Re: Updating motherboard BIOS without MS Windows

From: Nuno Teixeira <eduardo@freebsd.org>
Subject: Updating motherboard BIOS without MS Windows
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2023 10:56:58 +0000

> Hello all,
> 
> Maybe not the best mailing to ask it but...
> 
> How do you update BIOS without Windows since most brands only have bios software to windows?
> 
> I'm about to buy a new pc without windows license and I'm looking for brands that have bios-cli that work in FreeBSD.
> 
> Thanks,

I always buy PC parts and assemble them by myself. Currently I have 3
PCs that use motherboard of different brands. And BIOS of all 3
motherbords includes the way to update itself without the help of OS
and/or utility program. Typically it works as following.

1. Enter BIOS menu.
2. Invoke the way to update BIOS.
3. Read input file from the media formatted with FAT file system.
4. Start updating BIOS.
5. After finished PC is rebooted.

On the other hand, new versions of BIOS are provided on the web site
of each brand as zip archive. So BIOS of motherboard can be updated
with following steps.

1. Download zip archive of BIOS file from web site of motherboard
   brand.
2. Extract BIOS file from the archive with `unzip`.
3. Insert USB memstick.
4. Format the memstick with `newfs_msdos`.
5. Mount the partion with `mount -t msdosfs` and copy BIOS file to it.
6. Reboot PC and enter BIOS menu.
7. Invoke the way to update BIOS.
8. Select BIOS file in the memstick as input.
9. Start update of BIOS.

Though I haven't check motherboards of eatch brand in detail, I think
it rather common for recent motherboards to provide similar
functionality.

It seems you are going to buy already assembled PC. And I'm not sure
if it's easy to know the brand and model of the motherboard used with
the PC. But if it isn't diffcult there is good chance you can select
and buy the PC that can update BIOS with similar way as above.

HTH.

---
Yasuhiro Kimura