Windows 10: Ubuntu 17.10 corrupts BIOS, bricks some Lenovo + Acer notebook models

Although this bug in Ubuntu 17.10 will only effect a very small amount of Windows user's I feel it needs repeating here.

Most people will not understand how an OS like Linux could brick a computers BIOS.

Built into the Linux kernel is a utility that updates the BIOS and I am not sure if it is enabled or disabled by default and updates with "apt upgrade" since I have never noticed if the computers I have installed Linux on have updated the BIOS.

Some user's have installed Linux on their Windows machines in a dual boot fashion for years (~10 ?) for this feature alone as a no mus no fuss way to update the BIOS.

At the time of this writing the effected computers are Lenovo + Acer and I will not be updating it, you will have to check if your model is added.

Lenovo B40-70
Lenovo B50-70
Lenovo B50-80
Lenovo Flex-3
Lenovo Flex-10
Lenovo G40-30
Lenovo G50-70
Lenovo G50-80
Lenovo S20-30
Lenovo U31-70
Lenovo Y50-70
Lenovo Y70-70
Lenovo Yoga Thinkpad (20C0)
Lenovo Yoga 2 11" - 20332
Lenovo Z50-70
Lenovo Z51-70
Lenovo ideapad 100-15IBY

The bug also affects:
Acer Aspire E5-771G
Acer TravelMate B113

Source:
Bug #1734147 “Ubuntu 17.10 corrupting BIOS - many LENOVO laptops...” : Bugs : linux package : Ubuntu

Temporary workaround:
Re: Y50 70 BIOS Can't Save Settings Or Exit - Page 2 - Lenovo Community

 

Based on blogs and forums Ubuntu 17.10 is a buggy release and should be avoided.

For example, here is Dedoimedo's conclusion:

https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/...-aardvark.html

:)

 

WIN 10 says no storage drivers available when try to install

I have installed UBUNTU 17.10 in lenovo g500 and then it said that no OS found then I tried to reinstall win 10 but at some point it dont show any storage drivers to select to get install win 10. please help me to fix this

 

Screen glitches after logging in from logged off stage

I updated to the latest OS Build but I'm still countering the same problem. You can see my screen glitch from here.

PS : There was no such problem like this with ubuntu 17.10 when I replaced my windows 10 (after the problem started) with ubuntu 17.10 in order to check if the problem was with my hardware. I would have continued using ubuntu 17.10 but I need windows
10 OS as my primary OS.

 

The facts are here.

Ubuntu 17.10 Corrupts the BIOS of Some Lenovo Laptops, Respin ISOs Coming Soon

 

I got a Lenovo Z50-70 laptop and fresh installed both W10 Insider Preview 17063 and Ubuntu 17.10 last night and so far so good.

Should I notice anything?

 

Hm, that's not good. sudo apt-get upgrade will update the firmware on my Raspbery Pi. The firmware (boot code) isn't on the Pi though, its stored on the Micro SD card, so I can't brick it if it skews up. I just reimage my SD card and I'm back up and running. I'm a bit of a Linux noob though. I had no idea it actually would update the BIOS on a PC if you ran it. I an running the Raspberry Pi Desktop on my spare desktop PC. Raspbian is I believe Debian so I guess I'm safe? I hardly ever run upgrade anyway, usually I just do an update. Upgrade usually breaks what I spent hours setting up.

 

I thought bugs only existed in Windows 10 according to Linuxians and Sevenists *chuckle.

 

17.10 downloads have been removed, glad I don't use Ubuntu. Plenty of bugs on occasions, they just usually get fixed a bit quicker!

 

Thanks for the link

Ubuntu is based on Debian, So my guess is if you installed it on a vulnerable machine it would probably hose the BIOS Linux Mint is probably in the same boat too. But as you said your using a Pi so your good.

You still use "apt-get" I guess the Pi foundation has not updated apt yet
I use Ubuntu 16.04 LTS minimal server and use
Code: sudo apt update && sudo apt -y upgrade[/quote] They call it prettified apt-get

 

Just noticed your last statement "apt-get update" just downloads loads the new package names and version numbers, It does not actually update anything.

Although I recommend that you should always upgrade Linux, if you do not want to you might as well run Code: sudo apt-get clean[/quote] and gain a little free space.

 

Interim Ubuntu releases are based on Debian testing, maybe comparable with win 10 slow ring(?) so it's not actually a bug*Wink

 

Nope, Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu 16.04, the stable release hence possibly not affected.

 

Sevenistas perhaps?

Anyway the same certainly has happened see for example Windows Update Breaks Windows 7 UEFI Support on ASUS Motherboards | eTeknix

I'd be cross if anything updated firmware without mentioning it but it isn't a Linux bug really. More a Ubuntu packaging bug.

Not that semantics helps if the solution is to replace the chip of course.

 

I read one guy replaced his motherboard not once but twice