Guide to update BIOS or hardware on
Linux (and possibly BSD)
------------- by Micah
Cochran micah underscore coch at
yahoo dot com
Created 10/14/2005
This
guide is intended for Linux users (BSD flavors should work with some
manual reading). So, you need a way to update your BIOS or other
hardware. Because you don't have a hard drive you need a boot CD.
Also, you don't have Windows. This guide will show you step-by-step
how to create a CD to hopefully update your computer.
NOTE:
You will need root/superuser privileges on a machine to create this
CD.
1. Download files
- Download a
FreeDOS OEM Version Disk. http://www.fdos.org/bootdisks/#oem
This has the bare essential--well, not much more--disk to boot
-
Download BIOS/hardware update file from vendor.
- Check
documentation and website to find out if the files are compatible
with DOS. (If the update file says something like Windows XP and 2000
only, it is unlikely to work. In that case you *might* be able to
snag a WinXP bootdisk, create an image of it, and try the same
thing.)
- Extract archives--zip files, if needed.
-
Files size for update files needs to be about 800KiB or less
extracted.
2. Mount disk image
# mount -t msdos -o loop FDOEM.144 a-mount-point/
-
This allows you to use the image as if it were a floppy disk and make
changes to it.
- (Ubuntu users use sudo in front of these
superuser commands, when it asks for the password use your user
password.)
3. Modify disk image
-
Copy BIOS update program to disk.
# cp BIOSUPDA.EXE a-mount-point/
- make a descriptive
AUTOEXEC.BAT, that might help users who are unfamiliar with DOS (or
those of us who have forgotten :-)
- remember the
standard screen is 80 columns by 24 rows, so you might need to use
the PAUSE keyword for long message.
------------- example
AUTOEXEC.BAT
@ECHO OFF
CLS
ECHO
FreeDOS (http://www.freedos.org)
Boot Disk
ECHO.
ECHO This disk allows Dell
Insipiron 1100 Laptop users to install the
ECHO BIOS
Update A32 (this upgrade was released on 10/18/2005). This
ECHO
disk was created by Micah Cochran on 10/13/2005 and is an
ECHO
unofficial--not supported by Dell Inc.--method of upgrading.
ECHO.
ECHO DISCLAIMER
ECHO I,
Micah Cochran, disclaim any responsibility for damages to
ECHO
any computer in the use or misuse of this software. Furthermore,
ECHO
you, the End User, affirms that you have read the
ECHO
Dell Software License Agreement--DISCLAIM.HTM provided on this
ECHO
CD Image or on Dell's website--and agree to its terms,
also.
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO
To start the upgrade: at A:> prompt type 'I1100A32' (no
quotes)
ECHO
(and press enter)
ECHO.
------------- End
of AUTOEXEC.BAT
# vi
AUTOEXEC.BAT
- This might fail for a couple reasons:
1. image does not have write
access, so,
umount FDOEM.144
chmod 644 FDOEM.144
2. mount
needs a write flag, umount, add the -w to mount
4.
Unmount disk image
# umount
FDOEM.144
5. Create an empty directory and move
FDOEM.144 into it.
This is preparation for the next
step.
$ mkdir iso-to-be/
$ mv FDOEM.144 iso-to-be/
- Anything you copy into
this folder will be on the CD, but will not be accessible at DOS
boot. Copy documentation, release notes, etc. here if you like.
6.
Make ISO.
$ mkisofs -b FDOEM.144
-o bootcd_upgrade.iso iso-to-be/
- the (-b) option
uses "El Torito" a method used to boot. It causes the CD
drive to act like a bootable floppy disk (which is stange when you
don't normally have an A drive!). This makes the image of that
bootable floppy.
7. Burn ISO.
- Use
either your favorite program or ol' cdrecord.
# cdrecord dev=/dev/hda bootcd_upgrade.iso
- If using
an CD-RW with files already on it add 'blank=fast' or 'blank=all' to
the options.
8. Reboot with CD in drive
A:> bootupda
(press enter)
Finishing up words
I
found a fairly clear indication that you cannot as of the writing
modify ISO CD images--or atleast I can't. I guess that the iso9660
driver is not currently up to the task of writing images.
Enjoy!
Oh, and as the Brits say, "Bob's your Uncle!"