Ubuntu 17.10 corrupts BIOS, bricks some Lenovo + Acer notebook models

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    Ubuntu 17.10 corrupts BIOS, bricks some Lenovo + Acer notebook models

    Ubuntu 17.10 corrupts BIOS, bricks some Lenovo + Acer notebook models


    Posted: 20 Dec 2017

    Although this bug in Ubuntu 17.10 will only effect a very small amount of Windows user's I feel it needs repeating here.

    Most people will not understand how an OS like Linux could brick a computers BIOS.

    Built into the Linux kernel is a utility that updates the BIOS and I am not sure if it is enabled or disabled by default and updates with "apt upgrade" since I have never noticed if the computers I have installed Linux on have updated the BIOS.

    Some user's have installed Linux on their Windows machines in a dual boot fashion for years (~10 ?) for this feature alone as a no mus no fuss way to update the BIOS.

    At the time of this writing the effected computers are Lenovo + Acer and I will not be updating it, you will have to check if your model is added.

    Lenovo B40-70
    Lenovo B50-70
    Lenovo B50-80
    Lenovo Flex-3
    Lenovo Flex-10
    Lenovo G40-30
    Lenovo G50-70
    Lenovo G50-80
    Lenovo S20-30
    Lenovo U31-70
    Lenovo Y50-70
    Lenovo Y70-70
    Lenovo Yoga Thinkpad (20C0)
    Lenovo Yoga 2 11" - 20332
    Lenovo Z50-70
    Lenovo Z51-70
    Lenovo ideapad 100-15IBY

    The bug also affects:
    Acer Aspire E5-771G
    Acer TravelMate B113

    Source:
    Bug #1734147 “Ubuntu 17.10 corrupting BIOS - many LENOVO laptops...” : Bugs : linux package : Ubuntu

    Temporary workaround:
    Re: Y50 70 BIOS Can't Save Settings Or Exit - Page 2 - Lenovo Community
    Posted By: Digital Life
    20 Dec 2017


  1. Posts : 1,811
    W7 Ultimate SP1 (64 bit), LM 19.2 MATE (64 bit), W10 Home 1703 (64 bit), W10 Pro 1703 (64 bit) VM
       #1

    Buggy Release


    Based on blogs and forums Ubuntu 17.10 is a buggy release and should be avoided.

    For example, here is Dedoimedo's conclusion:
    Ubuntu 17.10 Artful Aardvark is definitely one of the worst releases ever - among the few distros that I actually consider worth actually using to begin with, and probably the most underwhelming Ubuntu ever released. If Canonical really wants to revive the desktop, then it must ditch Gnome and go with Plasma. Otherwise, it's just going to be one long, neverending disaster of apathy, mediocrity and self-delusion. Fonts are the only thing that works well in this release.

    Everything else is just awful - a sad live session that showcases nothing, Samba regressions, Nouveau color fiasco, application crashes, botched extensions mechanism, a neutered and counter-intuitive desktop, and the list goes on. You've read the review, no need for me to repeat itself. And the simple reason for this is Gnome. But then it's up to Canonical to do things right. Only can you really blame them for not trying? They wanted to make Linux big, but the so-called community took a proverbial dump on them. The only reason why anyone even remotely cares about Linux desktop is Ubuntu, and now it's not even that. Ubuntu is tired. The old passion is gone.

    The only salvation is to reboot the whole thing. Plasma. Hopefully, come April 2018, there will be one LTS and it will be running KDE, and it will be called Ubuntu. At the moment, we're back in 2005 or so, when Ubuntu just started. Maybe other DE flavors will be better. 1/10. Hardly worth testing. You might be luckier, but if it comes to luck and not professionalism, you might as well not bother. Dedoimedo regretfully approves this review.
    https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/...-aardvark.html
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 126
    Windows 10
       #2
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 213
       #3

    I got a Lenovo Z50-70 laptop and fresh installed both W10 Insider Preview 17063 and Ubuntu 17.10 last night and so far so good.

    Should I notice anything?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 15,024
    Windows 10 IoT
       #4

    Hm, that's not good. sudo apt-get upgrade will update the firmware on my Raspbery Pi. The firmware (boot code) isn't on the Pi though, its stored on the Micro SD card, so I can't brick it if it skews up. I just reimage my SD card and I'm back up and running. I'm a bit of a Linux noob though. I had no idea it actually would update the BIOS on a PC if you ran it. I an running the Raspberry Pi Desktop on my spare desktop PC. Raspbian is I believe Debian so I guess I'm safe? I hardly ever run upgrade anyway, usually I just do an update. Upgrade usually breaks what I spent hours setting up.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #5

    lehnerus2000 said:
    Based on blogs and forums Ubuntu 17.10 is a buggy release and should be avoided.

    For example, here is Dedoimedo's conclusion:
    I thought bugs only existed in Windows 10 according to Linuxians and Sevenists .
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 856
    Windows 10 Pro 21H2 build 19045.2193 Dual Boot Linux Mint
       #6

    17.10 downloads have been removed, glad I don't use Ubuntu. Plenty of bugs on occasions, they just usually get fixed a bit quicker!
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 822
    Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Thanks for the link

    alphanumeric said:
    Hm, that's not good. sudo apt-get upgrade will update the firmware on my Raspbery Pi. The firmware (boot code) isn't on the Pi though, its stored on the Micro SD card, so I can't brick it if it skews up. I just reimage my SD card and I'm back up and running. I'm a bit of a Linux noob though. I had no idea it actually would update the BIOS on a PC if you ran it. I an running the Raspberry Pi Desktop on my spare desktop PC. Raspbian is I believe Debian so I guess I'm safe? I hardly ever run upgrade anyway, usually I just do an update. Upgrade usually breaks what I spent hours setting up.
    Ubuntu is based on Debian, So my guess is if you installed it on a vulnerable machine it would probably hose the BIOS Linux Mint is probably in the same boat too. But as you said your using a Pi so your good.

    You still use "apt-get" I guess the Pi foundation has not updated apt yet
    I use Ubuntu 16.04 LTS minimal server and use
    Code:
    sudo apt update && sudo apt -y upgrade
    They call it prettified apt-get
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 822
    Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #8

    alphanumeric said:
    I hardly ever run upgrade anyway, usually I just do an update. Upgrade usually breaks what I spent hours setting up.
    Just noticed your last statement "apt-get update" just downloads loads the new package names and version numbers, It does not actually update anything.

    Although I recommend that you should always upgrade Linux, if you do not want to you might as well run
    Code:
    sudo apt-get clean
    and gain a little free space.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 668
    Win 10 pro
       #9

    cereberus said:
    I thought bugs only existed in Windows 10 according to Linuxians and Sevenists .
    Interim Ubuntu releases are based on Debian testing, maybe comparable with win 10 slow ring(?) so it's not actually a bug
      My Computer


 

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