add GbE perserving external flashing to initial external flashing / internal upgrade

[nestire]

See here for context

linuxboot/heads#2014 (comment)

[tlaurion]

@nestire the most important part would be to not flash GBE externally documented so use can make choice:

FLASHTOOL --programmer internal --ifd -i bios -i me -i fd

Yes user can include gbe config blob in rom, but there is not really a point doing so if we don't touch it internally with internal upgrades anymore by switch of philosophy. The external guide should reflect this as well. It is nice that user has a backup and here can revert gbe to stock by those instructions if needed with provided docs.

[nestire]

mm ok can change this, but would this also work for the xx30 variant for example. My reasoning behind this "ifdtool -> full flash way" was that it seemed more general working , especially when you first time flash. But my in depth understanding here is also some what limited

[tlaurion]

The choice for user on initial external flashing should be to either flash skipping gbe region or overwriting it with forged gbe. Generic instructions should be updated, each reference to either flashrom/flashrom changed to specify ifd me bios and say that the command line is made this way to neglect gbe. If flashrom/flashprog called without ifd regions : whole flash overwritten. Yes, all xx20/xx30/haswell as well as any other Intel based platform having Intel ethernet (e1000 e1000e igb driven ethernet built-in motherboard) will have a gbe region which amongst other config parameters have a MAC address. I think it's the case for all Intel based boards in tree but nv41 (which is not intel based ethernet) ? Le lun. 10 nov. 2025, 10 h 47, nestire ***@***.***> a écrit :

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*nestire* left a comment (linuxboot/heads-wiki#209) <#209 (comment)> mm ok can change this, but would this also work for the xx30 variant for example. My reasoning behind this "ifdtool -> full flash way" was that it seemed more general working , especially when you first time flash. But my in depth understanding here is also some what limited — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#209 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAGKBMW4QPAE2LKH3ZBCEP334CXQ5AVCNFSM6AAAAACLVMAJLCVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTKMJSGUYTGMBTGM> . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[tlaurion]

All docs referring to flashrom/flashprog need the change @nestire

I understand you are interested into t480 but phisolophical change needed for all boards having gbe ifd region.

Needs to be clear, and same, for all gbe containing roms. All instructions should say the same, otherwise maintainer deathwishes (and support request nightmares).

Code and docs need to match for all boards, can't have one board do one thing while all others another.

[tlaurion]

@nestire t480+t480s merged, so can be generalized to all boards including gbe