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Worn-out_home-tech
Asked: 2024-01-09 06:29:35 +0800 CST

Firmware-updater user guide

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In Ubuntu 23.10, a gui program 'firmware-updater' was introduced. Is there a user manual to explain what the various features and buttons do? I am unsure what [Update Checksums] & [Verify Firmware] do and the implications of pressing them.

eg: Does [Verify Firmware] check from an external source whether the firmware is good, or am I declaring that the firmware is good and that the system should accept it?

firmware

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    The Firmware Updater GUI app is based on fwupd ... From man fwupdmgr:

       verify [DEVICE-ID]
          Checks cryptographic hash matches firmware

    The "Verify Firmware" (equivalent to fwupdmgr verify) should check if what is registered as a cryptographic hash of a certain device (that hash is made by collecting certain different details of a device) actually matches a certain firmware ... So, AFAIK, neither it relies on an external source nor does it obey your command and consider that firmware as verified but rather matches the signature of the two and gives you success if they do match.

    And quoting the same manual page again:

       verify-update [DEVICE-ID]
          Update the stored cryptographic hash with current ROM contents

    "Update Checksums" (equivalent to fwupdmgr verify-update). on the other hand, should calculate/gather the current device's cryptographic hash and register it (store it) so you can later verify a firmware against it.

    Keep in mind that not all devices respond equally successfully to those actions as some devices may not support them and other devices may not be fully supported by fwupd yet.

    That's in layman's terms ... and I agree documentation for that is far from complete or even contained in one user friendly go to place.

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