On Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:23:27 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:

> > I wonder why we have BIOS flash programs at all.
>
> <facetious reply>
> because without them we couldn't flash stuff?
> </facetious reply>

Don't tell my motherboard that or it will refuse to update next time
unless I run some program or other.


--
Neil Bothwick

teG I sdrawkcaB eroM ehT oG I sdrawroF eroM ehT

On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 10:26 AM, Grant <emailgrant@gmail.com> wrote:
> I need to update the BIOS on my Biostar motherboard, but the utility
> is said to be "Windows 2000 / XP / VISTA". I've flashed the BIOS in
> other systems by booting a FreeDOS CD, but that won't work for a
> Windows (not DOS) flashing utility, will it? I tried running the
> utility via wine with no luck.

Some Biostar motherboards have a flashing utility built-in. Try to
press F12 or something during POST, or check the manual to see what
the key might possibly be if your motherboard has such a function.

On Wednesday 20 January 2010 22:19:13 Neil Bothwick wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:23:27 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:
> > > I wonder why we have BIOS flash programs at all.
> >
> > <facetious reply>
> > because without them we couldn't flash stuff?
> > </facetious reply>
>
> Don't tell my motherboard that or it will refuse to update next time
> unless I run some program or other.

So without a program to do flash updates (or at least some code somewhere that
might not be in .exe or ELF format) how does your motherboard do flash
updates?


--
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com

On Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:39:46 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:

> > Don't tell my motherboard that or it will refuse to update next time
> > unless I run some program or other.
>
> So without a program to do flash updates (or at least some code
> somewhere that might not be in .exe or ELF format) how does your
> motherboard do flash updates?

There's code somewhere of course, but no program to run. I just put the
update file on a USB stick and hold down a key while booting. The code
runs direct from the motherboard, there's no operating system
requirement, it's a very civilized system.

Yes, I plug the stick in too, but I hope you'd already worked that bit
out


--
Neil Bothwick

The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody
appreciates how difficult it was.

Alan McKinnon wrote:
> On Wednesday 20 January 2010 20:13:11 Neil Bothwick wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:53:23 +0800, Xi Shen wrote:
>>
>>> i just wonder why we do not have BIOS flash program on linux.
>>>
>> I wonder why we have BIOS flash programs at all.
>>
>
> <facetious reply>
> because without them we couldn't flash stuff?
> </facetious reply>
>
>
Coreboot has a flashing utility I believe.

On Thursday 21 January 2010 00:40:26 Neil Bothwick wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:39:46 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:
> > > Don't tell my motherboard that or it will refuse to update next time
> > > unless I run some program or other.
> >
> > So without a program to do flash updates (or at least some code
> > somewhere that might not be in .exe or ELF format) how does your
> > motherboard do flash updates?
>
> There's code somewhere of course, but no program to run. I just put the
> update file on a USB stick and hold down a key while booting. The code
> runs direct from the motherboard, there's no operating system
> requirement, it's a very civilized system.

Yes, very civilised.

I have a hacked-up-too-gazooks android phone that works the same way

--
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com

On Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 11:36 PM, Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thursday 21 January 2010 00:40:26 Neil Bothwick wrote:
>> On Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:39:46 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:
>> > > Don't tell my motherboard that or it will refuse to update next time
>> > > unless I run some program or other.
>> >
>> > So without a program to do flash updates (or at least some code
>> > somewhere that might not be in .exe or ELF format) how does your
>> > motherboard do flash updates?
>>
>> There's code somewhere of course, but no program to run. I just put the
>> update file on a USB stick and hold down a key while booting. The code
>> runs direct from the motherboard, there's no operating system
>> requirement, it's a very civilized system.
>
> Yes, very civilised.
>
> I have a hacked-up-too-gazooks android phone that works the same way
>

It doesn't help Grant (at least directly) but the new Intel MB I got
to replace my 5 year old Asus which fried last week lists 4 ways to
update BIOS:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18509&ProdId=3142&l ang=eng

The fourth is specifically for Linux systems.

- Mark

>> I need to update the BIOS on my Biostar motherboard, but the utility
>> is said to be "Windows 2000 / XP / VISTA". *I've flashed the BIOS in
>> other systems by booting a FreeDOS CD, but that won't work for a
>> Windows (not DOS) flashing utility, will it? *I tried running the
>> utility via wine with no luck.
>
> Some Biostar motherboards have a flashing utility built-in. Try to
> press F12 or something during POST, or check the manual to see what
> the key might possibly be if your motherboard has such a function.

Thank you, this is how I ended up doing it. It sounds like most
modern motherboards are including an OS-independent flashing method so
that's great.

An XP USB key only working on one system doesn't sound as good as I
thought, and it doesn't sound like there is much history of coreboot
working out with people here. Maybe it just isn't necessary much any
more?

- Grant

>> XP on a USB stick.... *It sounds like a Windows machine is necessary
>> to build it, but once it's built it would be really handy.
>
> I have found my attempts at building this or a CD-based PE very frustrating
> indeed. It seems like an awful lot of aggro when you could just download
> exactly the same thing that someone else has already built, if only the
> license permitted it.
>
> Perhaps it's just seemed like a lot of work because it's never been a goal
> of mine to make a bootable Windows CD or USB stick - I've always been trying
> to build them in order to help me achieve some other goal, and it's been far
> more faffing about that I've been prepared to tolerate.
>
> There used *to be plenty of PE builds available by the usual pirate sites,
> but I have no idea whether that's still the case. I seem to be getting more
> efficient at not needing them.
>
> Stroller.

Has anyone tried winbuilder:

http://winbuilder.net/

It's supposed to be great.

- Grant