Lenovo ThinkPad T480 Libreboot Debian 16GB 250GB 970 EVO 72Wh 61++ Battery ThinkPad T480 with Libreboot replacing the Lenovo BIOS. Debian 13 installed, or any distro you request at no charge. Popular picks: Trisquel, Mint, Ubuntu and Fedora. i5-8250U (4 cores/4 threads), 16GB, Samsung 970 EVO 250GB at 98% health, 14in 1366x768.- 61++ 72Wh extended battery at 97% health, plus internal at 70%.- Intel ME neutered, Boot Guard disabled.- Both USB-C ports charge; the Thunderbolt port also does video but no USB data. No Thunderbolt.- 1366x768 HD screen. No charger.- 30-day returns. Restored Logic. Refurbished business hardware Lenovo ThinkPad T480 — Libreboot, Debian (OR YOUR DISTRO OF CHOICE), 16GB, Samsung 970 EVO, 72Wh extended battery

A ThinkPad with the proprietary Lenovo BIOS removed and replaced with Libreboot. It ships with Debian, and we will install a different distribution instead at no charge if you prefer. It has a 61++ 72Wh extended battery at 97% health, a Samsung 970 EVO at 98% health, and 16GB of memory. The screen is the 1366×768 HD panel.

Specification Boot firmwareLibreboot 26.01rev1 — free-software replacement for the Lenovo BIOS Operating systemDebian 13 installed — or the distribution of your choice, free (see below) ProcessorIntel Core i5-8250U, 4 cores / 4 threads (hyperthreading is off in this firmware), up to 3.4GHz Memory16GB DDR4 (2 × 8GB) in two slots — nothing soldered, takes up to 64GB StorageSamsung 970 EVO 250GB NVMe — 98% health, 0 errors Battery61++ 72Wh extended pack at 97% health, plus the 24Wh internal at 70% — about 87Wh measured Display14" 1366 × 768 HD, non-touch GraphicsIntel UHD Graphics 620 WirelessIntel 8265 — 802.11ac WiFi + Bluetooth (Trisquel: Atheros card fitted free, 802.11n, no Bluetooth) PortsTwo USB-C, both charge the laptop (one also does USB data; the other does external video), two USB-A, HDMI, full-size RJ-45 ethernet, 3.5mm, SD reader OtherFingerprint reader (hardware present; see below), TrackPoint, ThinkShutter camera cover. Keyboard is not backlit ChargingUSB-C Power Delivery, 65W — no charger included Model number20L5004HUS What Libreboot actually means

Every laptop runs firmware before the operating system loads. On a normal ThinkPad that firmware is Lenovo’s, it is closed, and you cannot inspect or change it. This machine runs Libreboot instead — free software you can read, build and replace yourself.

• The Intel Management Engine is neutered. The ME is a separate processor inside the chipset that normally runs its own code with deep access to the system, whatever OS you install. Here it is stripped and disabled.
• Intel Boot Guard is disabled. Boot Guard is what normally locks the machine to firmware signed by the manufacturer. With it off, the boot firmware is genuinely yours.
• No vendor lock-in. No whitelist on WiFi cards, no signed-firmware requirement, no setting you are not allowed to change.

Your choice of operating system — no extra charge

It ships with Debian installed. If you would rather have another distribution, message us after you buy and we will install it, test it and ship it the same way, at no charge. We will try to accommodate any distro request. Some popular options are below:

• Trisquel — the FSF-endorsed, fully free distribution with the linux-libre kernel. We fit an Atheros WiFi card at no charge so the wireless runs on a free driver with no proprietary firmware.
• Debian — stable and conservative; what it ships with.
• Linux Mint — the easiest switch from Windows.
• Ubuntu — the most widely used, with the most help online.
• Fedora — newer software on a clean GNOME desktop.

If you choose Trisquel: its free-driver WiFi card is 802.11n (around 300 Mbps) rather than ac, and Bluetooth will not work, because the Bluetooth chip needs firmware Trisquel does not ship. Every other option keeps the standard Intel card, with ac WiFi and Bluetooth.

What we did to it

• Installed Libreboot 26.01rev1 with an external hardware programmer, and verified the written firmware byte-for-byte against the image. The original Lenovo firmware is backed up.
• Installed Debian 13 from clean media onto a freshly wiped drive, and set it up so the ThinkPad features work under Libreboot: fan and thermal reporting, the Fn keys, LEDs and battery charge limits (stop charging at 80% to make the batteries last longer).
• Fitted a 61++ 72Wh extended battery measuring 97% of its design capacity.
• Brought it to 16GB with a second 8GB module.
• Tested everything and measured the wear parts: both USB-C ports, every USB-A port, suspend/resume, speakers, headphone jack, webcam and shutter, microphone, WiFi, ethernet, keyboard and TrackPoint. Battery and drive figures above are what the hardware reports, not estimates.

Cosmetic condition

Very good. There is some light wear from normal use, but for a business laptop first sold in 2018 it looks great: no cracks, firm hinges, a clear screen and a keyboard that works correctly. The photos are of the exact machine you will receive, including the extended battery fitted, shot close up rather than at a flattering angle.

About the battery

This has the 61++ — the largest battery Lenovo made for the T480 — at 97% of its design capacity. With the internal battery, the machine measures about 87Wh in total: several times what the internal gives you on its own.

The 61++ is the extended pack, so it sits proud of the back of the chassis and props the keyboard at a slight angle — which a lot of people prefer to type on. It is visible in the photos. If you want the thinnest possible laptop, a standard pack drops straight in.

You can also hot-swap it. Lenovo’s Power Bridge design means the internal battery keeps the machine running while you change the external one.

What to know before you buy

Both USB-C ports charge the laptop. It does not do Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt port does charging and external video but not USB data; use the other USB-C port or the two USB-A ports for drives and devices. Libreboot does not support Thunderbolt on this model.

4 cores / 4 threads. The i5-8250U normally runs 8 threads; this firmware keeps hyperthreading off, a deliberate security choice. Everyday use is unaffected; heavy multi-threaded work runs somewhat slower.

The internal battery is at 70% of its design capacity. It is the original; the extended pack carries most of the runtime.

The fingerprint reader is not set up. The hardware is there, but the T480’s sensor is not supported by the standard Linux fingerprint software, so treat it as not working unless you want to experiment with a third-party driver. The keyboard is not backlit.

No charger is included. Any 65W USB-C Power Delivery charger works — the one from a recent laptop, or an inexpensive one from anywhere.

No TPM and no hibernate. The TPM is disabled in this firmware. Suspend to RAM works; hibernate to disk is not configured.

In the box

The laptop with its extended battery fitted. No charger — it charges over USB-C Power Delivery, so any 65W USB-C charger works. No original box, no manuals, no dock. A card with the login details.

Warranty & returns. 30 days. If it fails in that window, send it back and we refund you in full. This machine is out of Lenovo factory coverage, so our 30 days is the warranty. Shipped in a padded laptop sleeve inside a box cut close to the machine, leaving virtually no room for error. Questions before you buy? Message us through . We would rather answer three questions than take one return. If you are new to Libreboot, ask — we would rather you buy this knowing exactly what it is. Restored Logic LLC · Every machine tested, wiped and stated honestly