FW_UPDATE(8) | System Manager's Manual | FW_UPDATE(8)

# NAME

`fw_update` — install non-free firmware

# SYNOPSIS

`fw_update` | [`-adFlnv`] [`-D` path] [`-p` path] [driver | file ...]

# DESCRIPTION

The `fw_update` utility installs, updates, or deletes firmware for driver from the Internet. By default, `fw_update` tries to determine which firmware are needed.

Since firmware with an acceptable license is already present in OpenBSD, `fw_update` exists purely to deal with firmware that may not be freely distributed with OpenBSD.

The options are as follows:

`-a`
  Install or update firmware for all drivers. It is an error to specify this option with any driver arguments.
`-d`
  Delete firmware for driver. If used without parameters, delete all firmware that is not required by a driver. If used in conjunction with `-a`, delete firmware for all drivers.
`-D` path
  Use the dmesg(8) output from path rather than /var/run/dmesg.boot to determine which firmware are needed.
`-F`
  Download SHA256.sig and firmware .tgz to the current directory.
`-l`
  List drivers without installing. With `-F` lists the full path to the files that will be downloaded.
`-n`
  Dry run. Do not actually install or update any firmware; just report the steps that would be taken.
`-p` path
  Use path, either a local directory or a URL, as the source for firmware instead of the default location.
`-v`
  Turn on verbose output. This flag can be specified multiple times for increased verbosity.

Firmware is downloaded from release-specific directories at http://firmware.openbsd.org/firmware/ unless overridden with `-p`.

# ENVIRONMENT

`DESTDIR`
  The root of the system to install into.

# FILES

${DESTDIR}/usr/share/misc/firmware_patterns
  A list of patterns used to detect needed firmware from the dmesg(8).
${DESTDIR}/etc/signify/openbsd-XX-fw.pub
  Used with signify(1) to verify downloaded firmware files.

# SEE ALSO

pkg_add(1), dmesg(8)

# AUTHORS

The `fw_update` program was designed by Alexander Hall <alexander@beard.se>; it was then replaced with a perl version by Marc Espie <espie@openbsd.org>. It was rewritten to be able to be run from the installer by Andrew Hewus Fresh <afresh1@openbsd.org>.

March 22, 2025 | Debian