Librem 14 laptop

FranklyFlawless · February 9, 2024, 3:34am

The LinnStrument had its firmware updated, from 2.3.3 build 071 to the latest commit.

The LinnStrument Updater itself only supports Windows and MacOS, and is still using the Creative Commons AttributionShareAlike 3.0 Unported license. I already tried using Arduino IDE with a PureOS image on a USB drive, but it does not upload the firmware, so I need to troubleshoot it further later.

I also attempted to update my two Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2 TB with Samsung Magician, but apparently they already have the latest supported firmware version: 2B2QEXE7. That probably means the 4B2QEXM7 firmware version is for the Elpis controller, not the Pheonix controller, which is what I have. I also spent a lot of time learning about Samsung’s firmware update utility on Linux, which is a headache in itself, plus using nvme-cli to “download” and “activate” firmware in slots, etc.

Solid state drive/NVMe - ArchWiki

carlosgonz · February 9, 2024, 3:43am

I use it this NVME for Purism L14: Solidigm P44 Pro SSD | Solidigm Storage Solutions | Consumer SSDs

They have .Deb pkgs to Gnu/Lnx to update Firmwares

FranklyFlawless · February 9, 2024, 3:49am

Okay, can you provide more information about its cryptographic formatting capabilities?

sudo apt install nvme-cli
sudo nvme id-ctrl /dev/nvme0 -H | grep -E 'Format |Crypto Erase|Sanitize'

carlosgonz · February 9, 2024, 3:54am

[1:1] : 0x1	Format NVM Supported
  [29:29] : 0x1	No-Deallocate After Sanitize bit in Sanitize command Not Supported
    [2:2] : 0	Overwrite Sanitize Operation Not Supported
    [1:1] : 0x1	Block Erase Sanitize Operation Supported
    [0:0] : 0x1	Crypto Erase Sanitize Operation Supported
  [2:2] : 0x1	Crypto Erase Supported as part of Secure Erase
  [1:1] : 0	Crypto Erase Applies to Single Namespace(s)
  [0:0] : 0	Format Applies to Single Namespace(s)
  [1:1] : 0	Controller Copy Format 1h Not Supported
  [0:0] : 0	Controller Copy Format 0h Not Supported

irvinewade · February 9, 2024, 3:55am

Open source generally disapproves of any cryptographic capability of a blackbox disk - because all claims made about the operation of the disk are unverifiable.

That said, because of wear-levelling on SSDs, it is desirable but unverifiable to have a physical erase capability. Under the assumption that the disk contains an encrypted root filesystem, it isn’t critical to have that however.

carlosgonz · February 9, 2024, 3:56am

Can you paste ur Output?

FranklyFlawless · February 9, 2024, 4:10am

Samsung 970 EVO Plus using firmware version 2B2QEXE7 with the Pheonix controller:

  [1:1] : 0x1   Format NVM Supported
  [0x0] : 0x1   Admin Vendor Specific Commands uses NVMe Format
  [29:29] : 0   No-Deallocate After Sanitize bit in Sanitize command Supported
    [2:2] : 0   Overwrite Sanitize Operation Not Supported
    [1:1] : 0   Block Erase Sanitize Operation Not Supported
    [0:0] : 0   Crypto Erase Sanitize Operation Not Supported
  [2:2] : 0x1   Crypto Erase Supported as part of Secure Erase
  [0:0] : 0x1   Format Applies to All Namespace(s)
  [0:0] : 0x1   NVM Vendor Specific Commands uses NVMe Format

The NVMe version is 1.3c.

carlosgonz · February 9, 2024, 4:14am

@FranklyFlawless Looks like my Output it much better than you right?

FranklyFlawless · February 9, 2024, 4:16am

Yes, which is why I am waiting for the Librem 16 formal announcement to determine if it will support PCIe 4.0.

irvinewade · February 9, 2024, 9:49am

Strangely, one of my computers has that same drive and it reports
Crypto Erase Supported as part of Secure Erase

FranklyFlawless · February 9, 2024, 1:33pm

Okay, if you want to give more information about it, we can determine the discrepancies between our drives:

sudo apt install nvme-cli
sudo nvme list

The command above will list all connected NVMe drives. One detail I want to know about is the FW Rev value, which will determine the firmware version.

If you want to share everything about the drive instead (assuming it is in the first NVMe slot), use this command:

sudo nvme id-ctrl /dev/nvme0 -H

Otherwise, use the command I provided earlier to only provide information about the nvme-format and nvme-sanitize capabilities.

j_s · February 9, 2024, 6:11pm

sudo nvme list
Node                  SN                   Model                                    Namespace Usage                      Format           FW Rev  
--------------------- -------------------- ---------------------------------------- --------- -------------------------- ---------------- --------
/dev/nvme0n1          S59CNM0W423973V      Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 2TB             1          54.58  GB /   2.00  TB    512   B +  0 B   2B2QEXM7
 
sudo nvme id-ctrl /dev/nvme0n1 -H | grep -E `Format |Crypto Erase|Sanitize'

sudo nvme id-ctrl /dev/nvme0n1 -H | grep -E 'Format |Crypto Erase|Sanitize'
  [1:1] : 0x1   Format NVM Supported
  [29:29] : 0   No-Deallocate After Sanitize bit in Sanitize command Supported
    [2:2] : 0   Overwrite Sanitize Operation Not Supported
    [1:1] : 0   Block Erase Sanitize Operation Not Supported
    [0:0] : 0   Crypto Erase Sanitize Operation Not Supported
  [2:2] : 0x1   Crypto Erase Supported as part of Secure Erase
  [1:1] : 0     Crypto Erase Applies to Single Namespace(s)
  [0:0] : 0x1   Format Applies to All Namespace(s)
  [1:1] : 0     Controller Copy Format 1h Not Supported
  [0:0] : 0     Controller Copy Format 0h Not Supported

sudo nvme list
Node             SN                   Model                                    Namespace Usage                      Format           FW Rev  
---------------- -------------------- ---------------------------------------- --------- -------------------------- ---------------- --------
/dev/nvme0n1     S5HRNC0N202746N      Samsung SSD 970 PRO 512GB                1          38.63  GB / 512.11  GB    512   B +  0 B   1B2QEXP7



sudo nvme id-ctrl /dev/nvme0n1 -H | grep -E 'Format |Crypto Erase|Sanitize'
  [1:1] : 0x1   Format NVM Supported
  [29:29] : 0   No-Deallocate After Sanitize bit in Sanitize command Supported
    [2:2] : 0   Overwrite Sanitize Operation Not Supported
    [1:1] : 0   Block Erase Sanitize Operation Not Supported
    [0:0] : 0   Crypto Erase Sanitize Operation Not Supported
  [2:2] : 0x1   Crypto Erase Supported as part of Secure Erase
  [1:1] : 0     Crypto Erase Applies to Single Namespace(s)
  [0:0] : 0x1   Format Applies to All Namespace(s)

FranklyFlawless · February 10, 2024, 6:29am

I double checked the command’s output and noticed that I have that line now, so I have edited my prior post.

TiX0 · February 11, 2024, 3:53am

This prompted me to check if there was any firmware update for my Samsung NVMe SSD and if this would be easy enough to do. Bummer! It seems you can only do it from Windows with their Magical software whatever…
There are some instructions I could use for hacking it through Linux, but one has to get the right .iso from Samsung support in the first place. And that is my problem now: I couldn’t find any fw update for this particular model, originally ordered through Purism Samsung SSD 970 PRO 512GB. Mine has firmware 1B2QEXP7 and surprisingly there is no update for this anywhere listed! How come? Most other models seem to have fw updates but not this model…
Should I be worried or is it good news (maybe there is no update because no problem)?

FranklyFlawless · February 11, 2024, 4:08am

Apparently 1B2QEXP7 is the latest firmware revision for the Samsung 970 Pro.

irvinewade · February 11, 2024, 9:41pm

All == one but OK.

FW Rev is 1B2QEXM7 which straight off the bat is different from yours, IIRC.

I have absolutely no Microsoft Windows here, so I have no way of updating the firmware (if an update became available).

  [1:1] : 0x1	Format NVM Supported
  [29:29] : 0	No-Deallocate After Sanitize bit in Sanitize command Supported
    [2:2] : 0	Overwrite Sanitize Operation Not Supported
    [1:1] : 0	Block Erase Sanitize Operation Not Supported
    [0:0] : 0	Crypto Erase Sanitize Operation Not Supported
  [2:2] : 0x1	Crypto Erase Supported as part of Secure Erase
  [1:1] : 0	Crypto Erase Applies to Single Namespace(s)
  [0:0] : 0x1	Format Applies to All Namespace(s)
  [1:1] : 0	Controller Copy Format 1h Not Supported
  [0:0] : 0	Controller Copy Format 0h Not Supported

OK, acknowledged. So probably this post has been overtaken by events.

TiX0 · February 12, 2024, 1:26am

In case an update would be made available, this link: Solid state drive - ArchWiki could help you prepare and flash it under Linux. It first involves downloading the ISO image for your firmware from Samsung download page (Tool & Software Download | Samsung Semiconductor Global), then extracting something (script?) from the initrd and running it.

TiX0 · February 12, 2024, 1:31am

Yes. Rather good news: it was perfect as is and nothing was reported or found that would call for an update. Or at least one can hope…

j_s · February 12, 2024, 4:43pm

So among the Samsung tools for firmware update are linux images designed to only be launched from windoze?

TiX0 · February 13, 2024, 2:29am

From what I understand, their Magician software only runs under Windows. It’s more of a convenience app for easy handling of the firmware update. I did not use it (no M$FT on my premises) but I think what it does is choosing the right firmware for the model to be updated, then fetching the .iso and burning it into a USB stick that will actually do the flashing when booted.
I didn’t check what those .iso images really are - because there was no fwup for my model anyway - but they seem to be either a Linux initrd image (which you can extract the updater from) or a FreeDos image for older SSD models (more complicated to extract their fumagician updater, though); at least that’s what the instructions given from Solid state drive - ArchWiki would imply.