FAQ - Revision history

Stefanct: flashrom.org

2013-04-02T13:24:21Z

flashrom.org

Stefanct: links to flashrom corrected

2013-04-02T13:12:46Z

links to flashrom corrected

Stefanct: /* How can I retrieve a good video BIOS? */

2012-10-13T02:46:58Z

‎How can I retrieve a good video BIOS?

Stepan: /* What is coreboot? */

2011-03-05T01:32:51Z

‎What is coreboot?

Uwe: /* Where can I buy BIOS chips (empty or pre-flashed)? */ Website dead.

2010-05-29T15:32:51Z

‎Where can I buy BIOS chips (empty or pre-flashed)?: Website dead.

Hailfinger: /* Inside mainboard BIOS (re)flash */ Update flashrom log+features, update information about uniflash+ctflasher.

2010-05-20T08:20:10Z

‎Inside mainboard BIOS (re)flash: Update flashrom log+features, update information about uniflash+ctflasher.

Hailfinger: /* Out of mainboard BIOS (re)flash */ More info, point to Paraflasher and flashrom

2010-05-20T08:07:13Z

‎Out of mainboard BIOS (re)flash: More info, point to Paraflasher and flashrom

XVilka: Fix uniflash address

2010-05-19T22:40:35Z

Fix uniflash address

Stepan: /* Can I put coreboot into a PCI expansion ROM? */

2009-12-05T15:27:37Z

‎Can I put coreboot into a PCI expansion ROM?

Stepan: /* Is coreboot applying x86 microcode patches? */

2009-12-05T15:26:50Z

‎Is coreboot applying x86 microcode patches?

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 * Step 2: Linux "'''lspci -tvnn'''" output for your system, generated by booting Linux via the original BIOS and runnning lspci.
 * Step 3: Super I/O chip on the mainboard (report the model numbers on the actual chip, for example "Winbond W83627HF" and/or run "'''[[superiotool]] -dV'''").
-* Step 4: Type of BIOS device (see the question "How do I identify the BIOS chip on my mainboard?" below). Please send us the output of "'''[http://flashrom.org] -V'''"
+* Step 4: Type of BIOS device (see the question "How do I identify the BIOS chip on my mainboard?" below). Please send us the output of "'''[http://flashrom.org flashrom] -V'''"
 * Step 5: URL to the mainboard specifications page (optional).
 * Step 6: Any other relevant information you can provide.
@@ Line 122: / Line 122: @@
 === Where can I buy BIOS chips (empty or pre-flashed)? ===
-When developing or simply trying out coreboot you always need a means to revert to your old BIOS in case something goes wrong. One way to do this is to get an extra BIOS chip (PLCC32, DIP32, DIP8, or other) and copy your original BIOS image onto that chip (using [[Flashrom]], for example). If you have a socketed BIOS (not soldered onto the mainboard), you can hot-swap the chips while your computer is running.
+When developing or simply trying out coreboot you always need a means to revert to your old BIOS in case something goes wrong. One way to do this is to get an extra BIOS chip (PLCC32, DIP32, DIP8, or other) and copy your original BIOS image onto that chip (using [http://flashrom.org flashrom], for example). If you have a socketed BIOS (not soldered onto the mainboard), you can hot-swap the chips while your computer is running.
 You have several options to get spare BIOS chips:
@@ Line 187: / Line 187: @@
 === How do I identify the BIOS chip on my mainboard? ===
-Please see [[Flashrom#ROM_chip_overview]].
+Please see [http://flashrom.org/Technology].
 === How do I (re-)flash the BIOS? ===
@@ Line 195: / Line 195: @@
 If the BIOS chip is socketed, it can be removed and flashed in a rom/flash burner and quickly re-installed.
-You have the option of using the [http://www.flashrom.org/Supported_hardware external programmers supported by flashrom] or some other external programmer which comes with its own software. Depending on the flash chip type, various options exist. For older parallel flash chips, some of these burners cost $700 and more plus they complete a flash in 30 seconds (like the [http://www.conitec.net/english/galep5.php Conitec Galep V]), but if you are willing to wait 5 minutes for a flash and manually set DIP switches, the Enhanced Willem Universal Programmer will do the job for only $40-60 USD.  There are several models of the Willem Programmer, each supporting many chips, but not all, so be sure to get one that supports your BIOS chip. You could also use the [[Paraflasher]] which is a really low-cost programmer with parts sold for $20 or less. The [http://flashrom.org] wiki has a list of hardware you can use for programming.
+You have the option of using the [http://www.flashrom.org/Supported_hardware external programmers supported by flashrom] or some other external programmer which comes with its own software. Depending on the flash chip type, various options exist. For older parallel flash chips, some of these burners cost $700 and more plus they complete a flash in 30 seconds (like the [http://www.conitec.net/english/galep5.php Conitec Galep V]), but if you are willing to wait 5 minutes for a flash and manually set DIP switches, the Enhanced Willem Universal Programmer will do the job for only $40-60 USD.  There are several models of the Willem Programmer, each supporting many chips, but not all, so be sure to get one that supports your BIOS chip. You could also use the [http://www.flashrom.org/Paraflasher Paraflasher] which is a really low-cost programmer with parts sold for $20 or less. The [http://flashrom.org flashrom] wiki has a list of hardware you can use for programming.
 If your chip is PLCC, you will also need the push pin trick or a PLCC chip extractor/puller or just thread nylon string under the PLCC chip from corner to corner and yank up it straight up. Read more about chip extraction in the [[Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools|developer manual]].
@@ Line 217: / Line 217: @@
   No operations were specified.
-Alternatively you could either use the DOS [http://www.rainbow-software.org/uniflash/ uniflash] utility, or use its source code, which is also available for download from the uniflash site (in Turbo Pascal 7) as a reference for adding support for your flash chip to [http://flashrom.org].  Uniflash supports a lot of different flash chips, and chip interfaces, but so far SPI support is only present in flashrom. You can use flashrom and uniflash for PCI expansion card flashing, such as on RTL8139 Ethernet card (32pin DIL), which allows flashing of your BIOS chip on the NIC if manufacturer provides the circuitry. Please note that flashrom and uniflash support different cards and you should check which utility supports the programmer hardware you own.
+Alternatively you could either use the DOS [http://www.rainbow-software.org/uniflash/ uniflash] utility, or use its source code, which is also available for download from the uniflash site (in Turbo Pascal 7) as a reference for adding support for your flash chip to [http://flashrom.org flashrom].  Uniflash supports a lot of different flash chips, and chip interfaces, but so far SPI support is only present in flashrom. You can use flashrom and uniflash for PCI expansion card flashing, such as on RTL8139 Ethernet card (32pin DIL), which allows flashing of your BIOS chip on the NIC if manufacturer provides the circuitry. Please note that flashrom and uniflash support different cards and you should check which utility supports the programmer hardware you own.
 Another tool which runs in linux is [http://sourceforge.net/projects/ctflasher/ ctflasher], but it is not maintained anymore and might not work with current Linux kernels.

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 * Step 2: Linux "'''lspci -tvnn'''" output for your system, generated by booting Linux via the original BIOS and runnning lspci.
 * Step 3: Super I/O chip on the mainboard (report the model numbers on the actual chip, for example "Winbond W83627HF" and/or run "'''[[superiotool]] -dV'''").
-* Step 4: Type of BIOS device (see the question "How do I identify the BIOS chip on my mainboard?" below). Please send us the output of "'''[[flashrom]] -V'''"
+* Step 4: Type of BIOS device (see the question "How do I identify the BIOS chip on my mainboard?" below). Please send us the output of "'''[http://flashrom.org] -V'''"
 * Step 5: URL to the mainboard specifications page (optional).
 * Step 6: Any other relevant information you can provide.
@@ Line 195: / Line 195: @@
 If the BIOS chip is socketed, it can be removed and flashed in a rom/flash burner and quickly re-installed.
-You have the option of using the [http://www.flashrom.org/Supported_hardware external programmers supported by flashrom] or some other external programmer which comes with its own software. Depending on the flash chip type, various options exist. For older parallel flash chips, some of these burners cost $700 and more plus they complete a flash in 30 seconds (like the [http://www.conitec.net/english/galep5.php Conitec Galep V]), but if you are willing to wait 5 minutes for a flash and manually set DIP switches, the Enhanced Willem Universal Programmer will do the job for only $40-60 USD.  There are several models of the Willem Programmer, each supporting many chips, but not all, so be sure to get one that supports your BIOS chip. You could also use the [[Paraflasher]] which is a really low-cost programmer with parts sold for $20 or less. The [[flashrom]] wiki has a list of hardware you can use for programming.
+You have the option of using the [http://www.flashrom.org/Supported_hardware external programmers supported by flashrom] or some other external programmer which comes with its own software. Depending on the flash chip type, various options exist. For older parallel flash chips, some of these burners cost $700 and more plus they complete a flash in 30 seconds (like the [http://www.conitec.net/english/galep5.php Conitec Galep V]), but if you are willing to wait 5 minutes for a flash and manually set DIP switches, the Enhanced Willem Universal Programmer will do the job for only $40-60 USD.  There are several models of the Willem Programmer, each supporting many chips, but not all, so be sure to get one that supports your BIOS chip. You could also use the [[Paraflasher]] which is a really low-cost programmer with parts sold for $20 or less. The [http://flashrom.org] wiki has a list of hardware you can use for programming.
 If your chip is PLCC, you will also need the push pin trick or a PLCC chip extractor/puller or just thread nylon string under the PLCC chip from corner to corner and yank up it straight up. Read more about chip extraction in the [[Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools|developer manual]].
@@ Line 217: / Line 217: @@
   No operations were specified.
-Alternatively you could either use the DOS [http://www.rainbow-software.org/uniflash/ uniflash] utility, or use its source code, which is also available for download from the uniflash site (in Turbo Pascal 7) as a reference for adding support for your flash chip to [[flashrom]].  Uniflash supports a lot of different flash chips, and chip interfaces, but so far SPI support is only present in flashrom. You can use flashrom and uniflash for PCI expansion card flashing, such as on RTL8139 Ethernet card (32pin DIL), which allows flashing of your BIOS chip on the NIC if manufacturer provides the circuitry. Please note that flashrom and uniflash support different cards and you should check which utility supports the programmer hardware you own.
+Alternatively you could either use the DOS [http://www.rainbow-software.org/uniflash/ uniflash] utility, or use its source code, which is also available for download from the uniflash site (in Turbo Pascal 7) as a reference for adding support for your flash chip to [http://flashrom.org].  Uniflash supports a lot of different flash chips, and chip interfaces, but so far SPI support is only present in flashrom. You can use flashrom and uniflash for PCI expansion card flashing, such as on RTL8139 Ethernet card (32pin DIL), which allows flashing of your BIOS chip on the NIC if manufacturer provides the circuitry. Please note that flashrom and uniflash support different cards and you should check which utility supports the programmer hardware you own.
 Another tool which runs in linux is [http://sourceforge.net/projects/ctflasher/ ctflasher], but it is not maintained anymore and might not work with current Linux kernels.

@@ Line 377: / Line 377: @@
 Note: If you are following these instructions to build coreboot for your motherboard, this is only necessary if you have a motherboard with an embedded VGA card. If your VGA is a PCI / PCI-Express add-on card, coreboot will find and run the ROM by itself.
-Anton Borisov has released a number of tools under the GPL (v2) to extract the VGA BIOS from the BIOS ROM images provided by the supplier of your motherboard.
+See [[VGA_support]] for the details.
 You can download them here:
@@ Line 395: / Line 397: @@
 See the [[Tyan S2881|Tyan S2881 Build Tutorial]] for more information on how to use these tools.
 == Can I put coreboot into a PCI expansion ROM? ==

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 '''coreboot''' (formerly known as LinuxBIOS) is a Free Software project aimed at replacing the proprietary BIOS (firmware) you can find in most of today's computers.
-It performs just a little bit of hardware initialization and then executes a so-called [[Payloads|payload]].
+It performs just a little bit of hardware initialization and then executes what is called a [[Payloads|payload]].
 Some of the many possible payloads are: a [[Linux]] kernel, [[FILO]] (a GRUB-like bootloader for booting from disk), [[GRUB2]], [http://www.openbios.org/Open_Firmware Open Firmware], [[Etherboot]]/[[GPXE]], [[SeaBIOS]] (for booting Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, NetBSD and Linux), and [[Payloads|many others]].

@@ Line 133: / Line 133: @@
 *** http://www.endrich.com/de/site.php/47385 (it's unknown whether they ship small quantities)
 *** http://www.chip-service.de
 *** http://www.neumueller.com/
 ** UK:

@@ Line 204: / Line 204: @@
 Download the appropriate flash update utility. Build the coreboot image as explained above and use the flash update utility to update the BIOS. Be warned that not all update utilities allow you to load your own BIOS image. NOTE: Many vendor specific flash utilities refuse to write "foreign" BIOS images, such as coreboot.
-Therefore we suggest that you use the universal flash utility called [http://www.flashrom.org/ flashrom] which was developed and improved by many coreboot developers.
+Therefore we suggest that you use the universal flash utility called [http://www.flashrom.org/ flashrom] which was developed and improved by many coreboot developers, and it works under Linux/*BSD/MacOSX/Solaris/DOS.
 Example:
   bash$ sudo ./flashrom -V
-  Calibrating delay loop... Setting up microsecond timing loop
+  flashrom v0.9.2-r1000 on Linux 2.6.34-rc7-git5 (x86_64), built with libpci 3.1.7, GCC 4.4.3
-M loops per second
+  flashrom is free software, get the source code at http://www.flashrom.org
- ok
- Found canidate at: 00000530-00000bc4
+  No coreboot table found.
-  Found LinuxBIOS table at: 00000530
+  Found chipset "Intel ICH9", enabling flash write... OK.
-  lb_table found at address 0xb7e1c530
+  This chipset supports the following protocols: FWH,SPI.
-  LinuxBIOS header(24) checksum: 404a table(1684) checksum: 2766 entries: 14
+  Calibrating delay loop... 663M loops per second, 100 myus = 199 us. OK.
-  vendor id: via part id: epia-m
+  Found chip "Winbond W25x80" (1024 KB, SPI) at physical address 0xfff00000.
- Enabling flash write on VT8235...OK
+  No operations were specified.
-  Trying Am29F040B, 512 KB
-  probe_29f040b: id1 0x20, id2 0xe2
-  Trying ST29F040B, 512 KB
- probe_29f040b: id1 0x20, id2 0xe2
- ST29F040B found at physical address: 0xfff80000
-  Flash part is ST29F040B
- OK, only ENABLING flash write, but NOT FLASHING.
-Alternatively you could either use the DOS [http://www.rainbow-software.org/uniflash/ uniflash] utility, or use its source code, which is also available for download from the uniflash site (in Turbo Pascal 7) as a reference for adding support for your flash chip to "flashrom".  Uniflash supports a lot of different flash chips, and chip interfaces. It has untested support for PCI expansion card flash BIOS, such as on RTL8139 Ethernet card (32pin DIL), which allows flashing on the NIC if manufacturer provides the circuitry.
+Another tool which runs in linux is [http://sourceforge.net/projects/ctflasher/ ctflasher], but it is not maintained anymore and might not work with current Linux kernels.
-−
-Another tool which runs in linux is [http://sourceforge.net/projects/ctflasher/ flasher].

@@ Line 194: / Line 194: @@
 ==== Out of mainboard BIOS (re)flash ====
-If the BIOS chip is socketed, it can be removed and flashed in a rom/flash burner and quickly re-installed.  Some of these burners cost $700 and more plus they complete a flash in 30 seconds (like the [http://www.conitec.net/english/galep5.php Conitec Galep V]), but if you are willing to wait 5 minutes for a flash and manually set DIP switches, The Enhanced Willem Universal Programmer will do the job for only $40-60 USD.  There are several models of the Willem Programmer, each supporting many chips, but not all, so be sure to get one that supports your BIOS chip.  If your chip is PLCC, you will also need a PLCC chip extractor/puller or just thread nylon string under the PLCC chip from corner to corner and yank up it straight up.
+If the BIOS chip is socketed, it can be removed and flashed in a rom/flash burner and quickly re-installed.
 ==== Inside mainboard BIOS (re)flash ====

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:40, 19 May 2010
Line 222:		Line 222:


−	Alternatively you could either use the DOS [http://www.~~uniflash~~.org/ uniflash] utility, or use its source code, which is also available for download from the uniflash site (in Turbo Pascal 7) as a reference for adding support for your flash chip to "flashrom". Uniflash supports a lot of different flash chips, and chip interfaces. It has untested support for PCI expansion card flash BIOS, such as on RTL8139 Ethernet card (32pin DIL), which allows flashing on the NIC if manufacturer provides the circuitry.	+	Alternatively you could either use the DOS [http://www.rainbow-software.org/uniflash/ uniflash] utility, or use its source code, which is also available for download from the uniflash site (in Turbo Pascal 7) as a reference for adding support for your flash chip to "flashrom". Uniflash supports a lot of different flash chips, and chip interfaces. It has untested support for PCI expansion card flash BIOS, such as on RTL8139 Ethernet card (32pin DIL), which allows flashing on the NIC if manufacturer provides the circuitry.

	Another tool which runs in linux is [http://sourceforge.net/projects/ctflasher/ flasher].		Another tool which runs in linux is [http://sourceforge.net/projects/ctflasher/ flasher].

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:27, 5 December 2009
Line 402:		Line 402:

	== Can I put coreboot into a PCI expansion ROM? ==		== Can I put coreboot into a PCI expansion ROM? ==
		+
		+	Short answer: NO.
		+
		+	Long answer:

	There's little use in doing that, as a lots of initialization has already been done by the proprietary BIOS (or coreboot) by the time the PCI expansion ROM is executed. It won't be possible to run coreboot from a PCI expansion ROM after a proprietary BIOS has already been running for instance.		There's little use in doing that, as a lots of initialization has already been done by the proprietary BIOS (or coreboot) by the time the PCI expansion ROM is executed. It won't be possible to run coreboot from a PCI expansion ROM after a proprietary BIOS has already been running for instance.

@@ Line 376: / Line 376: @@
 And if yes, can they be modified?
-Answer: this field is little documented. Few people think, however, that system design can seriously be improved by modifications here ( µCode patches mostly disable erraneous functions and opcodes).
+Answer: Yes, coreboot is applying microcode patches on AMD and Intel CPUs. However, this field is little documented, so coreboot uses only unmodified, vendor-provided microcode. Few people think, that system design can seriously be improved by modifications here ( µCode patches mostly disable erraneous functions and opcodes).
 === How can I retrieve a good video BIOS? ===