Ubuntu

how to bypass bios cut off

Asked by the badger

Hi!

I seem to need to update my BIOS. If I grabbed the right line in the terminal, then my motherboard is an ASUS A7N8X-X ACPI BIOS Rev 1006.

To explain why I want to update my BIOS, I've got an older 'puter and been getting error 18 in grub everytime i boot up for about a month now. i am able to launch ubuntu (i only have ubuntu 6.06) by choosing a slightly earlier kernel version. i'm wary about uninstalling the latest kernel version because it looks like synaptic wants to grab a lot of other kernel stuff along with it...scary. i'd like to upgrade to (or, all else failing, re-install with) gutsy. seems like updating the BIOS would be better to do before attempting upgrade.

so...I can only find a windows program for updating an ASUS BIOS. Please help!

many thanks.

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metanix (metanix) said : 		#1

Unfortunately motherboard manifacturers only provides DOS (?) floppy (???!!!???) based firmware upgrades, windows is the only other option, never heard of linux support so far...

A recent and notable exception is ASUS P5E3 Deluxe (i.e. pricey) motherboard, where you can browse the web, chat with skype and upgrade your firmware inside an instant-on (TM), BIOS-based, virus-resistant, friendly, PROPRIETARY linux environment.

Other than that, I never dared to upgrade my motherboard firmware using wine, DOSbox or anyting like that.

Ciao,
 Nic

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LucyB (lucybridges) said : 		#2

Manufacturers often provide a copy of FreeDOS, which can be put onto a floppy disk and used to upgrade your BIOS.

There's also a thread in the forums detailing this issue: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=591761

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the badger (drinkcoffeedestroy) said : 		#3

after poking around, and a bunch of help from another ubuntu forum member, i was pointed to the zipped .bin file for updating my BIOS at the support.asus.com website. mangaed to find someone who owned a floppy(?!) and borrowed it to use for the update. seems to have gone off without a hitch (yay!), but it didn't solve my GRUB error (boo!).

for anyone else it might aid, the link to the asus updates is here: http://support.asus.com/technicaldocuments/technicaldocuments.aspx?root=198&SLanguage=en-us

thanks.