fwupdmgr

Display all devices detected by fwupd

$ fwupdmgr get-devices

$ fwupdmgr refresh

$ fwupdmgr get-updates

$ fwupdmgr update

$ sudo mount [[-o|--options]] uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=0022 [/dev/sdX] /boot

$ fwupdmgr get-history

fwupdmgr [options...] command [arguments]

--version
    Print version and exit

--help
    Show help and exit

--allow-branches
    Allow testing or beta firmware branches

--allow-reinstall
    Permit reinstalling existing firmware versions

--background
    Run fwupd daemon in the background

--force
    Ignore inhibit checks or refresh cache

--no-reboot
    Do not reboot after successful update

--no-safety-check
    Skip hardware safety checks

--json
    Dump output as JSON

--timeout=
    Set network timeout

fwupdmgr is a powerful command-line tool for managing firmware updates on Linux systems. Part of the fwupd project, it interacts with the Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS) to discover, download, and apply firmware updates for a wide range of hardware, including laptops, desktops, tablets, peripherals, and embedded devices from vendors like Dell, Lenovo, HP, Microsoft, Framework, and many others.

It supports UEFI capsule updates, kernel EFI runtime services, and direct flash methods. Key features include metadata refresh from LVFS, device enumeration, update checks, interactive or automatic installations with verification and rollback support. Updates are cryptographically signed for security, and the tool integrates with package managers via plugins.

Usage typically involves running fwupdmgr refresh to fetch cabinet metadata, fwupdmgr get-devices to list supported hardware, fwupdmgr get-updates to check availability, and fwupdmgr update to apply them. It requires the fwupd daemon (systemd service) and often polkit privileges for write operations. Ideal for system administrators and users seeking to keep firmware current without proprietary OS tools.

Requires fwupd daemon running and internet for LVFS metadata; some updates need reboot or AC power; use --no-safety-check cautiously as it bypasses protections; not all hardware supported.

refresh: Update LVFS metadata
get-devices: List firmware devices
get-updates: Check for updates
update: Install pending updates
install: Install specific .cab file

Full list at https://fwupd.org/lvfs/devices/; includes BIOS/UEFI, SSDs, TPMs, trackpads.

Developed by Richard Hughes at Red Hat starting 2015; initial focus on UEFI updates for Dell/HP; expanded to LVFS (2017) for vendor submissions; now supports 1000+ devices across distros like Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian.

fwupd(8), polkit(8), systemctl(1)