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Randymanme
February 7th, 2012, 07:57 PM
Hello,

This new computer I have is pretty nifty. My jury is still out on the boot load of pre-installed software, apps, and de fecato advertisements, though. In many ways, it's a stark opposite of the freedom I've come to appreciate in Linux [I didn't migrate to Linux from some other os; Ubuntu 8.04 was pre-installed (not a dual-boot) on my first computer].

One of the pre-installed apps is an online nVidia Panel (not the Linux nVidia X Server Settings panel). I'd not heard of it before. Having used it to navigate to nVidia forums and asked questions, I've been advised that since I plan(ned) on installing Linux, I should update my BIOS to support Linux. It's the first I've heard of any kind of proprietary Linux BIOS update -- but tickled to hear of it.

What does Ubuntu Forums think about that?

BIOS for Linux eMachines P01.B4L1013.6 KB12/05/2011

Advise and suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you.
CharlesA
February 7th, 2012, 07:59 PM
You shouldn't have to update the BIOS to "support" Linux.

I haven't heard anything like that before.
del_diablo
February 7th, 2012, 08:29 PM
Well, a BIOS update tends to be nice either way. I guess the reason they want you to update is because the first revision was shipped with hacks instead of working solutions at part of stuff like ACPI.
CharlesA
February 7th, 2012, 08:32 PM
Well, a BIOS update tends to be nice either way. I guess the reason they want you to update is because the first revision was shipped with hacks instead of working solutions at part of stuff like ACPI.
True. I go by the rule of "If it's not broke, don't fix it". ;)
robsoles
February 8th, 2012, 02:55 AM
Out of hundreds of PCs I have dealt with (roughly a dozen were mine) I have updated something like three BIOS firmwares.

If the manufacturer supplies a firmware update and strongly recommends applying it then I would feel dumb to ignore them but if a third party recommends an update (particularly if I can't see the manufacturer's hand or comments about the update) then I would feel dumb not questioning that at fair length.


One step I take before applying such an update is to google the filename of the update with words like "problems", "bricked", "broken", "breaks" and anything else I think will reveal the users who had trouble with it - if I read much indicating that reasonably advanced (seeming) users found trouble arising from the update I am less inclined to proceed with it.