This repository contains payloads that for updating the Thunderbolt NVM on select Dell systems.

Intel is working on releasing a full NVM update solution for Linux users that will integrate with fwupd.

As of now (12/20/16) this full solution is not yet ready, but Intel has released tools that advanced users can use to provide feedback to Intel and to perform NVM updates.

When the fwupd solution is complete upstream, the payloads will be moved to LVFS in .CAB files and this page will be updated to point how to use the full upstream solution.

Intel's solution requires a series of kernel patches that have not yet been included upstream. These patches are used for Thunderbolt networking, but also happen to be pre-requisites for NVM query and NVM flash.

First integrate these patches into locally.

The thunderbolt-icm kernel module can be ran out of tree via DKMS if you would prefer to not compile a local kernel build.
Dell has made available a DKMS deb package here.

Next, fetch the thunderbolt user space stack

3 separate components will need to be built and installed in this order:

1. The Thunderbolt Daemon thunderboltd
2. The thunderbolt FW flash library libtbtfwu
3. The thunderbolt FW flash command line application tbtfwucli

After those components are all built and installed, you will be able to enumerate devices using this command:

# tbtfwucli EnumControllers

If the controller does not enumerate, then it is most likely asleep. Plug in a thunderbolt device to wake it up and try again.

If you don't have a Thunderbolt device, it's also possible to force the controller into flash mode to wake it up using a utility that is on this repository.

Once you have succesfully enumerated the controller ID, you can query the current NVM version using this command:

# tbtfwucli GetCurrentNVMVersion $CONTROLLERID

You can query the model using this command:

# tbtfwucli GetModelID $CONTROLLERID

Find the firmware payload in this repository that corresponds to that model and you can validate it using this command:

# tbtfwucli ValidateFWImage $CONTROLLERID $PAYLOAD

Finally you can flash the payload using this command:

# tbtfwucli FWUpdate $CONTROLLERID $PAYLOAD

It's important that the controller stay awake during this time. If you woke it using another device, leave that device plugged in until the update is done. If you woke it using the Dell force tool then you don't need to do anything.

A tool is provided in this repository that can force a Thunderbolt controller on a Dell system into flashing mode. When in flashing mode the controller won't go to sleep, so be sure to take it out of flashing mode when you are done with interactions.

Pre-requisites:

1. libsmbios development libraries
2. efivar development libraries

To compile the tool:

# gcc -o force_dell_tbt force_dell_tbt.c -I /usr/include/efivar/ -lsmbios_c -lefivar

To force flashing mode:

# sudo ./force_dell_tbt 1

To force user mode:

# sudo ./force_dell_tbt 0

Kernel feedback can be provided on the most recent kernel submission. As of 12/20 that's version 9

Issues with the userspace tools should be filed with project on github

To provide other general feedback:

• [email protected]
• Register at: https://lists.01.org/mailman/listinfo/thunderbolt-software
• Archives at: https://lists.01.org/pipermail/thunderbolt-software/