Re: [Libreboot] flashrom fails with BIOS chip on ThinkPad T400

[Thomas Umbach]

Hello Johannes,

On Mon, 25 Apr 2016 17:42:40 +0200
Johannes Merkert <address@hidden> wrote:

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> 
> Hi,
> 
> my Name is Johannes Merkert and I am an author for the german computer
> magazine c't (ct.de). I tried to install Libreboot on a ThinkPad T400
> following the guide on libreboot.org
> (https://libreboot.org/docs/install/t400_external.html).
> 
> When I tried to test flashrom with the BIOS chip I got the following
> error:
> 
> address@hidden:~# ./flashrom -p
> linux_spi:dev=/dev/spidev1.0,spispeed=5 12
> flashrom v0.9.8-unknown on Linux 3.8.13-bone79 (armv7l)
> flashrom is free software, get the source code at
> http://www.flashrom.or g
> 
> Calibrating delay loop... OK.
> Found Generic flash chip "unknown SPI chip (RDID)" (0 kB, SPI) on
> linux_spi.
> ===
> This flash part has status NOT WORKING for operations: PROBE READ
> ERASE WRITE
> The test status of this chip may have been updated in the latest
> development
> version of flashrom. If you are running the latest development
> version, please email a report to address@hidden if any of the
> above operations
> work correctly for you with this flash chip. Please include the
> flashrom log
> file for all operations you tested (see the man page for details), and
> mention
> which mainboard or programmer you tested in the subject line.
> Thanks for your help!
> No operations were specified.
> 
> Does this mean my T400 uses another flash chip and I can not upgrade
> it to libreboot?

Good news: Most likely not.

This usually happens due to a bad contact, bad or too long cables.
If you go by the manual, you can't do it wrong. Sometimes it'll work
when you're just about to give up - don't give up! =)

Check for
 * max cable length 10cm or so for all cables (the cables are usually
   unshielded)
 * power: use an external pdu for all pins on the clip and the BBB that
   need Vcc (I'm using a lab pdu which works well, but any pdu will
   do)
 * check if you've made the right connections (the flashing manual is
   good and doesn't leave anything out at all, but it can be confusing
   if you don't have experience)
 * check if the clip has a good contact
 * try over and over again, perhaps wiggle the cables in between (last
   time I flashed I needed 20 or so attempts)

Note: The X200 is far more easy to flash because you only need to
lift the palm rest and have access to the chip immediately. You'd have
the same problems flashing if you have a bad setup though. 

Good luck.

> 
> Faithfully,
>   Johannes Merkert

-- 
Best regards/Mit freundlichen Grüßen/Cordialement/Met vriendelijke groet
Thomas Umbach

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