Bug Description

An update to linux kernel on Ubuntu 17.10 that enabled the Intel SPI drivers results in a serial flash that is read only in Intel Broadwell and Haswell machines with serial flashes with SPI_NOR_HAS_LOCK set.

Symptoms:

* BIOS settings cannot be saved

* USB Boot impossible

* EFI entries read-only.

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Fix: The issue was fixed in kernel version 4.13.0-21 by configuring the kernel so it is not compiled with Intel SPI support. But previous affected machines still suffered from a broken BIOS.

Repair: If you still can boot into Ubuntu, you can recover your BIOS with the following steps:

1. Boot into Ubuntu

2. Download http:// people. canonical. com/~ypwong/ lp1734147/ linux-image- 4.15.0- 041500rc6- generic_ 4.15.0- 041500rc6. 201712312330+ 20170103+ 1_amd64. deb

3. Install the downloaded package:

$ sudo dpkg -i linux-image- 4.15.0- 041500rc6- generic_ 4.15.0- 041500rc6. 201712312330+ 20170103+ 1_amd64. deb

4. Make sure the kernel is installed without any error. Once installed, reboot.

5. At grub, choose the newly installed kernel. You can choose the "recovery" mode.

6. Reboot and go to BIOS settings to confirm your BIOS has been recovered.

7. In case your BIOS is not recovered, reboot to the new kernel, then reboot *once again* to the new kernel, do not enter BIOS settings before the reboot. After the second reboot, check BIOS.

8. If your BIOS issue remains, download another kernel from http:// people. canonical. com/~ypwong/ lp1734147/ linux-image- 4.15.0- 041500rc6- generic_ 4.15.0- 041500rc6. 201712312330+ clear+debug_ amd64.deb, and use dpkg to install it, then repeat steps 4 to 6.

After your BIOS is fixed, the kernel packages you just installed are no longer needed, you can remove it by running 'sudo dpkg -r linux-image- 4.15.0- 041500rc6- generic' .

The patch used to build the linux v4.15 kernel in step 8 can be found at https:/ /goo.gl/ xUKJFR.

If you have applied updates, and find that you can not boot the above fixed kernel because of Secure Boot and that the kernel is unsigned, but can still boot another kernel for your system; here's what you can do:

1) Download http:// archive. ubuntu. com/ubuntu/ dists/xenial/ main/uefi/ grub2-amd64/ current/ grubx64. efi.signed:

$ wget http:// archive. ubuntu. com/ubuntu/ dists/xenial/ main/uefi/ grub2-amd64/ current/ grubx64. efi.signed

2) Copy grubx64.efi.signed over /boot/efi/ EFI/ubuntu/ grubx64. efi:

$ sudo cp grubx64.efi.signed /boot/efi/ EFI/ubuntu/ grubx64. efi

3) Reboot; you should now be able to load the new unsigned kernel that allows fixing firmware / SPI.

4) Once you're satisfied that things work; boot to Ubuntu with a standard, signed kernel, and re-install the right GRUB version for your system:

$ sudo grub-install

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Test Case: Fix has been verified by our HWE team on affected hardware.

Regression Potential: Minimal, it's unlikely anyone is actually doing anything which requires this driver.

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Affected Machines:

Lenovo B40-70

Lenovo B50-70

Lenovo B50-80

Lenovo Flex-3

Lenovo Flex-10

Lenovo G40-30

Lenovo G50-30

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 Yoga 3 11"

Lenovo Z50-70

Lenovo Z51-70

Lenovo ideapad 100-15IBY

Acer Aspire E5-771G

Acer Aspire ES1-111M-C1LE (fixed following your new instruction (thank you))

Acer TravelMate B113

Acer Swift SF314-52 (Fixed by 4.14.9)

Toshiba Satellite S55T-B5233

Toshiba Satellite L50-B-1R7

Toshiba Satellite S50-B-13G

Toshiba Satellite L70-A-13M

Dell Inspiron 15-3531

Mediacom Smartbook 14 Ultra M-SB14UC (fixed with official fix)

Acer Aspire E3-111-C0UM

HP 14-r012la

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Affected serial flash devices by manufacturer part number, JEDEC ID (SPI_NOR_HAS_LOCK set in drivers/ mtd/spi- nor/spi- nor.c)

/* ESMT */

f25l32pa, 0x8c2016

f25l32qa, 0x8c4116

f25l64qa, 0x8c4117

/* GigaDevice */

gd25q16, 0xc84015

gd25q32, 0xc84016

gd25lq32, 0xc86016

gd25q64, 0xc84017

gd25lq64c, 0xc86017

gd25q128, 0xc84018

gd25q256, 0xc84019

/* Winbond */

w25q16dw, 0xef6015

w25q32dw, 0xef6016

w25q64dw, 0xef6017

w25q128fw, 0xef6018

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Original Description:

Basically on Lenovo Y50-70 after installing Ubuntu 17.10, many users reported a corrupted BIOS.

It's not possible to save new settings in BIOS anymore and after rebooting, the system starts with the old settings.

Moreover (and most important) USB booting is not possible anymore since USB is not recognized. It's very serious, since our machines do not have a CDROM.

Lenovo forums at the moment are full of topics regading this issue.

Thank you!!