Guide to updating the BIOS on a Thinkpad T460p using Arch Linux.

thinkpad_t460p_bios_update_arch_linux.md

title	description	date	tags
Thinkpad T460p BIOS Update in Arch Linux	Guide to updating the BIOS on a Thinkpad T460p using Arch Linux.	2024-11-10	t460p thinkpad bios-update arch-linux system-maintenance

Thinkpad T460p BIOS Update in Arch Linux

Prerequisites:

• Disable Secure Boot in BIOS if enabled.
• Set USB as the first boot device in BIOS boot order.
• Use a USB 2.0 port.
• Ensure battery is well charged and power cable is connected.

Steps:

1. Install necessary package:

   yay -Syy
   yay -S geteltorito

2. Download the BIOS Update (Bootable CD) ISO, continue if Good is displayed:

   mkdir ~/bios && cd ~/bios
   
   # Double check on the official website:
   # https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/gb/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-t-series-laptops/thinkpad-t460p/downloads/ds112077
   
   wget https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles/r07uj34wd.iso
   
   checksum=$(md5sum ~/bios/r07uj34wd.iso | awk '{print $1}')
   expected_checksum="2c6a4c9dbac1b0486ace9a728bad1e20"
   [ "$checksum" = "$expected_checksum" ] && echo 'Good' || echo 'BAD!'

3. Extract bootable image from .iso file:

   geteltorito.pl -o ~/bios/bios.img ~/bios/r07uj34wd.iso

4. Find your USB device (be mindful):

   lsblk

5. Write the image (replace sdX with your actual USB device, e.g., sdb):

   sudo dd if=~/bios/bios.img of=/dev/sdX bs=512k status=progress
   sync

6. Finish:

   • Once finished, remove and re-insert the USB and reboot.
   • Follow on-screen instructions to complete the update.