BIOS Update Instructions
Automatic BIOS Updates
These instructions should work for many recent laptops, including the two ThinkPad models specifically included in our Recommended hardware.
If your laptop has Ubuntu preinstalled, run its Software Updater twice as follows:
to install software updates, especially for the
fwupd
package; and thento run
fwupd
to update the BIOS automatically.
If Software Updater offers to run fwupd
during step (1), decline until step (2), to make sure fwupd
itself has received its latest security updates.
Other Linux
If your laptop has another Linux distribution installed, use the built-in software manager (such as GNOME Software or KDE Discover) to update the available software. Most modern distributions include fwupd
by default. If not, you can install the package using your preferred software manager.
Once fwupd
is installed, you can install available updates by running:
fwupdmgr refresh fwupdmgr update
Manual BIOS Updates
If your laptop is not supported by fwupd
, you will need to consult the manual for your specific make and model to determine how to manually apply a BIOS update. The process will likely include downloading an update file, verifying its integrity, copying it to a USB drive, and then accessing an update menu within the BIOS settings. If you have a Thinkpad, refer to the instructions for Manual BIOS on Lenovo ThinkPad laptops.
Manual BIOS on Lenovo ThinkPad laptops
The instructions below assume the use of a Linux-based computer for the creation of a BIOS upgrade USB. To upgrade the BIOS:
Locate the ThinkPad’s “machine type” in its BIOS setup program:
Boot (or reboot) the ThinkPad and follow the prompts to enter setup, usually via the <Enter> and <F1> keys.
On the Main tab, look for the Machine Type Model. The first four characters, such as 20L5, 20L6, or 20S0, are the machine type.
Visit https://support.lenovo.com in the Linux-based computer. Type the machine type found above into the search bar, then press Enter.
In the “Product Home” page, select Drivers And Software and choose BIOS/UEFI.
Download the file called either BIOS Update (Bootable CD) or BIOS Update (Utility & Bootable CD).
Note
A Tails USB can be used for the verification and conversion process described below, but the Lenovo support site blocks requests over Tor, preventing the ISO download. To work around this, either:
download the BIOS ISO on a different computer and transfer it to Tails using a USB stick, or
download the ISO in Tails using the Unsafe Browser as follows:
Start Tails with an administration password set and the Unsafe Browser enabled under “Additional Settings” on the Welcome Screen.
Open the Unsafe Browser: Applications > Internet > Unsafe Browser and find and download the ISO
Note the filename, as you’ll need it for subsequent steps.
Leave the Unsafe Browser running, and open a terminal via Applications > System Tools > Terminal.
Copy the ISO to the desktop with the command:
sudo cp /var/lib/unsafe-browser/chroot/home/clearnet/Downloads/<fileName.iso> ~amnesia/Desktop
Fix the ISO file’s ownership with the command:
sudo chown amnesia:amnesia ~amnesia/Desktop/<fileName.iso>
Verify the checksum of the downloaded ISO file using the following command, comparing it against the checksum in the file listing above:
sha256sum /path/to/downloaded.iso
Create a USB-bootable version of the ISO using the command:
geteltorito <path/to/CDISO> > usb-bios.iso
Note
To install the
geleltorito
utility on Debian-based systems, use the commandsudo apt install genisoimage
To install it on Fedora-based systems, use the command:
sudo dnf install geteltorito genisoimage
Plug in a USB and check its device name with the
lsblk
command - use the root device name below, not a partition (eg./dev/sdc
instead of/dev/sdc1
).Write the BIOS update ISO to the USB using the following command:
sudo dd if=usb-bios.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=1M && sync
where
sdX
is the device name verified above.Caution
The
dd
command will wipe data on the targeted device. Make sure that you use the correct device name.Once complete, remove the USB.
Plug the USB into the ThinkPad.
Boot the ThinkPad and follow the prompts to enter its startup and boot menus, likely via the <Enter> and <F12> keys, respectively.
Follow the on-screen instructions to update the BIOS, including any mandatory reboots. Note that the instructions may refer to an update CD instead of your update USB.