Mini-9 Bios update for Ubuntu?

Question

Hi, I've noticed that there are two new Bios versions for the mini-9 (A01 and A02). My mini, which arrived 4 days ago, shipped with BIOS A00. I've read elsewhere that there is a noticeable improvement in (bios) start-up time with A02. The download page here: http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?os=BIOSA&osl=EN&catid=-1&impid=-1&servicetag=&SystemID=INSPIRON910&hidos=WW1&hidlang=en&TabIndex= claims that the downloadable file can be run either from within windows or from a dos floppy, but it doesn't work from a dos floppy (well, I tried a dos usbstick). When attempted it simply reports that it can't be run from within dos.

That seems to leave those of us with ubuntu minis out of luck on the bios update and quicker start-up times.

I did read on another forum someplace someone suggested using the dos flashing tool that is packaged with the A00 bios to flash the A02 bios. Any comments here on whether that's advisable?

I'm very pleased with the mini hardware - really nicely done. I did manage to compile a new kernel to see the full gigabyte of ram, and made a swap partition so it can hibernate...

DELL-Jesse L · Answer

cmspider, Thank you for using the Dell Community Forum. Our engineers are looking into this issue. We should have information on flashing the bio on Ubuntu systems soon.

cmspider · Answer

Jesse,

that's excellent news, thanks.

The Bios issues I'm aware of (having read other forums elsewhere, and found myself)

1) start-up time - would be great if it could be a little faster.

2) low-battery alarm beeping. Could this somehow be disabled?

3) the battery discharge rate doesn't seem to appear correctly - seems like this might be a bios bug, or an acpi driver bug.

In ubuntu, in /proc/acpi/battery/BAT0/state, the discharge rate always reads 0.

somms · Answer

http://mydellmini.com/forum/f11-and-f12-keys-are-now-active-t1122.html#p8248

Never attempt to flash the BIOS of your Mini under anything but DOS!!!

Numerous users have reported 'bricking' their Mini by attempting to flash the BIOS using Dell's app...

http://mydellmini.com/forum/bios-upgrade-utility-tail-from-bios-upgrade-failure-topic--t1063.html

DOS is by far the simplest, safest and fastest method of flashing the BIOS of either the 910 or A90 up to the latest versions...

STEVEK · Answer

cmspider,

Thank you for using the Dell Community Forum.

Our engineers are looking into this issue. We should have information on flashing the bio on Ubuntu systems soon.

i too have read all alternate methods to update the bios and find it frustrating even to attempt to throw away my money, just in case i brick it.

i am indeed trying to wait patiently for an ubuntu bios update utility. the owness should not be on the end user.

Steve

cmspider · Answer

Jesse,

I just came across another issue that may well be bios related. Running powertop on my mini 9 shows that the CPU spends 30-40% of the time running, even when totally idle. There is lots of discussion on launchpad about various bios acpi and apic issues that might be responsible for this.

One of the most relevant seems to be:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/177895

But this looks like it might be a huge battery life issue (like we might get lots more life if it can be fixed. The suggestion in that thread to disable all but the first CPU (the atom hyperthreads - so it looks like two cpus) on my system allows it to spend 95% time in C3, rather than 50-60% when both 'cpus' are enabled.

pgoodall · Answer

Hi,

So I managed to create a DOS boot disk, downloaded the BIOS update (that says it works in either Windows or DOS) and when I run the executable it says, "This program cannot be run in DOS mode." I'm a bit stuck. Any answers?

cmspider · Answer

It turns out that that is a windows only executable. I did manage to upgrade to A02 using a dos-bootable USB flash drive, but its not trivial. There is a post here on how to do it (I didn't try following those instructions so can't vouch for them).

http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/bios-upgrade-fails-p7011.html#p7011

I wouldn't try it unless you are confident you know what you're doing.

pgoodall · Answer

I ended up finding this on the Ubuntu forums:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?s=7f14a3b383c3514f991f089e5b4bd105&p=6215802&postcount=6

As with the solution you posted, it was not for the faint of heart. Btw, the instructions don't mention it, but to extract the files from the A02 windows executable you can use wine and get the files from ~/.wine/drive_c/windows/temp/WINPHLASH/

buzzware · Answer

The method pgoodall referenced worked well for me. You're simply using the dos flash utility from the earlier BIOS code with the new ROM file from the current BIOS code. I was more comfortable with this than other methods.

The biggest trick is making a bootable USB drive if you don't have any computers with floppy drives, but there is plenty of info around the net to help with that.

hackel · Answer

Can the bios.rom file in the exe file be installed with the standard dellBiosUpdate program as described here?

It's really ridiculous that Dell has not come up with Linux solutions for updating thie BIOS when they ship the product with Ubuntu. Why don't they include all of their standard Linux tools like they have for their other systems?

cmspider · Answer

This is disappointing - A03 is out, and is still a windows-only executable...

cmspider · Answer

Now A04 is out, and is still a windows-only executable, despite the instructions that say it will run under dos...

David Prentice · Answer

Come on Dell! Whats the holdup? Whats the deal with bios updates that are PROMISED as Windows/DOS but are in actuality Windows-only? I'd love to see you support the Mini with an Ubuntu/Linux compatable bios utility, but I would be perfectly satisfied with a bios upgrade that works AS ADVERTISED and will flash from DOS.

DELL-Jesse L · Answer

cbspider,

Thank you for using the Dell Community Forum.

There are no Bios updates for Ubuntu. There are no need for any at this time. This is messaging from the Engineers at Dell. What are you trying to fix with a bios update?

cmspider · Answer

Well, the bios that shipped in my mini-9 doesn't have F-11 and F-12, which after A02 are now Fn-X and Fn-Z.

I'd love to get rid of the beeping when the battery is starting to run low. I don't know if that's been fixed in A04 or not.

One of the improvements listed on the A04 download page is:

> 7.Battery performance improvement.

which sounds useful.

And according to a post here:

http://mydellmini.com/forum/bios-upgrade-utility-split-from-bios-upgrade-failure-topic--t1063s10.html

There is a linux specific fix in A02

> 1.Support Brightness OSD control under Linux

Linux General

Mini-9 Bios update for Ubuntu?

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