Updating BIOS under Mint

[MurphCID]

My main linux laptop, is an HP Spectre x360 13.3" laptop. How would I update it to the latest BIOS without having to reinstall Windows (which I did on my other laptop)? Is there someway to flash the BIOS to the latest version under Mint?

[DAMIEN1307]

I believe i saw it here on the forums at one time to do so using a windows computer to download it to a USB device and then update the bios via that USB device to your linux computer. Im sure someone will be along shortly to tell exactly how this is done...DAMIEN

[catweazel]

My main linux laptop, is an HP Spectre x360 13.3" laptop. How would I update it to the latest BIOS without having to reinstall Windows (which I did on my other laptop)? Is there someway to flash the BIOS to the latest version under Mint?

The best place to find that information is the machine's manual.

[kato181]

My main linux laptop, is an HP Spectre x360 13.3" laptop. How would I update it to the latest BIOS without having to reinstall Windows (which I did on my other laptop)? Is there someway to flash the BIOS to the latest version under Mint?

According to HP, that model's bios can only be updated with windows installed. There is no support for linux.

[DAMIEN1307]

Came across this one for HP, dont know if of any use or not...DAMIEN

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook- ... -p/6498633

[athi]

Came across this one for HP, dont know if of any use or not...DAMIEN

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook- ... -p/6498633

Looks like HP firmware is going more Windows centric or maybe just another cost saving move by HP.

Link provided by DAMIEN1307 shows how to use the HP firmware build-in BIOS recovery tool to flash the BIOS from recovery USB. The recovery USB to be created on another Windows PC from the the BIOS update file. That method should work, but it is always scary flashing BIOS since it is one of the rare time that software can brick a PC.

Thanks for the tip, DAMIEN1307. May need this for my HP machines.

[DAMIEN1307]

Your welcome athi...DAMIEN

[phd21]

Hi MurphCID, etc...

I just read your post and the good replies to it. Here are my thoughts on this as well.

That is a good link from DAMIEN1307.

There are many good posts in this forum on updating a computer's Bios.

Most newer computers already have a built-in Bios update facility that can be updated from the Internet or from a USB stick (pre-formatted with Fat32 or NTFS file system) with the Bios files on it. There are some Bios update options in the "Synaptic Package Manager (SPM)" by manufacturer as well and "fwupdate" works for some computers and devices.

If a computer manufacturer only provides Bios updates as limited Operating System (OS) dependent MS Windows ".exe" files which is short sighted and user unfriendly, then you can use another computer with MS Windows to create the USB Stick with the Bios update or use a bootable version of Ms Windows, see below, and contact your computer's manufacturer and make a suggestion to provide OS Independent Bios Updates and other updates. Some Bios updates are already available as bootable disc image files (.iso or .img) that can burned on to CD/DVD disc or USB stick, then just boot to that to run the Bios update.

FYI: OR you can download an ".iso" disk image file of Hiren's Boot disc or one of the other similar discs that has a "mini" version of MS Windows (PE) on it, burn that to a DVD or USB stick, boot to that, and run the Bios update from that or create the USB stick from that. If you computer is older and does not support uEFI Bios, then you would want to download one of these bootable versions of MS Windows with MS Windows 8 or 7, NOT MS Windows 10.

Previous post:
BIOS update - Linux Mint Forums
viewtopic.php?f=90&t=286126&hilit=Hiren


Hope this helps ...

[MurphCID]

Thanks all I will make the attempt later today! I am at BIOS F.33 and the latest is BIOS F.49 according to the HP website.

[Spearmint2]

Use an old win98se boot disc if you have a floppy drive still, and use that to update the BIOS if there's no built in "flash" option in BIOS. I use an old win98se boot CD for that. I took the original boot disc and created a bootable CD to run it from. Here's an ISO file of it. You will need to remember how to do a few DOS commands for using it. Put the BIOS update onto the hard drive first, the boot the CD, and can then run the *.exe file. This will ONLY work if the *.exe is DOS based and not needing Win32 OS to run it.

http://glenburniemd.net/Linux/DOSboot.iso

[MurphCID]

Yeah it is being stubborn, and there is no flash option in BIOS. I tried the work around, and it did not work, so I might have to load windows, update the BIOS and then reload Mint 19.2 to get it to work. This stinks. HP; FIX YOUR BIOS OPTIONS!!!

[phd21]

Hi MurphCID,

Sorry you are having difficulties with this, fortunately, people rarely have to update their computer's Bios often.

Don't forget what I said before, anyone can download Hiren's boot DVD, or Medicat boot DVD, or one of the other bootable utilities which contains a version of MS Windows and burn that to a DVD or USB stick, boot to that, insert the USB stick with the Bios update ".exe" file, file browse to that file and double-click it to update your Bios. I found that creating the bootable DVD will work if you have problems using a USB stick with these.

System76 just came out with a new desktop GUI for updating hardware firmware, but I don't think it would work for the computer's Bios, but maybe it would.

The new System76 Firmware Update Utility is a much-needed tool
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/th ... eded-tool/

system76/firmware-update: System76 Firmware Update Utility
https://github.com/system76/firmware-update

Hope this helps ...

[MurphCID]

Hi MurphCID,

Sorry you are having difficulties with this, fortunately, people rarely have to update their computer's Bios often.

Don't forget what I said before, anyone can download Hiren's boot DVD, or Medicat boot DVD, or one of the other bootable utilities which contains a version of MS Windows and burn that to a DVD or USB stick, boot to that, insert the USB stick with the Bios update ".exe" file, file browse to that file and double-click it to update your Bios. I found that creating the bootable DVD will work if you have problems using a USB stick with these.

System76 just came out with a new desktop GUI for updating hardware firmware, but I don't think it would work for the computer's Bios, but maybe it would.

The new System76 Firmware Update Utility is a much-needed tool
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/th ... eded-tool/

system76/firmware-update: System76 Firmware Update Utility
https://github.com/system76/firmware-update

Hope this helps ...

Thanks I tried to get the Windows PE thing to work, and I never could get it to work on my windows machine to burn to a USB stick. I'll keep trying, I like to keep my stuff updated if I can. I am NOT having any problems though, just a quirk on my part. Again thanks for all the help. BTW which do I download? I am not familiar with the Github format, and I don't want to download the wrong thing.

[phd21]

Hi MurphCID,

For your BIOS update, If you have a computer with uefi, you can use the links to the medicat win10 download and use Linux Mint image writer or unetbootin to burn that iso to a USB stick, use "xfburn" or "K3b" to burn iso to a DVD disc. If you don't have a computer with uefi, then pick a download with win8 and burn that iso to a DVD or USB stick.

This link from my other link provides various downloads of bootable mini Windows utilities.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... kDFy-Iec3P

Update: The link for the firmware does not have good instructions just install "wget" and "git" first from the synaptic manager to clone their software or use the command below. I have not seen any instructions on how to install or use this yet. Perhaps this is so new they have not provided those yet. "We will be publish our build method soon as free software, before the first automatic firmware update".

After much more research, They have a PPA for installing this, but I do not know the correct specific instructions for installing this on Linux Mint - yet.
System76 Stable PPA : “System76 Development” team
https://launchpad.net/~system76-dev/+ar ... ntu/stable

See my reply (Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu)
How to install properly on ubuntu? · Issue #58 · pop-os/firmware-manager
https://github.com/pop-os/firmware-manager/issues/58


FYI: on using "git"
The console terminal command below is one command on how you can use the "git" command to clone a software's source code which creates a new folder in your home folder "firmware-update".
First, install or make sure these are installed

Code: Select all

sudo apt install wget git

Download the software's source code.

Code: Select all

git clone https://github.com/system76/firmware-update.git

firmware-manager/README.md at master · pop-os/firmware-manager
https://github.com/pop-os/firmware-mana ... /README.md


*The New Firmware Manager: Updating firmware across Linux distributions
https://blog.system76.com/post/18707270 ... are-across
Console terminal command to download the Firmware Manager GTK application.

Code: Select all

git clone https://github.com/pop-os/firmware-manager.git

Hope this helps...
.

Downloads of various Bootable mini PE versions of MS Windows

[phd21]

Hi MurphCID, etc...

How is it going with updating your computer's Bios?

Anyone interested in the new Linux hardware firmware desktop application from System76, here are some instructions to install it from a console terminal prompt. Recommend restarting your computer or at least logging out and back in before running it the first time. It should show up in your menus as "firmware manager". It already updated my Logitech (USB) Unifying Receiver that my Logitech wireless keyboard and mice use. Also, after updating hardware's firmware and or Bios, it is usually a good idea to power off computer and any hardware that was updated, wait about 30seconds, then power everything back up. Bios updates would normally automatically restart the computer.

To install this using the PPA method, open a console terminal, type in, or copy & paste, each line below one by one: Click "Select All" above command, right click the highlighted command, select Copy (or Ctrl+Insert), click in the console terminal window, and right click paste ("Shift+Insert" or "Ctrl+Shift+v"), repeat for each command.

Code: Select all

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:system76-dev/stable

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update

Code: Select all

sudo apt install fwupd firmware-manager

Hope this helps ...

[kato181]

Thanx phd21
I have a logitech mouse and kb and they seem to work intermittently, so I'll try updating firmware and see if that fixes it.
Will let you know the results.

[Spearmint2]

Thanx phd21
I have a logitech mouse and kb and they seem to work intermittently, so I'll try updating firmware and see if that fixes it.
Will let you know the results.

If those are wireless, install Solaar program. That's what I use with my wifi mouse and the unifying receiver.

[phd21]

Hi kato181,

You are welcome...

[phd21]

Hi kato181,

You are welcome...

Fyi, sometimes just removing unplugging the USB adapter, waiting for around 20 seconds, then reinserting the USB adapter and hitting the pairing buttons will help.

[MurphCID]

Hi MurphCID, etc...

How is it going with updating your computer's Bios?

Anyone interested in the new Linux hardware firmware desktop application from System76, here are some instructions to install it from a console terminal prompt. Recommend restarting your computer or at least logging out and back in before running it the first time. It should show up in your menus as "firmware manager". It already updated my Logitech (USB) Unifying Receiver that my Logitech wireless keyboard and mice use. Also, after updating hardware's firmware and or Bios, it is usually a good idea to power off computer and any hardware that was updated, wait about 30seconds, then power everything back up. Bios updates would normally automatically restart the computer.

To install this using the PPA method, open a console terminal, type in, or copy & paste, each line below one by one: Click "Select All" above command, right click the highlighted command, select Copy (or Ctrl+Insert), click in the console terminal window, and right click paste ("Shift+Insert" or "Ctrl+Shift+v"), repeat for each command.

Code: Select all

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:system76-dev/stable

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update

Code: Select all

sudo apt install fwupd firmware-manager

Hope this helps ...

Nothing has worked so far, but I am going to try this fix this upcoming weekend. Otherwise I'll just stick windows on the machine, update the BIOS, and re-install Linux. But thank you for all the help, it is much appreciated.