rpi-eeprom-update
Update Raspberry Pi bootloader EEPROM firmware
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
rpi-eeprom-update [options]
DESCRIPTION
rpi-eeprom-update manages the bootloader EEPROM firmware on Raspberry Pi 4, 400, Compute Module 4, and Pi 5 models. The EEPROM contains the boot code that initializes the system before the operating system loads, including USB boot, network boot, and NVMe boot support.Firmware images are provided in /lib/firmware/raspberrypi/bootloader/ under release channels: critical (rarely updated, highest stability), stable (default, recommended), beta (new features, less tested), and latest (most recent).Updates improve boot reliability, add features like new boot modes, and fix bugs in the low-level boot firmware.
PARAMETERS
-a
Apply update if newer version is available. The update is installed at next reboot.-d directory
Use the specified firmware image directory instead of the default.-j file
Write output in JSON format to file (use /dev/stdout for stdout).-l
Display the update status without checking for newer firmware.-m
Display information about the recovery.bin bootloader update file.-r
Cancel a pending update and revert to the current EEPROM contents.-h
Display help.
CAVEATS
EEPROM updates are applied at next reboot. A power failure during the update process may require SD card recovery using recovery.bin. Only use official update sources. The update channel can be changed by editing /etc/default/rpi-eeprom-update.
HISTORY
Introduced for Raspberry Pi 4 (2019) which uses EEPROM-based boot instead of the SD card boot used in earlier models. Extended to support the Raspberry Pi 5 and Compute Module variants.
SEE ALSO
raspi-config(1), vcgencmd(1), rpi-otp-private-key(1)
