--- title: "How to update your computer's BIOS/EFI/firmware in Linux" url: 'https://ra1ahq.blog/en/kak-v-linux-obnovit-proshivku-kompyutera-bios-efi-firmware' markdown: 'https://ra1ahq.blog/en/kak-v-linux-obnovit-proshivku-kompyutera-bios-efi-firmware.md' lang: en date: '2026-02-10' description: 'How to flash BIOS from Linux? Instructions for updating the BIOS/EFI/firmware of a personal computer from Linux. Introd' taxonomy: archives_month: - feb_2026 archives_year: - '2026' --- # How to update your computer's BIOS/EFI/firmware in Linux 10 February 2026 ![How to update your computer's BIOS/EFI/firmware in Linux](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/1/6/6/5/7/16657ddd7c56a2abc69f2e489675f11d8d837441-bios.png)15:11 ### How to update your computer's BIOS/EFI/firmware in Linux 10 February 2026 15:11 How to flash BIOS from Linux? Instructions for updating the BIOS/EFI/firmware of a personal computer from Linux. ### Introduction Updating your computer's BIOS is necessary to support new processor models. For example, updating the BIOS must be done before installing a more modern, powerful processor that is not supported by the original BIOS version. Sometimes the developer company releases new BIOS versions to eliminate errors or add new functions (for example, the ability to “overclock” the processor). The update is always available on the motherboard manufacturer's website on the Internet in the form of a self-extracting archive (EXE) file, which contains the utility (executable EXE file) for the firmware, the firmware itself (binary file) and autoexec.bat (command file). The usual method of updating the BIOS with a DOS boot disk has now become inconvenient, as it takes a long time: - First you need to buy a flash drive, - download FreeDOS, - burn the FreeDOS IMG file using Rufus to a USB drive, - then extract the utility EXE file and the firmware file from the archive with the BIOS firmware onto a bootable USB flash drive, - boot from a USB flash drive with firmware, and the EXE utility will automatically flash the computer's ROM. If your PC has LInux installed, there is a time-saving way to flash a new BIOS version into the computer ROM from a Terminal window. ### 1. Preparation #### 1.1 Find out the motherboard model You can find out the motherboard model in two ways: 1\) hardware. Open the computer case, find the motherboard and read the inscription - manufacturer and model of the motherboard, 2\) software - install the lshw package and run the utility of the same name with the "-C system" switch. ``` sudo apt install lshw sudo lshw -C system | head -7 ``` Where "head -7" limits the output to the first 7 lines. ``` sudo lshw -C system | head -7 green-pro Description: Desktop computer product: H55M-S2H manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. bit depth: 64 bits capabilities: smbios-2.4 dmi-2.4 smp vsyscall32 configuration: boot=normal chassis=desktop uuid=... ``` In my case, the product is H55M-S2H from Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.. #### 1.1 Find out the BIOS firmware version number The dmidecode utility with the -t bios switch shows the BIOS firmware version. ``` sudo apt install dmidecode sudo dmidecode -t bios | head -12 ``` ![before_flashing](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/7/a/4/c/3/7a4c380885836b4639b2a474583088d0c92e6aed-beforeflashing.png "before_flashing") #### 1.2 Download the firmware version from the manufacturer’s website On the Internet, go to the website of the manufacturer of your motherboard - section Support, enter or find your model - download the BIOS update. Naturally, you need to download the latest version of the BIOS firmware. ![gigabyte](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/3/a/1/8/b/3a18b65334961385f3d92c79ab79f6451531a417-gigabyte.png "gigabyte") #### 1.2 Extract the binary firmware file from the update archive Right-click on the EXE file - Extract here. ![unzip1](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/7/0/9/2/e/7092e938e16a86d7a4321cdbdbe00f7f1d907edc-unzip1.png "unzip1") Go to the folder ![unzip2](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/1/b/8/9/9/1b8992db21bc1b130902a77fb2f94ef82cc950c8-unzip2.png "unzip2") We notice the firmware file. His **name** can be copied to the clipboard. Using the right mouse button - "Rename" - select the file name - copy to the clipboard. ![unzip3](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/2/e/f/3/f/2ef3fce1d874323190e2b46a073855b1adefbffd-unzip3.png "unzip3") #### 1.3 Installing the firmware utility Need to install package **`flashrom`**. ``` sudo apt install flashrom ``` **Flashrom application description:** *Identify, read, write, erase and test BIOS/ROM/flash memory chips. **flashrom** is a tool for identifying, reading, writing, checking and erasing flash memory chips. It is often used to flash BIOS/EFI/coreboot/firmware/optionROM images on a system using a supported motherboard, but also supports flashing network interface cards (NICs), SATA controllers, and other external devices that can program flash memory chips.* *It supports a wide range of DIP32, PLCC32, DIP8, SO8/SOIC8, TSOP32/40/48 and BGA chips using various protocols such as LPC, FWH, parallel flash or SPI.* *The tool can be used, for example, to flash BIOS/firmware images - be it proprietary BIOS images or coreboot images (formerly known as LinuxBIOS).* *It can also be used to read the current existing BIOS/firmware from the flash memory chip.* *Home page:.* ### 2. BIOS/EFI/firmware #### 2.1 Reading from ROM and saving an old version of BIOS/EFI/firmware to disk ROM is the read-only memory or flash memory of a computer. I read the old version of the firmware using the utility **`flashrom`**: ``` cd Downloads sudo flashrom -p internal -r h55ms2h.f1 ``` where `h55ms2h.f1`- the name of the firmware file of the first version in this case is “F1” (for simplicity, you can use the file name “bios.old”). ![read](https://ra1ahq.blog/kak-v-linux-obnovit-proshivku-kompyutera-bios-efi-firmware/read.png "read") #### 2.2 Writing a new version of BIOS/EFI/firmware to ROM In my case, the firmware version F7 has the file name h55ms2h.f7 Before writing the firmware to ROM, make sure that the firmware file matches **models** motherboard. If the PC has a small amount of RAM, close all unnecessary programs except Terminal so that swapping does not occur, i.e. dumping the contents of memory onto the hard disk into the swap file. **Launching the firmware using the flashrom utility:** ``` sudo flashrom -p internal -w h55ms2h.f7 ``` We will never turn off the computer during the firmware installation! We are waiting for the inscriptions “Erase/write done” and “Verifying flash... VERIFIED” to appear. ![write](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/5/8/0/8/0/580800ff9acaafe9d52517d7598f8cad21079944-write.png "write") ### 3. Reboot the PC ``` sudo reboot ``` or ``` sudo shutdown -r now ``` ### 4. Check the BIOS/EFI/firmware version ``` sudo dmidecode -t bios | head -12 ``` Result: ![after_flashing](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/8/f/d/b/6/8fdb69ec46a3f03a62254a4d8f6c9482b4a2f56a-afterflashing.png "after_flashing") ### 5. Problems and solutions #### 5.1 Flashrom error: mmap "Operation not permitted" Depending on the memory chip with the BIOS, when reading the ROM with the read command `sudo flashrom -p internal -r bios.old` an error may occur **"mmap failed: Operation not permitted"**. `Found chipset "Intel ICH7/ICH7R".

Enabling flash write... Error accessing ICH RCRB, 0x4000 bytes at 0x00000000fed1c000

/dev/mem mmap failed: Operation not permitted

FAILED!

FATAL ERROR!

Error: Programmer initialization failed.` **Solution:** Add a kernel parameter **`iomem=relaxed`** To do this, after the message on the screen "Grub loading." and "Welcome to Grub", in the Grub2 menu, press "e" and add the linux kernel parameter: `linux /boot/vmlinuz-x.xx.xx ... ro quiet iomem=relaxed` And click **F10** to continue loading Linux. #### 5.2 If the BIOS has two chips, how to flash both chips For the "shadow" shadow-BIOS, two ROM chips are used. The flashrom -p utility will report this when called without the -c parameter. To read or write, you need to specify the additional key -c "chip name". I flashed both chips. Example: ``` sudo flashrom -p internal -w 1394.ROM -c "Pm25LD040(C)" sudo flashrom -p internal -w 1394.ROM -c "Pm25LV040" ``` --- Free illustration: [publicdomainvectors.org](https://publicdomainvectors.org/en/free-clipart/BIOS-chip-vector-graphics/13475.html). 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