Secure boot & BIOS updates on Linux
Hello,
Gigabyte, please, I'm a Linux user running Cachyos with Limine and a B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 motherboard. Updating the BIOS, or even booting, is sometimes extremely difficult. I know similar problems exist under Windows, but here, the issue is related to Secure Boot.
With each update, Secure Boot is enabled by default, and that's where the problems begin. The computer powers on, but the BIOS becomes inaccessible, and the screen remains black, displaying "No signal."
Please fix this problem urgently and do not enable Secure Boot by default during BIOS updates; otherwise, please add an access key to ensure compatibility with Linux.
How did I solve the problem?
* In this case, resetting the CMOS didn't change anything.
This step may vary depending on your configuration, and I must admit that I don't want to do it again.
* First, the monitor wasn't working with the graphics card (same problem with AMD and Nvidia), so I had to connect it to the motherboard via my iGPU. Don't ask me why; that's just how it was on my system. I'll reconnect it to the graphics card later.
* I downloaded version F11a and renamed it gigabyte.bin (this is important, otherwise it won't work; you'll know it worked when the PC boots by pressing Q-Flash). I saved it to a USB drive, which I then plugged into the Q-Flash port on the back of the motherboard.
* I pressed the small Q-Flash button on the back of the motherboard (the computer boots automatically) and waited a long time for the BIOS to appear. I immediately disabled Secure Boot (which is enabled by default with each update).
I'm sharing my experience because others might encounter the same problem. Furthermore, when I asked for help, I was advised to contact Gigabyte's technical support, or even to return my motherboard. I think nobody wants to be left without a solution.
Good luck.