Arch Linux

860lacov

Member

Registered: 2020-05-02

Posts: 473

How to update Samsung NVME firmware without Windows?

fwupdmgr shows that I have 3B2QJXD7 firmware (Samsung 990 Pro)
On samsung webpage: https://semiconductor.samsung.com/us/co … ort/tools/
There is NVMe SSD-990 PRO Series Firmware ISO 4B2QJXD7

I dd this iso to pendrive
dd bs=4M if=iso of=/dev/sda conv=sync
But my laptop does not boot from this pendrive.

yataro

Member

Registered: 2024-03-09

Posts: 65

Re: How to update Samsung NVME firmware without Windows?

Try unpacking the iso to your pendrive formatted to FAT32

ua4000

Member

Registered: 2015-10-14

Posts: 465

Re: How to update Samsung NVME firmware without Windows?

But my laptop does not boot from this pendrive.

Can you explain more ?
Old legacy boot or efi boot ? Secure boot active ? Is the pendrive not visible in BIOS ?
Or which error do you get when you select it ?

Next to upgrading with the original ISO from Samsung, which I think is the preferred way, you could also try two more ways:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Solid_ … Me#Samsung

860lacov

Member

Registered: 2020-05-02

Posts: 473

Re: How to update Samsung NVME firmware without Windows?

But my laptop does not boot from this pendrive.

Can you explain more ?
Old legacy boot or efi boot ? Secure boot active ? Is the pendrive not visible in BIOS ?
Or which error do you get when you select it ?

Next to upgrading with the original ISO from Samsung, which I think is the preferred way, you could also try two more ways:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Solid_ … Me#Samsung

Thank you for the url!
It is efi boot, secure boot disabled. Pendrive is visible. I can choose it during a boot process but my laptop is rebooting instantly.
I thinkt that it can be connected with writing an ISO with dd.
I tried many times with Windows iso and it never worked. I had to use rufus.
I'll find a PC with Windows and try again.

sudo nvme id-ctrl /dev/nvme0 -H | grep Firmware
  [9:9] : 0x1   Firmware Activation Notices Supported
  [4:4] : 0x1   Firmware Activate Without Reset Supported
  [3:1] : 0x3   Number of Firmware Slots
  [0:0] : 0     Firmware Slot 1 Read/Write

It seems that I can do this without bootable pendrive.

And I checked funmagican. It discovers my drive and there is an option do update the firmware.

As usual, I should back up my data before messing wiht drive firmware. But if everything will goo smooth should my system work without reinstalation?
I have my disk encrypted with luks (2 partitions - 1 efi, 2 - encrypted system with btrfs subvolumes)

Last edited by 860lacov (2024-07-17 20:36:18)

Strike0

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2011-09-05

Posts: 1,437

Re: How to update Samsung NVME firmware without Windows?

The options you use with dd may indeed influence a successful imaging. Use the options from https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/USB_fl … ion_medium

Usually, firmware updates don't touch the data/partitioning, but that info you should research from the manufacturer for sure.

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 608

Re: How to update Samsung NVME firmware without Windows?

the iso contains a flat bootable image - so simple extraction onto a fat32 partition should work - there's a EFI/bootx64.efi file along with a grub.cfg loading a bzimage linux kermel with a initrd
so should be possible to extract the initrd to get the firmware and maybexa script or binary that does the work
as for DD: how about not using blocksize parameter?

860lacov

Member

Registered: 2020-05-02

Posts: 473

Re: How to update Samsung NVME firmware without Windows?

the iso contains a flat bootable image - so simple extraction onto a fat32 partition should work - there's a EFI/bootx64.efi file along with a grub.cfg loading a bzimage linux kermel with a initrd
so should be possible to extract the initrd to get the firmware and maybexa script or binary that does the work
as for DD: how about not using blocksize parameter?

I used bs=4M if I remember correctly

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 608

Re: How to update Samsung NVME firmware without Windows?

the iso contains a flat bootable image - so simple extraction onto a fat32 partition should work - there's a EFI/bootx64.efi file along with a grub.cfg loading a bzimage linux kermel with a initrd
so should be possible to extract the initrd to get the firmware and maybexa script or binary that does the work
as for DD: how about not using blocksize parameter?

I used bs=4M if I remember correctly

yea - how about NOT to?