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SubjectRE: Flash BIOS under linux
On Tue, 6 Apr 1999, Greaves Tristan TM wrote:

> Mike,
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Mike Panetta [mailto:mpanetta@realminfo.com]
> > Sent: Thursday, April 01, 1999 3:38 PM
> > To: linux-kernel@vger.rutgers.edu
> > Subject: Flash BIOS under linux
> >
> > Does anyone know if there is a kernel or user space facility
> > that allows one to flash the BIOS under linux? If such a thing
> > exists where would I get it?
>
> Depends on what you mean by "flash" really. Do you mean reset to
> defaults, set to zero etc?
>

I think Mike just means updating his BIOS without having to boot
off a DOS bootdisk. Flashing the BIOS with zero bytes is hardly
useful :)

> I mean....
>
> cat /dev/random >/dev/nvram (*)
>
> Would do a good job of doing nasty things to your BIOS, I would have
> thought. :-)
>
Nopo. It only overwrites the contents of your NVRAM (hence the
device name). That's where your BIOS stores its config information.
Thus it's nasty enough.
If you want to overwrite your flash, there is a /dev/bios driver
written by a guy called Stefan Reinauer. Have a look at
http://www.freiburg.linux.de/~stepan/bios/ for more information.
I never used it and I don't know whether I would use it without having
a means of restoring my Flash BIOS if things go wrong.

Over and out,
-Ralf

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Experience is what you got when you didn't get what you wanted.

[PGP key available upon request.]


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