dellBiosUpdate simply doesn't work on a 2950

[Michael E Brown]

On Mon, Apr 16, 2007 at 05:43:14PM -0700, Sam Flory wrote:
>   Is anyone able to update the bios via the dellBiosUpdate utility?  I
> done the following:
> 
> - run "/usr/bin/dellBiosUpdate -u  --hdr newbios.hdr"
> Fails to update at boot
> 
> - run "/usr/bin/dellBiosUpdate -u  -force_mono --hdr newbios.hdr"
> Command fails to find enough contigous memory

--force-mono will hurt you here, as it forces physically contiguous
space. Just let it autodetect.

BTW, use two dashes... "--force_mono", not "-force_mono"

> 
> - reboot to single user mode "/usr/bin/dellBiosUpdate -u  -force_mono
> --hdr newbios.hdr"
> Fails to update at boot

This normally works. Dont force it to use the less-efficient method,
though.

> 
> - reboot with "init=/bin/bash mem=100M" and run "/usr/bin/dellBiosUpdate
> -u  -force_mono --hdr newbios.hdr"
> Fails to update at boot

This *really* hurts you. It limits the mem the kernel can see to 100M,
and dell_rbu driver can only allocate memory the kernel can see.

> 
>  reboot with "init=/bin/bash mem=100M" and run "/usr/bin/dellBiosUpdate
> -u  --hdr newbios.hdr"
> Fails to update at boot

Same.

> 
> I'm running the latest libsmbios-0.13.5-1.el4.

2950 should support packet mode, which means there is no longer a
requirement to have physically contiguous free memory. The 2950 was one
of my test machines a while back, so I know it works... I'll check it
out again when I can find a free one.

--
Michael

> 
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