I'm glad you got it to work for you, but it's not a good solution.
- Relies on software not tested in Debian or Ubuntu
- Not fault tolerant -- too easy to mess up your system.
- There is a much better way.
Here's the RIGHT way to do it:
(I am assuming you have obtained the BIOS update files from a reliable source, that they are unzipped and stored in a separate directory in your home directory, and no other files are in that directory.)
1. Use your favorite package manager (Synaptic, Adept, aptitude, etc.) to install the dosemu package and the packages it recommends and suggests.
2. Open Konsole.
3. At the command prompt, type:
Code:
user@localhost:~$ xdosemu
4. Read the warnings. When you understand them, type "yes" (no quotes) where prompted.
5. A DOS window will open.
6. Insert a floppy in your floppy drive. Note the capacity of the disk you are using. Most are 1.44MB, but there are others floating around.
7. At the C:\ prompt, type:
Code:
C:\ format a: /S /F:[number of KILOBYTES of your disk] /V:[SOMENAME]
and press Enter on your keyboard. You need to replace "[number of KILOBYTES of your disk]" with the size of your disk, in kB. For instance, if your floppy is a 1.44MB, you would use 1440. For 720kB, use 720, etc. Replace "[SOMENAME]" with a name that helps you remember what the disk is. In my case, I typed:
Code:
C:\ format a: /S /F:1440 /V:BIOS-UPDATE
8. To find your files:
This will give you a directory list of your home directory. Dosemu maps your home directory to the DOS D: drive. You will note that Dosemu mangles the filenames in order to make them 8.3 filename compliant. Not to worry, it hasn't done anything to them; you'll just have to decide based on the first few characters of the actual file name. The commands "cd" (change directory") and "ls" (list) are your friends.
9. Copy your BIOS files from their directory (we'll call it "STOREDIR" as an example) to the floppy:
Code:
D:\ copy BIOSDIR\* a:\
XYZ123.BIN => a:\XYZ123.BIN
AUTOEXEC.BIN => a:\AUTOEXEC.BIN
BFLASH.EXE => a:\BFLASH.EXE
OTHERFILE.COM => OTHERFILE.COM
D:\
10. Exit Dosemu:
11 Now, back at the Konsole terminal, unmount the floppy and exit:
Code:
user@localhost:~$ umount /dev/fd0
user@localhost:~$ exit
12. Follow the instructions of the BIOS vendor.
Happy Trails,
Loye Young
http://www.iycc.net
Laredo, Texas