Unable to update bios on ubuntu for vostro 1710

[Matt Domsch]

On Tue, May 19, 2009 at 04:50:29PM +1200, Tim Uckun wrote:
>      The Windows executable BIOS format for this system is not one that
>      firmware-tools knows how to extract and turn into a deb or rpm. **So
>      there is no BIOS update posted for this in the [1]linux.dell.com
>      repositories.
> 
>      Unfortunately, this system's BIOS is only posted as a Windows
>      executable.
> 
>    What is dell's policy on providing firmware updates for linux users? Are
>    they waiting for the community to provide them and if so does dell have
>    some raw source code that could be compiled into a package?

For quite a few Dell systems (over 300), Linux firmware-tools can
update the BIOS.  However, there are several (and the list is
growing), where Dell doesn't sell Linux on the system, doesn't
validate Linux on the system, and doesn't produce tools which will
update the BIOS while running Linux.  Your Vostro 1710 is one such
system.  I agree it's frustrating.
 
>    It's a long gap between a2 and a12. Are the linux users always going to be
>    stuck with the a2 bios?

At this time there are no plans to add the ability to upgrade the BIOS
on that system while running Linux.

-- 
Matt Domsch
Technology Strategist, Dell Office of the CTO
linux.dell.com & www.dell.com/linux