Firmware updates on Linux via https://fwupd.org/ ?

[hubick]

Hi,

Linux supports firmware updates using the fwupdmgr tool from https://fwupd.org/

Their "vendor engagement" page lists "Intel (Thunderbolt)" as offering "fwupd support", and having an "LVFS account", but not having "Uploaded firmware", with the comment that "Firmware uploading is owned by Thunderbolt system vendors".

Well, HERE I AM ;-)

Running "fwupdmgr get-devices" on my NUC8i7HVK lists...

Hades Canyon Thunderbolt Controller DeviceId: 7bfeebab863f59ecdb36d5a6b78d4db7ce2a73e3 Guid: 9e856a06-1745-5831-ad25-7986a9d94d7c Summary: Unmatched performance for high-speed I/O Plugin: thunderbolt Flags: internal|updatable|registered Vendor: Intel VendorId: TBT:0x8086 Version: 28.00 Icon: computer Created: 2019-02-02NUC8i7HVK System Firmware DeviceId: c4cfdd7664af50a01d9b30229605deb90071904a Guid: a5bd1969-7c1e-497c-8d1f-699c5f31a321 Guid: 230c8b18-8d9b-53ec-838b-6cfc0383493a Guid: 8e10e0f9-b2b2-5775-a813-697a33d45a50 Plugin: uefi Flags: internal|updatable|require-ac|registered|needs-reboot Version: 0.0.51 VersionLowest: 0.0.51 Icon: computer Created: 2019-02-02

So, can Intel please go on and use their account there and upload the new Thunderbolt 33 firmware and BIOS 53?

Much Thanks!

[Amy_C_Intel1]

Hello hubick, Thank you for posting on the Intel® Communities. Please, let me check more information about this. Amy C Intel Customer Support Technician Under Contract to Intel Corporation

[Ronny_G_Intel]

Hello hubick, Thanks for the note and for reporting. This is a pretty difficult request as I dont know the Intel owner for this account. Do you have have an account? Is the Intel contact person visible to you? Also, based on your report, the information that you posted is very specific for Hades Canyon: Thunderbolt 33 firmware and BIOS 53. This may not be applicable for other Intel Thunderbolt implementations including 3rd party. We have different TB devices provided to OEMs plus our own. Let me know your comments. Thanks, Ronny G

[hubick]

Hi Ronny, thanks for the response.

No, I don't have an account, and I'm not affiliated with the site in any way. I'm just a NUC end-user on Linux who would like to receive firmware updates.

I only listed those firmwares as an example, as those are the ones I currently need for my NUC. I understand that I can workaround and upgrade the BIOS from a USB device, but I believe that's not the case with the Thunderbolt firmware which currently requires Windows. It would be nice, since Intel has registered there, if they could provide firmware for the NUC.

I'm sorry I'm not able to provide you any assistance in tracking the Intel contact down. One would hope Intel support had internal channels for achieving as much. I imagine it's someone in the Thunderbolt group.

[Ronny_G_Intel]

Hi hubick, I have been asking around and I know someone that has contacts and maybe we can find the right person but before I ask for anything I really need to understand what we need to update, please help me here: 1- URL: https://fwupd.org/ 2- Go to Home 3- Click on Supported Devices (https://fwupd.org/lvfs/devicelist) 4- Search for Intel https://fwupd.org/lvfs/search?value=intel 5- Found 2 records: a) Hardware Vendor: Intel (Thunderbolt) b) Hardware Vendor: Intel (EDK2) 6- Click on record a) Hardware Vendor: Intel (Thunderbolt) https://fwupd.org/lvfs/vendorlist#intel 7- Look for Intel (Thunderbolt) 8- Found the following: Firmware uploading is owned by Thunderbolt system vendors 9- When clicking on the link it takes me to https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/io/thunderbolt/thunderbolt-technology-general.html Am I looking at the right thing? If yes, I am concerned that what you are reporting (Thunderbolt 33 firmware and BIOS 53) applies only to Nuc: Hades Canyon and we have different controllers, most of them implemented in 3rd party systems, see below: https://ark.intel.com/products/series/79641/Thunderbolt-Products. We have about 18 TB controllers, some of them may share the same firmware and drivers but not all, I believe this is the reason why we are recommending customers to check with the system manufacturer (Firmware uploading is owned by Thunderbolt system vendors) Let me know your comments. Thanks, Ronny G

[hubick]

Hi Ronny,

Again, Thunderbolt 33 and BIOS 53 were examples. I'm not asking Intel to publish firmware for all or third party systems using thunderbolt, or to publish firmware for HP systems or something like that, I'm asking for Intel to use that facility to provide fimware for the NUC, where Intel is the system manufacturer.

You've found the documentation that says Intel apparently has an account on the site. I'm not sure what that account has actually been used for, if anything, but I'm asking if the engineers who manage that account can please publish firmware applicable to the NUC there. Thunderbolt firmware releases would be a good start, but I sure wouldn't complain if we could also use it to get BIOS updates under Linux.

It would be nice for Intel customers if Intel uploaded the applicable firmware for all systems for which Intel is the system manufacturer, but my specific request is to support at least my NUC8i7HVK.

Much Thanks.

[Ronny_G_Intel]

Got it. Let me try to find the right person to work with, no promises but I will try. Thanks you very much for the suggestion. Ronny G

[Ronny_G_Intel · Accepted solution]

Hi hubick, I asked around and the official answer that I got on this matter is that we dont create a Linux-friendly firmware updater for any of the firmwares on NUC (HDMI, Thunderbolt) and if we ever did it or if we do this in the future, we'd only post it on Intel Download Center, and not on any third-party repositories that we have no control over. Regards, Ronny G

[hubick]

Hey Ronny,

That's disappointing.

It's also confusing. Intel is a leader when it comes to things like video drivers on Linux. I'm sorry that embrace isn't company wide apparently.

As for "third-party" repositories, well, I bet Intel has pushed drivers to Windows Update.

I guess if Linux users want firmware updates, they should buy one of the many Dell or Lenovo systems listed on that page. Even HP seems to be testing out a few systems (open to the idea).

Thanks for asking for me.