How to update Lenovo BIOS from Linux without using Windows?

Procedure to update Lenovo BIOS from Linux

1. Download Lenovo BIOS Bootable CD for your Laptop model
2. Use the geteltorito command to extract bootable image
3. Run the dd command to write extracted image to USB stick or pen
4. Reboot the laptop
5. Interrupt boot process by pressing the  ENTER  key
6. Press  F12  key and select USB mass storage device as the boot source
7. The BIOS update utility should run now

Let us see all steps in details. I am going to update my BIOS for the Lenovo x230 laptop.

Step 1. Download Lenovo BIOS

Use Google or support.lenovo.com to search for “Lenovo x230 bios”.

One can use the wget command or curl command to grab the bootable CD:

$ cd /tmp/
$ wget https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles/g2uj28us.iso

One can use the wget command or curl command to grab the bootable CD:

$ cd /tmp/
$ wget https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles/g2uj28us.iso

Step 2. Install geteltorito cli on Linux

Type the following apt command apt-get command to install it on a Debian/Ubuntu Linux:

$ sudo apt install genisoimage

Fedora Linux user should type the following dnf command:

$ sudo dnf install genisoimage

CentOS/RHEL user need to type the following yum command:

$ sudo yum install genisoimage

SUSE/OpenSUSE Linux user type the following zypper command:

$ sudo zypper install genisoimage

Arch Linux user install the geteltorito AUR package using yaourt command:

$ yaourt -S geteltorito

Another option is to just grab the Perl script:

$ wget https://userpages.unikoblenz.de/~krienke/ftp/noarch/geteltorito/geteltorito/geteltorito
$ chmod +x geteltorito

Step 3. Extract the image from iso file

geteltorito is an El Torito boot image extractor. The syntax is:

geteltorito -o {output-image-name.img {Bootable-CD.iso}
geteltorito -o x230.img g2uj28us.iso

WRITE X230.IMG TO THE USB PEN

You can identify USB stick with the following command:

$ dmesg | more
$ sudo blkid

Run the following command to write the image named x230.img to the USB stick:

$ sudo dd if=x230.img of=/dev/sdb bs=64K

Finally, reboot your Linux based laptop with the reboot command or shutdown command:

$ sudo reboot

$ sudo shutdown -h 0

Step 4. Updating the BIOS on Lenovo x230 laptop from Linux using a USB flash pen

First, interrupt boot process by pressing the ENTER  key. Next hit the F12 key and select USB mass storage device as the boot source. Make sure your laptop power supply plugged in. In some case, the battery must charge to 80-100%. Make sure you follow on-screen info to update the BIOS.