How to update BIOS on a system that only use Linux as OS.

Asking this because some clowns at Acer decided that they will only provide BIOS updates through Windows Update.

Edit: I'm not talking about installing the BIOS file. They don't even provide BIOS file in the first place.

  • llothar@lemmy.ml
    ·
    2 months ago

    There is no universal solution to this. Some vendors support fwupd (LVFS) on some hardware (Dell, Lenovo), some allow to update via a file on a USB stick (Asus).

    Unless it is a system from Linux first company (Tuxedo, StarLabs, System76, Slimbook) expect to manually check what the specific model you are looking at supports.

    • gpstarman@lemmy.today
      ·
      2 months ago

      I'm not talking about installing the BIOS file. They don't even provide BIOS file in the first place.

      Also, I don't think fwupd has firmware for this particular laptop. ( Acer One 14 Z2-493 )

      • llothar@lemmy.ml
        ·
        2 months ago

        That's the thing - there is no option to update BIOS on Linux then.

        You must install Windows or maybe use one of those unofficial Windows Live USB images.

    • utopiah@lemmy.ml
      ·
      2 months ago

      system from Linux first company (Tuxedo, StarLabs, System76, Slimbook)

      Indeed that's IMHO the solution, namely prioritizing ecosystem that genuinely see Linux as something valuable, with an addressable market, rather than a cost linked to annoying users.

  • Evil_incarnate@lemm.ee
    ·
    2 months ago

    I had an Acer laptop once. I had Ubuntu on it. I had problems with random crashing after a few minutes, I ran memtest, it took a few hours for a full test and came back with a whole slew of faults. I sent it to Acer under warranty and they told me that Linux was the problem and I should leave windows on it.

    • gpstarman@lemmy.today
      ·
      2 months ago

      I called the "technical" support regarding this issue. And they said they'll only support Windows.

      Making your entire hardware reliant on particular proprietary software like Windows is just stupid.

      Never buying Acer again.

      At this point, I don't even know which vendor to buy, when everybody is shit.

      • WFH@lemm.ee
        ·
        2 months ago

        Tuxedo, Framework, Slimbook, System76, Starlabs are Linux-first vendors with an excellent track record.

        • gpstarman@lemmy.today
          ·
          2 months ago

          I know and Framework is just mouth watering. And Chad76 created their own distro and DE.

          it's just sad that they are not selling on my country.

          • WFH@lemm.ee
            ·
            2 months ago

            Yes. Tuxedo is German, Slimbook Spanish, Starlabs British, NovaCustom Dutch.... Framework is US/Taiwanese but sells within select EU countries and the UK. AFAIK S76 is US/Canada only.

            Edit: most of these actually ship worldwide but won't collect VAT and probably won't honor warranty claims outside their territory.

      • cRazi_man@lemm.ee
        ·
        2 months ago

        A 128 or 256 GB SSD or NVME drive costs £10 to £15 on eBay used. I would buy one and put Windows on it when sending back for warranty repair. OP should actually just do this for the BIOS update and then swap out the SSD back to the Linux one after.

  • terminhell@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    ·
    2 months ago

    Install windows on a second/spare drive. Boot PC from this and run their tool.

    I know you're trying to find a way around not using windows, but if the vendors only solution involves it, I wouldn't trust any hacky workarounds when it comes to bios updates.

  • sic_semper_tyrannis@lemmy.today
    ·
    2 months ago

    Is there an option to save the new bios update file to a USB stick, then enter bios and trigger an update manually that fetches the file from said USB stick?

    I've done it this way with an Asrock motherboard for desktop running Bazzite.

  • ZephrC@lemm.ee
    ·
    2 months ago

    All the security updates are in the microcode loaded by the bootloader even before the kernel is loaded, so unless there's some new feature, bugfix, or hardware support you specifically know you need it's not important to update your BIOS anyway. Which is good, because as far as I can tell you're just screwed by a bad hardware vendor.

    • gpstarman@lemmy.today
      ·
      2 months ago

      not important to update your BIOS

      Not actually gonna update BIOS. but just curious.

      bad hardware vendor.

      Which accurately translates to Acer.

  • deerdelighted@lemmy.ml
    ·
    2 months ago

    Frankly in my opinion, bios should only be updatable from the bios itself. No matter which os we talk about, it can always get in the way.

  • notthebees@reddthat.com
    ·
    2 months ago

    I know for HP machines, the bios updater exe can be decompressed and you can just get the bios image and the signature file from that.

    Idk what machine you have, but at least for an older aspire laptop my friend has, there is a bios download.

    If you follow instructions to make bios recovery media, you can update your bios through that.

    Edit: that Acer laptop you have doesn't even show up on Acer's support page. Supposedly it's sold as an Acer aspire a something or other. If you search based on your snid, you should be able to get to a downloads page.

    Also clevo seems to make this laptop, according to the Acer India webpage I found for it

    • gpstarman@lemmy.today
      ·
      2 months ago

      doesn't even show up on Acer's support page.

      This is exactly my problem.

      If you search based on your snid, you should be able to get to a downloads page.

      Still nothing.

      Thank You.

    • gpstarman@lemmy.today
      ·
      2 months ago

      Thank you.

      I think it's stupid to provide something hardware related like BIOS exclusively through a particular proprietary software like Windows.