HOWTO: Update BIOS Using CD

[vermaden]

Its a lot more comfortable to update the BIOS by using generated ISO image with all needed files to update, then to struggle with old floppies, which you also not always can use, below is a script that generates bootable ISO image called cd.iso, you can burn it and use it to update you BIOS.

I also attached bootable floppy image __bootable.img that is needed to create such bootable ISO, which you need to gunzip and put in the same place as the script.

#! /bin/sh

BOOT=__bootdisk.img

if [ ${#} -eq 0 ]
then
  echo "usage: $( basename ${0} ) BIOS.rom FLASH.exe ..."
  exit 1
fi

mkisofs -J -R -b ${BOOT} -o cd.iso ${BOOT} $@

[vermaden]

An update to the method used before, previously I used MS-DOS 1.44 MB bootable floppy and added BIOS files to CD-ROM image, so an emulated floppy needed to load CD-ROM driver and then you was able to flash the BIOS. Now I use open/free 2.88 MB floppy with FreeDOS instead, and BIOS files are kept directly on the emulated floppy, so no need to load all these CD-ROM drivers, so it also boots a lot faster.

The script itself is here:

#! /bin/sh

trap __clean 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15

# bootable 2.88 MB floppy image from: http://fdos.org/bootdisks/
FLOPPY=FDSTD.288

__status() {
  [ ${?} -eq 0 ] || {
    echo "ER: ${@}"
    exit 1
    }
  }

__clean() {
  cd /
  umount mnt 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
  UNIT=$( echo ${UNIT} | tr -d 'a-z' 2> /dev/null )
  mdconfig -d -u ${UNIT} 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
  }

[ ${USER} = root ] || {
  echo "ER: only root may use that script"
  exit 1
  }

for I in fetch gzip mdconfig mkdir mount_msdosfs cp umount rm tr mkisofs
do
  which ${I} 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null || {
    echo "ER: ${I} is not available in ${PATH}"
    exit 1
    }
done

fetch http://www.fdos.org/bootdisks/autogen/${FLOPPY}.gz 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
__status "fetch(1) failed"

gzip -d -f ${FLOPPY}.gz 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
__status "gzip(1) failed"

UNIT=$( mdconfig -a -t vnode -f ${FLOPPY} 2> /dev/null )
__status "mdconfig(8) failed (create)"

mkdir -p mnt 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
__status "mkdir(1) failed"

mount_msdosfs /dev/${UNIT} mnt 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
__status "mount(8) failed"

cp bios/* mnt 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
__status "cp(1) failed"

umount mnt 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
__status "umount(8) failed"

rm -r mnt 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
__status "rm(1) failed"

UNIT=$( echo ${UNIT} | tr -d 'a-z' 2> /dev/null )
__status "tr(1) failed"

mdconfig -d -u ${UNIT} 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
__status "mdconfig(8) failed (destroy)"

mkisofs -J -R -b ${FLOPPY} -o bios.iso ${FLOPPY} 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
__status "mkisofs(1) failed"

Put all BIOS related stuff (flashing program/BIOS itself) into bios directory in the same place as this script is, lets call it create_bios_iso.sh, the listing will look like that:

# find .
./bios
./bios/flash.exe
./bios/bios.img
./create_bios_iso.sh

... and after usage:

# find .
./FDSTD.288
./bios.iso
./bios
./bios/flash.exe
./bios/bios.img
./create_bios_iso.sh

[Carpetsmoker]

Using a bootable FreeDOS USB drive works better IMO, you can add/remove stuff as needed.
I made mine with GRUB4DOS, grub4dos is not just "grub for dos" but also adds many features (Unfortunately, documentation is even worse than grub!).
Previously I also used SysLinux for the same task.

[vermaden]

Yes but I havent found any decent howto on that topic (bootable dos on pendrive), I started to search for syslinux sollution since memstick images are created with that, You have any links on taht topic?

[Carpetsmoker]

The "official" Syslinux docs do a pretty good job on that IMO.

It's very simple, just run the syslinux command (IIRC it's in FreeBSD ports), then adjust the syslinux.cfg startup file, which is also very simple ... Just read the Docs ...

[vermaden]

Ok, thanks, I will do that

[FBSD]

I don’t think you really booted the cd your scripts create. The floppy.image is booted and is on the cd as a file named floppy.image, but the flash and new bios img files are not there. And for such a simple process you go and post scripts with out any explanations of what the scripts are doing. The reader has to be expert in writing scripts to even start understand what is happening. This sure is not a how to in my book

As sysadmin I all ways login as root.
1. copy your msdos.floppy.img to root. In my case the floppy image contains the basic programs to fix any fat32 drive, IE. [fdisk, format, more, scandisk, edit, chkdsk, find, command.com, sys.com, io.sys, msdos.sys].
2. Download from your BIOS vendor the program to flash the bios and the new.bios.img file. Put them in root.
3. Make a memory disk of the msdos.floppy.img

  mdconfig -f msdos.floppy.img
  mount -t msdosfs /dev/md0 /mnt
  cd /mnt
  ls

Now you see all the files in the floppy.image. To this you have to add the 2 files from the vendor used to update your motherboard BIOS chip

 cp flash.exe  /mnt/
 cp new.bios.img /mnt
 ls

Now you will see your BIOS update files added to the floppy image
Now back out

  cd /root
  umount /mnt
  mdconfig -d -u md0

Now your ready to create the cd.iso file. You will need the mkisofs command. It's not part of the base system so you have to install it from the ports system or package system.

 pkg_add -r cdrtools
 rehash
 mkisofs -J -R -b msdos.floppy.img -o cd.iso msdos.floppy.img

Now your ready to burn the cd.iso file to CDROM. The burncd program is part of the base system. If your using a cd/rw cd and it all ready has stuff on it then blank it out.

 burncd -v -f /dev/acd0 -s4 -e blank fixate

Ready to burn your bootable floppy iso to cd

burncd -v -f /dev/acd0 -s4 -e data /root/cd.iso fixate

Booting from this newly created CD will put you at the MSDOS command line as drive A: To display the contents of drive A: issue

dir

Then key in the program to update the system BIOS chip

Flash

When completed, remove the CD from the CD/RW drive and reboot the PC.
If your PC doesn’t boot then you know you have very big problem. The BIOS update you just ran didn’t work or the update.bios.img file was not the correct one for your bios chip. Your only remaining option is to buy a new motherboard from a know vendor who provides technical support for their equipment.

[vermaden]

Originally Posted by FBSD

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]I don’t think you really booted the cd your scripts create. The floppy.image is booted and is on the cd as a file named floppy.image, but the flash and new bios img files are not there.

... I did booted int (on Dell e6400 laptop for example, flash.exe and bios.bin were on the same floppy image, not on CD itself (this it why I use 2.88 MB floppy instead of 1.44 MB one).

And for such a simple process you go and post scripts with out any explanations of what the scripts are doing.

... and my fault is that someone do not know what is happening? Please.
man ANY_COMMAND will tell him everything.

The reader has to be expert in writing scripts to even start understand what is happening. This sure is not a how to in my book

It shows how to simply create bootable ISO image and update BIOS, if You are not able to burn ISO image to CD in the operating system that you use, you definitely should not update BIOS ... PERIOD.

Someone just can take this script and use it, even without understanding it.

As sysadmin I all ways login as root.

... and You run X11 on root also?

(YOUR EXPLANATIONS)

All of them are exacly the same as mine, so whats the point?