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Idea #12168: Standard BIOS Flash Utility

Written by aikiwolfie the 13 Aug 08 at 12:32. Related project: Update manager. Status: New
Rationale
Create a standard way of updating a BIOS from Linux. Even integrate it into the update manager.
Tags: BIOS update

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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #12168
Written by aikiwolfie the 13 Aug 08 at 12:32.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #12168 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

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Eldmannen wrote on the 13 Aug 08 at 21:55
All vendors seems to have their own flash utility. Example, awdflash, amiflash (afud), etc.

In the repository there is a flash utility called 'flashrom' though.

Eldmannen wrote on the 13 Aug 08 at 22:21
Note that motherboards have different type of BIOS chips.
There are many different manufacturers and models of BIOS chips, and they come in various forms (PLCC, DIP, SPI, TSOP, etc) and sizes (1, 2, 4 mb).

aikiwolfie wrote on the 14 Aug 08 at 03:58
Yeah the trouble is, Dell release their BIOS updates wrapped in a Windows .exe file. I'm just not sure if WINE can handle flashing the BIOS.

solardeity wrote on the 14 Aug 08 at 09:14
Well mostly, you can extract the files with wine just by a click on the .exe file and CD thru the .wine directory..

It would make sense to integrate free-dos (since it is free), or to put a bootable free-dos on a live CD or in GRUB where you can start free-dos and CD to the BIOS file and execute it.. ??

aikiwolfie wrote on the 14 Aug 08 at 22:06
Why do we need another OS to do this? Dell are working on a utility for flashing a BIOS from Linux. Dell bundles Ubuntu with select systems. So it makes sense for Ubuntu/Canonical to get involved.

In fact it makes sense for all Linux developers to get involved.

migueleonm wrote on the 15 Aug 08 at 04:35
The application for flashing is a thing, and the BIOS from the manufacturar is another history.

You can obtain a tool like that, but waht about the proper bios for you machine with the proper format for the tool?? the manufacturer is the responsible for the bios. Many of them only offer bios embeded in exe files.

mikedep333 wrote on the 16 Aug 08 at 01:48
It seems to me that this is a very unreasonable and dangerous goal. I am sure it is hard to flash countless types of motherboards with their different bioses. Also, do we really want to have fingers pointed at us when these bios updates fail? Also, this is more of an upstream project than a distribution project.

marco.pallotta wrote on the 18 Aug 08 at 12:33
For me it could be a simple graphical utility included in the default install that should create a bootable dos floppy/cd/dvd with, inside, the manufacturer bios flash utility (obviously this last should be downloaded separatly by the user).
This could be ok for all flash utility that run in dos mode.

Diggs808 wrote on the 22 Aug 08 at 14:33
Actually, You can already flash your Dell BIOS:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=896232


Auzy wrote on the 23 Aug 08 at 04:07
+1. If we have a standard way of doing it, manufacturers may jump on board and provide bios updates that linux can specifically use easily.


Rabbid wrote on the 22 Oct 08 at 15:42
Get Dell on board an create an extendable application/specification for one (so other distributions can create their own app) that all motherboard vendors can create their own backend for.


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