Hi list.

I would like to upgrade the BIOS of my PE840 and I'd like to learn how 
to do it without booting into any OS (in a pre-os environment, in Dell 
jargon). This because I use a non-supported OS (notably Debian) and
a) the community-maintained repo 
(http://linux.dell.com/repo/firmware/bios-hdrs/) is a bit out-of-date 
(last available bios update for PE840 - system 0x01E7 - is A05 while it 
should be A08);
b) the simple running of BIN file (PE840_BIOS_LX_A08.BIN) gives me a 
"Enough contiguous physical memory is not available to perform the BIOS 
update running under this Operating System. Reboot and try again." 
(tried everything but no way).

I started from http://support.dell.com and downloaded the Systems 
Management Tools and Documentation ISO (SMTD, version 6.1.0, burned from 
OM_6.1.0_SMTD_A00_001.iso) for my box (service tag provided). After I 
booted the DVD I got to the Firmware Update option, where I could choose 
the repository location. First thing I tried was to search in the SMTD 
DVD but no success, so I downloaded and burned the Server Update Utility 
DVD (SUU). This time it found (!) the A08 upgrade for my BIOS but when I 
tried to apply it returned an internal error. BTW before SMTD I also 
tried the Systems Build & Update Utility ISO (SBUU version 5.3.0) but at 
the same point it gave me a media error. I am so unlucky!!

At this point I would like to prepare my own repository and try it from 
SMTD. I put the aforementioned PE840_BIOS_LX_A08.BIN and .sign files on 
a repository/ folder on a USB pen but it was not able to find it. I also 
tried to put my files in the root folder of the USB pen but no way.

Thus my questions:
1. how can I create my own firmware repository (maybe on a USB pen)? 
what is the tree structure and path where the SMTD is looking for 
requested files?
2. am I using the right tool (SMTD) or should I point my attention 
elsewhere to achieve my goal (if yes, where??)
3. what is the meaning of the second DVD ISO of SUU and SMTD? I tried 
several times to burn them but the resulting DVD was empty...


Thanks for any hint.
-- Alessandro

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