Wouldn't the Linux installer work with the graphics card in the iMac?
Currently no atiflash version installed.
Just managed to copy the tool
amdvbflash onto the image into the folder flash and can confirm it boots my 2011 system and finds the WX4170 card installed. The tool reads the currently installed image and I compared it using diff with
@Nick [D]vB WX4150_GOP.rom. No differences found. So it works
I will not write this BIOS, now
Edit 05/24/2020: Recently I wrote some experimental VBIOS versions to different AMD cards and I can confirm that this software and my guide here is working for writing a VBIOS.
A short guide (my iMac booted with Linux got the IP 192.168.19.133, you have to change this reflecting your router settings):
Code:
me@iMac27 ~ % ssh root@192.168.19.133
The authenticity of host '192.168.19.133 (192.168.19.133)' can't be established.
ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:LqLVg3yjaTAaGLDu5keoIvTl9Xvoa2LRmUO8ZvpOxt4.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
Warning: Permanently added '192.168.19.133' (ECDSA) to the list of known hosts.
root@192.168.19.133's password:
Linux grml 4.19.0-1-grml-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.19.8-1+grml.1 (2018-12-11) x86_64
Grml - Linux for geeks
root@grml ~ # cd /lib/live/mount/medium/flash
root@grml /lib/live/mount/medium/flash # ./amdvbflash -i
AMDVBFLASH version 4.69, Copyright (c) 2020 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
adapter seg bn dn dID asic flash romsize test bios p/n
======= ==== == == ==== =============== ============== ======= ==== ================
0 0000 01 00 67E8 Polaris11 GD25Q41B 80000 pass 113-L10991-101
root@grml /lib/live/mount/medium/flash # ./amdvbflash -s 0 /root/ORIG.rom
AMDVBFLASH version 4.69, Copyright (c) 2020 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
0x80000 bytes saved, checksum = 0x8EE9
root@grml /lib/live/mount/medium/flash # ./amdvbflash -s 0 /root/ORIG2.rom
AMDVBFLASH version 4.69, Copyright (c) 2020 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
0x80000 bytes saved, checksum = 0x8EE9
root@grml /lib/live/mount/medium/flash # diff /root/ORIG.rom /root/ORIG2.rom
root@grml /lib/live/mount/medium/flash # ls -al /root/ORIG.rom
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 524288 May 10 20:07 /root/ORIG.rom
root@grml /lib/live/mount/medium/flash # ./amdvbflash -p 0 AMD_GOP/WX4150_GOP.ROM
The last command will write the file WX4150_GOP.ROM stored in subfolder AMD_GOP to the card listed with number 0.
Sometimes the tool complains about the fact that the existing BIOS may be newer then the one you want to flash. You can force the write using this -f flag:
Code:
root@grml /lib/live/mount/medium/flash # ./amdvbflash -f -p 0 AMD_GOP/WX4150_GOP.ROM
To check your efforts your may read the written or original BIOS a second time and do the diff, again.
Code:
root@grml /lib/live/mount/medium/flash # ./amdvbflash -s 0 /root/NEW.rom
AMDVBFLASH version 4.69, Copyright (c) 2020 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
0x80000 bytes saved, checksum = 0x8EE9
root@grml /lib/live/mount/medium/flash # diff /root/NEW.rom AMD_GOP/WX4150_GOP.ROM
root@grml /lib/live/mount/medium/flash #
Finally you can get the saved old image from the booted Linux system opening a second Terminal window on your machine entering this command:
Code:
me@iMac27 ~ % scp root@192.168.19.133:/root/ORIG.rom .
Hope this helps.
You have to get the latest version of amdvbflash from the link a above and you place both files using the Finder in the flash subfolder on your USB stick (my is called flash from an unknown reason, too) as shown in the attached picture.
Creating and using a new Linux flash stick has been described in the
original post linked on
page one and post #1 of this thread. Please use the msdos aka FAT files system on the USB memory stick! Otherwise it will not be bootable on every iMac.
