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How to update UEFI (BIOS) on Dell-Wyse Dx0Q from Alpine Linux
August 25th, 2019
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Let me start out by saying that the Dell website is complete and utter
garbage, when I typed in my serial number, it seriously pulled up an
older Wyse model (D10DP) that would likely brick my system... So please
be extremely careful when using their site.
Despite the annoyances, I do think it is important to update the BIOS
though so that you can have the AMD processor microcode loaded as early
as possible in the boot process to help mitigate some side channel
security vulnerabilities that are inherent to nearly all x86_64 arch
processors.
My endeavours to update the BIOS despite the dell website being generally
useless were inspired by a mention to the Linux flashrom program
mentioned on David Parkinson's website,
and also a very nice tutorial for flashrom on the PCLOS forums.
To make things easier on everyone, I'll provide a direct link to the
UEFI update... It should work as long as the following are true:
1. You're not using Windows. This firmware will remove the windows
product activation from UEFI, and windows boot related code.
(also if if you're using a Dell/Wyse supplied network boot OS other
than ThinLinux, don't bother with this firmware)
2. Your model number is Dx0Q
3. Your part number starts with 909
4. Your sub-assembly part number starts with 849
5. Your product ID starts with D90Q8 15W
If all of the above fits your situation, download the firmware file:
https://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER05720292M/1/ThinLinux_20G_BIOS.zip
It's version 2.0G (02/11/2019), a good improvement over the 1.something
(2013) that mine shipped with.
Now, before we do anything with the downloaded UEFI/BIOS, we should make
a backup of the old one just in case! First become a superuser via either
"sudo sh" or "su", whichever you prefer, and make sure you are in a
directory on your machine that has persistant storage!
If you are using Alpine Linux, like me, install the flashrom package
first with the alpine package manager:
# apk add flashrom flashrom-doc
After apk does its thing, we'll use the flashrom program to save your
current BIOS like to the directory you are currently in like so:
# flashrom -p internal:laptop=this_is_not_a_laptop -r oldbios && sync
After a few minutes, if successful, flashrom should have saved your
backup to a file named "oldbios". Please check the size on this file, it
should be exactly 8388608 bytes for the Dx0Q, if it's another size, then
you probably don't have a reliable backup.
If your backup completed successfully, lets unpack the previously
downloaded BIOS and switch to the directory containing the firmware:
# unzip ThinLinux_20G_BIOS.zip
# cd ThinLinux*BIOS/ThinLinux*BIOS/ThinLinux*BIOS/ThinLinux*BIOS
Check the file permissions and size on your downloaded BIOS image, make
sure they match (ALL BIOS image for this machine must be 8388608 bytes!)
# ls -l bios.img
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 8388608 Aug 25 05:40 bios.img
For extra paranoia, you can also do a quick md5sum:
# md5sum bios.img
b430dad0d72464b0817b7e656e75be93 bios.img
If your downloaded image checks out (and please check it, you don't want
a brick, do you?), then lets go flash it!!!
# flashrom -p internal:laptop=this_is_not_a_laptop -w bios.img
Flashrom is a nice program, it will not only write your new bios image,
but it will pull it back and verify it too, so after several minutes it
should print on-screen confirmation that it worked! Awesome!
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Comments have been left on this post:
how do measure hardware draw?
Posted Sat Aug 17 01:10:38 UTC 2019 by 46.182.18.29
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I use either a Kill-a-watt EZ or the built-in power meter on my UPS
(CyberPower CP1350PFCLCD) when I do measurements myself.
Any WYSE wattages I have posted about before today came from David
Parkinson's website https://www.parkytowers.me.uk/thin/wyse/d/dx0q/
Intel TDP numbers are from Intel ARK: https://ark.intel.com
Posted Sat Aug 17 21:15:01 UTC 2019 by zcrayfish
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please post more about this. I'm currently running a Z90 as a home
server https://grosu.nl/systems/wyse.html
Posted Mon Aug 19 00:33:52 UTC 2019 by 217.19.24.30
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Hi. I have checked your gopher.zcrayfish.soy and i see you
Posted Wed Mar 18 16:06:52 UTC 2020 by 127.0.0.1
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