyboard" id="toc-how-to-change-the-keyboard">How to change the keyboard?</a></li> <li><a href="#is-insert-os-here-compatible" id="toc-is-insert-os-here-compatible">Is <em>insert OS here</em> compatible?</a></li> <li><a href="#what-about-import-tax" id="toc-what-about-import-tax">What about import tax?</a></li> <li><a href="#what-about-shipping-fees" id="toc-what-about-shipping-fees">What about shipping fees?</a></li> <li><a href="#how-can-i-install-libreboot-updates" id="toc-how-can-i-install-libreboot-updates">How can I install Libreboot updates?</a></li> <li><a href="#why-minifree" id="toc-why-minifree">Why Minifree?</a></li> </ul> </nav> <div class="pagetext"> <p><a href="./">Return to index</a></p> <div class="h"><h2 id="minifree-ships-worldwide">Minifree ships worldwide</h2><a aria-hidden="true" href="#minifree-ships-worldwide">[link]</a></div> <p><strong>Shipping worldwide! Minifree ships to USA, Canada, South America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and everywhere else, shipping globally from Minifree’s lab in the United Kingdom.</strong></p> <h2 id="shipping-to-north-america-uscanada">Shipping to North America (US/Canada)</h2> <p>Minifree ships internationally. Shipping prices can be found on the <a href="shipping.html">shipping</a> page.</p> <div class="h"><h2 id="shipping-to-european-union">Shipping to European Union</h2><a aria-hidden="true" href="#shipping-to-european-union">[link]</a></div> <p>Minifree regularly ships to the EU without issue, from its lab in the UK. The couriers handle the paperwork and pay the tax on your behalf, and then they simply contact you to request payment of VAT plus a small filing fee (usually about 20 euros).</p> <p>More information about importing can be found on the <a href="warranty.html">policy</a> page.</p> <h2 id="what-other-hardware-does-minifree-sell">What other hardware does Minifree sell?</h2> <p>See, Libreboot compatibility list: <a href="https://libreboot.org/docs/hardware/" class="uri">https://libreboot.org/docs/hardware/</a>.</p> <p>Minifree’s main products are listed on minifree.org, but you can <a href="contact.html">contact Minifree</a> to ask about other hardware. If you want to buy something else, Minifree is happy to sell whatever is on the list. A custom price will be made for you, and an invoice emailed to you with payment instructions. The hardware will then be sourced, and configured according to your specification.</p> <p>In principle, anything from coreboot can be added to Libreboot, and sold, so please also check the coreboot list: see <a href="https://doc.coreboot.org/mainboard/index.html" class="uri">https://doc.coreboot.org/mainboard/index.html</a> and <a href="https://coreboot.org/status/board-status.html" class="uri">https://coreboot.org/status/board-status.html</a>.</p> <div class="h"><h2 id="how-to-change-the-keyboard">How to change the keyboard?</h2><a aria-hidden="true" href="#how-to-change-the-keyboard">[link]</a></div> <p>Minifree ships with British keyboard layout by default, which is very similar to the US keyboard layout.</p> <p>You can change the keyboard yourself quite easily, and Minifree can provide you with instructions if you wish.</p> <p>Minifree could purchaes foreign keyboards for you, but that would mean importing them into the UK, which would only add to your costs. It’s better for you to simply change the keyboard yourself, if you wish, though most people will probably be happy with the UK keyboards.</p> <h2 id="is-insert-os-here-compatible">Is <em>insert OS here</em> compatible?</h2> <p>Any Linux distro or BSD is probably compatible.</p> <p>Anything else, such as Windows, is unsupported by Minifree. A U-Boot payload is provided, on some of the supported Libreboot machines, and it provides a UEFI implementation.</p> <div class="h"><h2 id="what-about-import-tax">What about import tax?</h2><a aria-hidden="true" href="#what-about-import-tax">[link]</a></div> <p>Minifree charges 20% UK VAT, for <em>UK</em> shipping addresses.</p> <p>For international (non-UK) shipping addresses: Minifree charges 0% UK VAT (zero-rate VAT), and you pay your own country’s rate of VAT instead; this payment is made directly to the courier, not to Minifree. The courier pays your government on your behalf, and then charges you the amount of tax plus a small filing fee (usually about £10 to £20 or equivalent in your currency).</p> <div class="h"><h2 id="what-about-shipping-fees">What about shipping fees?</h2><a aria-hidden="true" href="#what-about-shipping-fees">[link]</a></div> <p>See: <a href="shipping.html">shipping</a>.</p> <h2 id="how-can-i-install-libreboot-updates">How can I install Libreboot updates?</h2> <p>In addition to running Minifree, I (Leah Rowe) am the lead developer and founder of Libreboot. Releases are always well-tested, especially on the hardware that Minifree sells.</p> <p>When an update is available, you can easily install it with a flashrom command, from your GNU+Linux system. You do not need to take apart your computer, and you do not need a soldering iron. The original vendor firmware blocks writes to the flash on most machines, requiring you to use special external equipment. However:</p> <p>Libreboot does not, by default, enable flash protection (but they can, if configured to do so). Restrictions put in place by the manufacturer do not exist when you’re running Libreboot.</p> <p>Minifree provides support, if you get stuck and need help installing updates. Otherwise, check the Libreboot project website.</p> <div class="h"><h2 id="why-minifree">Why Minifree?</h2><a aria-hidden="true" href="#why-minifree">[link]</a></div> <p>It’s a reference to Orwell’s 1984 novel. In the world depicted by that novel, “freedom” is a banned word. So, in that world, “Minifree” could never exist.</p> <p>It’s a very amusing name, though our world is arguably the one envisioned by Huxley, not Orwell.</p> <div id="footer"> <hr /> <p>Minifree Ltd | Registered in England, No. 9361826 | VAT No. GB202190462 Registered Office: 19 Hilton Road, Canvey Island, Essex SS8 9QA, UK | <a href="/contact.html">Contact</a>.</p> <p>Prices shown on the product pages exclude UK VAT 20%. See <a href="/vat.html">VAT</a> for more information.</p> <p>The 20% UK VAT will be added, if your shipping address is located within the <em>United Kingdom</em>; all other locations are 0% UK VAT.</p> <hr /> </div> <p>Markdown file for this page: <a href="https://minifree.org/faq.md" class="uri">https://minifree.org/faq.md</a></p> <p><a href="/sitemap.html">Site map</a></p> <p>This HTML page was generated by the <a href="https://libreboot.org/docs/sitegen/">Libreboot Static Site Generator</a>.</p> <div class="fcc"> <p> <strong>Read Minifree's <a href="/shipping.html#us-trade-tariffs">statement on US tariffs</a><br/></strong> <strong>How to order:</strong> <a href="/contact.html">email Minifree</a> your name/address/phone number; we'll send an <strong>invoice</strong> with payment instructions. </p> </div> </div> </div> </body> </html>