StarFighter
Firmware, Linux, and security answers.
The short version: StarFighter installs modern Linux from standard ISOs, receives signed LVFS updates, and exposes useful firmware controls for performance, power, I/O, the haptic trackpad, and security.
Quick answers
Check the thing you care about.
Start with installs, updates, battery behaviour, serviceability, and security. The firmware controls sit below.
Can I install my own Linux distro?
Yes. Use the standard ISO for a modern Linux distribution and install normally. There is no Star Labs driver package and no post-install patch set.
Linux 6.12 or later is the clean baseline for StarFighter.
How are firmware updates delivered?
Updates are signed by Star Labs and delivered through LVFS on Linux. The firmware checks the update before flashing and rejects unsigned or unauthorised updates.
StarLabsLtd/coreboot and StarLabsLtd/edk2 use monthly public branches. That keeps StarFighter close to current upstream work, so CVEs, hardware fixes, and regressions can be handled in smaller regular updates.
Can I tune performance and charging?
Yes. StarFighter exposes firmware options for fan behaviour, power profile, custom CPU limits, thermal throttling temperature, charging speed, and maximum charge level.
Use faster charging and higher power limits when you need performance, or slower charging, charge limits, and quieter fan behaviour when battery longevity and acoustics matter more.
Can I tune the haptic trackpad?
Yes. StarFighter exposes firmware controls for touchpad vibration intensity, click force, release force, and tracking speed. The keyboard backlight timeout and Fn/Ctrl behaviour are also configurable.
Can I repair or service it?
Yes. StarFighter has accessible internals, standard M.2 storage, published disassembly guidance, and a service path designed around repair rather than sealed hardware.
Where are the physical privacy features?
The wireless kill switch and removable webcam module are physical features, so they are covered on the product overview rather than listed only as firmware settings. View the StarFighter overview.
Can I use Secure Boot, Measured Boot, and TPM?
Yes. StarFighter supports Secure Boot, Measured Boot, and dTPM 2.0. Secure Boot can be used when your operating system supports it, including distributions such as Ubuntu and Fedora.
Measured Boot records boot stages into the TPM so security tools can compare the boot path with the expected state and flag unexpected changes.
What protects my data?
StarFighter supports TCG Opal 2.0 for hardware-backed disk encryption with compatible self-encrypting NVMe drives, so you can secure your data without needing to reinstall.
On vPro-capable Ultra models, Total Memory Encryption protects data while it is in RAM, including running programs and suspended state. It helps protect a real-world risk: a laptop stolen while still powered on or suspended.
Is Intel ME disabled?
On Intel StarFighter models, yes. Intel ME is disabled by default and exposed as a visible firmware control rather than hidden.
AMD platforms do not have Intel ME, so that specific control only applies to Intel models.
What does BIOS Lock protect?
BIOS Lock is the user-facing name for low-level firmware write protection. It helps stop unauthorised software from rewriting system firmware directly, keeping updates on the signed and authorised update path.
Where is the source code?
The StarFighter firmware source and build configurations are public.
Configurable firmware
The StarFighter firmware controls.
These mirror the StarFighter coreboot option categories. Some controls appear only on specific Intel generations where the hardware feature exists.
Audio
Enable or disable the Intel HD Audio Digital Signal Processor. Recommended to disable when booting Windows.
Mk II only. Controls whether firmware asserts the speaker amplifier during HDA initialization.
Battery
Set the maximum speed to charge the battery. Charging faster will increase heat and battery wear.
Set the maximum level the battery will charge to.
Automatically turn on after a power failure.
Debug
Set the verbosity of the coreboot console output.
I/O / Expansion
Enable or disable the built-in card reader.
Enable or disable Thunderbolt support on Intel models.
Keyboard
Swap the functions of the [Fn] and [Ctrl] keys.
Set the amount of time before the keyboard backlight turns off when un-used.
Trackpad
Choose how strong the touchpad click vibration feels.
Choose how much force it takes to click the touchpad.
Choose how much force it takes for the touchpad click to release.
Choose how quickly the touchpad reports movement.
LEDs
Control the maximum brightness of the charge LED.
Control the maximum brightness of the power LED.
PCIe Power Management
Enable or disable clock power management for Wi-Fi.
Control Active State Power Management for Wi-Fi.
Control PCIe L1 substates for Wi-Fi.
Enable or disable clock power management for the primary SSD.
Control Active State Power Management for the primary SSD.
Control PCIe L1 substates for the primary SSD.
Enable or disable clock power management for the second SSD slot.
Control Active State Power Management for the second SSD slot.
Control PCIe L1 substates for the second SSD slot.
Performance
Adjust the fan curve to prioritize performance or noise levels.
Enable or disable Hyper-Threading where supported by the CPU.
Configure the speed that the memory will run at. Higher speeds produce more heat and consume more power but provide higher performance.
Choose maximum battery life, balanced behaviour, maximum performance, or custom CPU power and thermal settings.
Long-duration CPU package power limit in Watts, available when the Custom power profile is selected.
Short-duration CPU package power limit in Watts, available when the Custom power profile is selected.
CPU temperature in Celsius where thermal throttling starts, available when the Custom power profile is selected.
Mk II only. Enable or disable the VPU.
Mk I only. Enable or disable the Gaussian & Neural Accelerator.
Security
Enable BIOS write protection in SMM, preventing unauthorised writes through the internal controller.
vPro-capable Intel Ultra models only. Enable TME. When enabled, all data stored in system memory is encrypted.
Intel models only. Enable or disable the Intel Management Engine.
Suspend & Lid
Configure what opening or closing the lid will do.
Enabled: use S0ix for device sleep. Disabled: use ACPI S3 for device sleep. Requires Intel ME to be enabled.
Virtualization
Enable or disable Intel VT-d virtualization.
Wireless
Enable or disable the built-in Bluetooth.
Enable or disable Bluetooth power optimization. Recommended to disable when booting Windows.
Enable or disable the built-in Wi-Fi.
Next: choose your configuration.
You’ve seen the firmware and security model. Compare the full specs or configure the StarFighter that fits your workload.