Re: [flashrom] Issues updating MX25L3206E

[Marc Pascual]

On Thu, Oct 31, 2013 at 7:05 AM, David Hendricks wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 30, 2013 at 12:08 AM, marc pascual wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have an HP DL165 G7 and I applied the latest BIOS image from HP.
> >
> > root# flashrom -p internal:amd_imc_force=yes -w
> > /var/tmp/2012.07.27.A-O37_0727.ROM -c MX25L3206E
> >
> > flashrom v0.9.7-r1711 on Linux 2.6.32-358.2.1.el6.x86_64 (x86_64)
> > flashrom is free software, get the source code at http://www.flashrom.org
> >
> > Calibrating delay loop... OK.
> > Found chipset "AMD SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0". Enabling flash write... Writes
> > have been disabled for safety reasons because the presence of the IMC
> > was detected and it could interfere with accessing flash memory. Flashrom
> > will
> > try to disable it temporarily but even then this might not be safe:
> > when it is reenabled and after a reboot it expects to find working code
> > in the flash and it is unpredictable what happens if there is none.
> >
> > To be safe make sure that there is a working IMC firmware at the right
> > location in the image you intend to write and do not attempt to erase.
> >
> > You can enforce write support with the amd_imc_force programmer option.
> > Continuing with write support because the user forced us to!
> > OK.
> > Found Macronix flash chip "MX25L3206E" (4096 kB, SPI) at physical address
> > 0xffc00000.
> > Reading old flash chip contents... done.
> > Erasing and writing flash chip... Erase/write done.
> > Verifying flash... VERIFIED.
> >
> > However after rebooting the machine once, I'm getting this message:
> >
> > Detect a Unsame SDRR/Configuration Image in Current BIOS
> > BMC SDRR Version : 2.37.0.98      -->      2.33.1.226
> > Loading updated SDRR/CONFIGURATION to BMC -- DO NOT POWER OFF
> > Erasing Sectors  Done!
> > Uploading SDRR: 100%
> > Uploading Configuration: 100%
> > Update SDRR/Configuration Image successfully
> > Resetting BMC....
> >
> > The machine reboots itself again, and I see the same message the second
> > time around. It reboots itself again.
> >
> > This time, it can't find my local disk:
> >
> > Reboot and Select proper Boot device
> > or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key
> >
> > I issue a reset, then everything seems to be fine from here.
> >
> > /./-> reset /system1/console1
> > System1 reset.
> >
> > /./-> start /system1/console1
> > ...
> > (boots to the OS)
> >
> > Is this normal, or is this related to the warning about IMC being
> > detected?
>
> This seems normal for the HP DL165 G7. In general, Flashrom does not know
> about vendor-specific BMCs. I guess that the BMC configuration is stored on
> the same ROM as the BIOS, so flashing the .ROM file provided by HP wipes it
> out and the BMC must be re-configured.

Thanks for your response. It does seem normal. I was able to replicate this
consistently -- only happens when downgrading from a higher ROM version. I
don't know what's exactly going on, but what happens is that after a
reboot, it downgrades the "BMC SDRR", resets the BMC, updates it again to
the previous version (what it was before), and finally resets the BMC for
the second time.

root# dmidecode -t bios

# dmidecode 2.11
SMBIOS 2.7 present.

Handle 0x0000, DMI type 0, 24 bytes
BIOS Information
        Vendor: HP
        Version: O37
        Release Date: 10/17/2012
        Address: 0xF0000
        Runtime Size: 64 kB
        ROM Size: 4096 kB

root# flashrom -p internal:amd_imc_force=yes -w
/var/tmp/2012.07.27.A-O37_0727.ROM -c MX25L3206E

(reboot)

Detect a Unsame SDRR/Configuration Image in Current BIOS
BMC SDRR Version : 2.37.0.98      -->      2.33.1.226
Loading updated SDRR/CONFIGURATION to BMC -- DO NOT POWER OFF
Erasing Sectors  Done!
Uploading SDRR: 100%
Uploading Configuration: 100%
Update SDRR/Configuration Image successfully
Resetting BMC.

Detect a Unsame SDRR/Configuration Image in Current BIOS
BMC SDRR Version : 2.33.1.226      -->      2.37.0.98
Loading updated SDRR/CONFIGURATION to BMC -- DO NOT POWER OFF
Erasing Sectors  Done!
Uploading SDRR: 100%
Uploading Configuration: 100%
Update SDRR/Configuration Image successfully
Resetting BMC.

(... normal boot up follows)

I don't know why it does this, but I think I should be asking HP.

Regards,
Marc