How to update BIOS on a system that only use Linux as OS.
Asking this because some clowns at Acer decided that they will only provide BIOS updates through Windows Update.
Edit: I’m not talking about installing the BIOS file. They don’t even provide BIOS file in the first place.
I feel your pain. I’ve searched a bit online and found several different methods (not for Acer though) that all go way over my head. I just leave the BIOS to deprecate on its own by now.
As someone who’s built his own PCs for years, I’ve never really bothered with a BIOS update.
Then again, one of the main reasons to update BIOS is to gain support for new CPUs, but I’ve been using Intel which switches to a new socket or chipset every other generation anyway. I’ve almost always had to buy a new motherboard alongside a new CPU.
Is there an option to save the new bios update file to a USB stick, then enter bios and trigger an update manually that fetches the file from said USB stick?
I’ve done it this way with an Asrock motherboard for desktop running Bazzite.
Depends on the exact model. The usual way on Linux is via fwupdmgr
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I’m not talking about installing the BIOS file. They don’t even provide BIOS file in the first place.
Also, I don’t think fwupd has firmware for this particular laptop. ( Acer One 14 Z2-493 )
There is no universal solution to this. Some vendors support fwupd (LVFS) on some hardware (Dell, Lenovo), some allow to update via a file on a USB stick (Asus).
Unless it is a system from Linux first company (Tuxedo, StarLabs, System76, Slimbook) expect to manually check what the specific model you are looking at supports.
I’m not talking about installing the BIOS file. They don’t even provide BIOS file in the first place.
Also, I don’t think fwupd has firmware for this particular laptop. ( Acer One 14 Z2-493 )
That’s the thing - there is no option to update BIOS on Linux then.
You must install Windows or maybe use one of those unofficial Windows Live USB images.
system from Linux first company (Tuxedo, StarLabs, System76, Slimbook)
Indeed that’s IMHO the solution, namely prioritizing ecosystem that genuinely see Linux as something valuable, with an addressable market, rather than a cost linked to annoying users.
Sorry, but in your case the only way is to install Windows. Make a dual boot.