Fwupd 1.8.4 Supports More Hardware, Starts Allowing To Make BIOS Changes From Linux

[hughsie]

> Is there an easy way to switch to UEFI

Unfortunately not an easy way; what I've done in the past is deleted everything except my LUKS /home partition, and then let Fedora set up everything else so it's in the right place.

[uid313]

Imagine if there could a GTK application with a GUI that lets users configure all or most of the UEFI settings.
So it would be like the UEFI setup screen but in a GTK application on Linux instead of in firmware.

[baka0815]

> Is there an easy way to switch to UEFI

Unfortunately not an easy way; what I've done in the past is deleted everything except my LUKS /home partition, and then let Fedora set up everything else so it's in the right place.

Thanks! I think I stay with my BIOS-installation as long as I don't see any problems or have to reinstall my OS for some reason.

[hughsie]

Imagine if there could a GTK application with a GUI that lets users configure all or most of the UEFI settings.

Yes, that's what we're planning. We just lack the developer time to actually implement it. If this is something anyone wants to volunteer for I'd gladly mentor this feature.

[stormcrow]

Interesting, is it all settings or just keys? I ask because I haven't had this issue with bios settings on my msi meg x570 board, but I always have secure boot disabled.

All settings and keys including any RAM timing profiles (which is the most annoying part of the problem). The only thing that gets properly set are those automatically picked up by the firmware from querying the hardware for electrical settings.

I don't use sec boot on that desktop for that reason. I don't use sec boot on the Dell currently despite it properly retaining 3rd party keys because the distro I use on it doesn't have sec boot capability it seems (it won't boot from the live/installer image with sec boot enabled).

[Xake]

Don't fear UEFI UpdateCapsule, embrace it.

Yeah, I just wished more vendors did and earlier and also publish it.
My current Gigabyte desktop mobo has the following in its changelog for the update dated 2022/01/28:

• Introduce capsule BIOS support starting this version.

But have yet to see any signs that they actually has any UEFIs on LVFS or alike for capsule update. On LVFS I have only seend BMC-firmwares from them.

[hughsie]

Introduce capsule BIOS support starting this version.

That's certainly a positive first step!

[Xake]

That's certainly a positive first step!

I agree on that, and I was enthusiastic about it when that revision came.
But that is also why I mentioned "earlier" and "publish".
I am glad they took the time to introduce the support on a motherboard that was introduced to the market a bit over 3 years ago. Some vendors do not touch anything that old. On the other hand, it is a bit sad they did not introduce it earlier, as I do not think the UpdateCapsule specs are _that_ new?
Also, during the months since introduction there has been 4 bios revisions, but I have seen no sign of them actually planning on using the Capsule-support they have introduced, still limited to either using the bios-built in tool, or the windows "@BIOS" tool. And the bios-builtin has the problems with no way of preserve the old settings.

I guess this is one of those situation where "you have to wait and see". And hope.