Hello all:
I was interested in upgrading my computer BIOS. This is a laptop Dell Inspiron 510m. The mother board is an ICH4, more details on request.
So I came across flashroom and I tried to use it, and since the motherboard was recognised, there wasn't that luck with the BIOS chip. After all this I effectively did the upgrade but using the manufacturer recommended biosdisk method (it worked).
But after that I wanted to know more and aafter some talk with someone at the channel, he (sorry I can't remember your name) told me to send the flashrom -V report here and here I am:
flashrom -V Calibrating delay loop... 376M loops per second. ok No LinuxBIOS table found. Found chipset "ICH4-M": Enabling flash write... OK. Probing for Am29F040B, 512 KB probe_29f040b: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for Am29F016D, 2048 KB probe_29f040b: id1 0xff, id2 0xff Probing for AE49F2008, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for At29C040A, 512 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for At29C020, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for Mx29f002, 256 KB probe_29f002: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST29EE020A, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST28SF040A, 512 KB probe_28sf040: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST39SF010A, 128 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST39SF020A, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST39SF040, 512 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST39VF020, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST49LF040B, 512 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST49LF040, 512 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST49LF020A, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST49LF080A, 1024 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST49LF002A/B, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST49LF003A/B, 384 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST49LF004A/B, 512 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST49LF008A, 1024 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for Pm49FL002, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST49LF004C, 512 KB probe_49lfxxxc: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST49LF008C, 1024 KB probe_49lfxxxc: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for SST49LF016C, 2048 KB probe_49lfxxxc: id1 0xff, id2 0xff Probing for SST49LF160C, 2048 KB probe_49lfxxxc: id1 0xff, id2 0xff Probing for Pm49FL004, 512 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for W29C011, 128 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for W29C020C, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for W49F002U, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for W49V002A, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for W49V002FA, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for W39V040FA, 512 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for W39V040A, 512 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for W39V040B, 512 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for W39V080A, 1024 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for M29F002B, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for M29F002T/NT, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for M29F400BT, 512 KB probe_m29f400bt: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for M29F040B, 512 KB probe_29f040b: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for 82802ab, 512 KB probe_82802ab: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for 82802ac, 1024 KB probe_82802ab: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for F49B002UA, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for LHF00L04, 1024 KB probe_lhf00l04: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for S29C51001T, 128 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for S29C51002T, 256 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for S29C51004T, 512 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for S29C31004T, 512 KB probe_jedec: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 No EEPROM/flash device found.
Regards,
On 04.08.2007 01:51, Raúl Sánchez Siles wrote:
Hello all:
I was interested in upgrading my computer BIOS. This is a laptop Dell Inspiron 510m. The mother board is an ICH4, more details on request.
Probably a board specific enable routine is needed.
So I came across flashroom and I tried to use it, and since the motherboard was recognised, there wasn't that luck with the BIOS chip. After all this I effectively did the upgrade but using the manufacturer recommended biosdisk method (it worked).
flashrom -V Calibrating delay loop... 376M loops per second. ok No LinuxBIOS table found. Found chipset "ICH4-M": Enabling flash write... OK. Probing for Am29F040B, 512 KB probe_29f040b: id1 0xea, id2 0xf0 Probing for Am29F016D, 2048 KB probe_29f040b: id1 0xff, id2 0xff
Summary: id1=0xea, id2=0xf0 for every flash size up to and including 1024 kb. Since this happens regardless of the identification routine used, I assume it is not an ID at all, but some value stored every 128 kb on the flash chip. This can be verified by using the Dell flash utility to backup the existing bios and look at the first 2 bytes of the resulting image.
However, using the Dell flash utility to find out the name of the flash chip would also be helpful.
Regards, Carl-Daniel
On Sat, Aug 04, 2007 at 03:36:20AM +0200, Carl-Daniel Hailfinger wrote:
This can be verified by using the Dell flash utility to backup the existing bios and look at the first 2 bytes of the resulting image.
Is this something Dell always do?
I haven't seen the 2 byte id in the actual contents before.
(When the chip is in ID state it sends out the ids instead of flash contents.)
//Peter
* Carl-Daniel Hailfinger c-d.hailfinger.devel.2006@gmx.net [070804 03:36]:
Summary: id1=0xea, id2=0xf0 for every flash size up to and including 1024 kb. Since this happens regardless of the identification routine used, I assume it is not an ID at all, but some value stored every 128 kb on the flash chip.
What is the actual flash chip vendor/device of that system?
On some chips the jedec ID command returns flash sector protection information instead of the ID.
It might also be that the ID mode is never left again, which makes it always return the same values.
Stefan
Stefan Reinauer wrote:
- Carl-Daniel Hailfinger c-d.hailfinger.devel.2006@gmx.net [070804
03:36]:
Summary: id1=0xea, id2=0xf0 for every flash size up to and including 1024 kb. Since this happens regardless of the identification routine used, I assume it is not an ID at all, but some value stored every 128 kb on the flash chip.
What is the actual flash chip vendor/device of that system?
I'm sorry but I've been unable to get that info from the Dell flash utility. When loaded it's no chance to get any info like that. The only option I'm given is to reflash the BIOS again.
I would be glad to test any other tool/method you propose to get the info.
Thanks.
On 05.08.2007 21:45, Raúl Sánchez Siles wrote:
I'm sorry but I've been unable to get that info from the Dell flash utility. When loaded it's no chance to get any info like that. The only option I'm given is to reflash the BIOS again.
I would be glad to test any other tool/method you propose to get the info.
It seems that Dell has a BIOS update tool for Linux. Documentation is at http://linux.dell.com/libsmbios/main/dellBiosUpdate.html
Maybe that can be used to find the necessary info.
Besides that, it would be nice if someone could add generic Dell support to flashrom.
Regards, Carl-Daniel
Carl-Daniel Hailfinger wrote:
On 05.08.2007 21:45, Raúl Sánchez Siles wrote:
I'm sorry but I've been unable to get that info from the Dell flash utility. When loaded it's no chance to get any info like that. The only option I'm given is to reflash the BIOS again.
I would be glad to test any other tool/method you propose to get the info.
It seems that Dell has a BIOS update tool for Linux. Documentation is at http://linux.dell.com/libsmbios/main/dellBiosUpdate.html
Maybe that can be used to find the necessary info.
I had check out that as well, but the only valuable thing that could be done with that is BIOS flashing. Reading is not possible AFAIK.
Besides that, it would be nice if someone could add generic Dell support to flashrom.
I sign this, but without specs it will be very difficult. Contact me if you need me to do some testing. Undangerous experiments will have preference :P
Thanks for the answer.
On Thu, Aug 16, 2007 at 09:09:21PM +0200, Raúl Sánchez Siles wrote:
It seems that Dell has a BIOS update tool for Linux. Documentation is at http://linux.dell.com/libsmbios/main/dellBiosUpdate.html
Maybe that can be used to find the necessary info.
I had check out that as well, but the only valuable thing that could be done with that is BIOS flashing. Reading is not possible AFAIK.
As far as I know the way the Dell flashing tools work is that they upload the new bios image to ram, and set a flag (in cmos?) for the bios to reflash itself on the next boot from the ram image.
So that doesn't really help us with regard to flashrom, I'm afraid.
Besides that, it would be nice if someone could add generic Dell support to flashrom.
+1
Thanks, Ward.
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Carl-Daniel Hailfinger -
Peter Stuge -
Raúl Sánchez Siles -
Stefan Reinauer -
Ward Vandewege