ID="opensuse-tumbleweed"
VERSION_ID="20260618"
linux v7.0.12-1-default x86_64
After a recent update the message below pops open every day at least once. I do not recall configuring a “remote.”
Does anyone know what this is?
Authentication is required to update the metadata for a cnfigured remote used for firmware updates.
Where are you seeing this messsage?
My guess is that it’s related to running a firmware update (Discover can do this IIRC) or just updating the list of what firmware can be updated.
But we need some context as to where you’re seeing the message to be able to help.
It is a popup window titled “Authentication Required”. It opens in the middle of the screen.
From the message context, it seems likely it’s related to firmware updates.
You can try running the following command in a terminal window:
sudo fwupdmgr refresh
That should update the metadata without applying any updates and stop the message popping up. You may want to consider applying the updates, but ultimately you’ll need to determine if the updates provide value. Chances are there’s at least an update to the secure boot database, as ISTR there’s a certificate expiration happening soon related to Microsoft’s signing keys.
$ sudo fwupdmgr refresh
[sudo] password for root:
WARNING: UEFI ESP partition not detected or configured
See https://github.com/fwupd/fwupd/wiki/PluginFlag:esp-not-found for more information.
WARNING: UEFI firmware can not be updated in legacy BIOS mode
See https://github.com/fwupd/fwupd/wiki/PluginFlag:legacy-bios for more information.
Metadata is up to date; use --force to refresh again.
$
Hmm. Okay…
$ sudo fwupdmgr --force refresh
WARNING: UEFI ESP partition not detected or configured
See https://github.com/fwupd/fwupd/wiki/PluginFlag:esp-not-found for more information.
WARNING: UEFI firmware can not be updated in legacy BIOS mode
See https://github.com/fwupd/fwupd/wiki/PluginFlag:legacy-bios for more information.
Updating lvfs
Authenticating… ▕⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿▏ Less than one minute remaining…
Successfully downloaded new metadata:
• 4 devices are updatable
• 0 devices are supported in the enabled remotes (an update has been published)
$
You’ve got four devices that are updatable. If you run sudo fwupdmgr get-updates (this just tells you what you’ve got that can be updated, update or upgrade will apply the updates), you can see what they are.
Retrieving the list of available updates should in theory stop the pop-up message from showing up.
$ sudo fwupdmgr get-updates
WARNING: UEFI ESP partition not detected or configured
See https://github.com/fwupd/fwupd/wiki/PluginFlag:esp-not-found for more information.
WARNING: UEFI firmware can not be updated in legacy BIOS mode
See https://github.com/fwupd/fwupd/wiki/PluginFlag:legacy-bios for more information.
Devices with no available firmware updates:
• AXIOM 120GB
• Bolt Receiver
• CS900 1TB SSD
• Ultra II 480GB
No updatable devices
$
I am confused. I thought I had a UEFI BIOS. At boot time it even offers “Press F2 or DEL to enter EFI BIOS”. Yet fwupdmgr indicates otherwise.
What do you see under /boot/efi? Or the output if ls /sys/firmware/efi?
Sounds like the OS was installed in legacy BIOS mode rather than EFI mode.
$ ll /boot/efi /sys/firmware/efi
ls: cannot access '/boot/efi': No such file or directory
ls: cannot access '/sys/firmware/efi': No such file or directory
$
Do I need to re-install the OS to get EFI mode?
I haven’t done it myself. I understand that it can be done, but it’s not a straightforward change because you need disk space for the EFI partition, and the partition table format changes.
So it’s probably easiest to reinstall after backing your data up.
If you have some way of setting up an EFI partition to be mounted at “/boot/efi”, then it is possible to get EFI mode. But I do agree with @hendersj42 that re-install might be easier.
Yes, I do. The swap partition is oversized at 64GB on /dev/sdb. I could re-partition that section into two, one that is 400MB, with the rest being the swap.
Is the partition table GPT, or MBR?
# parted -l
...
Model: ATA PNY CS900 1TB SS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags:
Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 68.7GB 68.7GB linux-swap(v1) swap
2 68.7GB 1000GB 931GB xfs
...
#
That should make the conversion easier, from what I understand.
Does this look correct?
Model: ATA PNY CS900 1TB SS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags:
Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 420MB 419MB fat16 boot, esp
3 420MB 68.7GB 68.3GB linux-swap(v1) swap
2 68.7GB 1000GB 931GB xfs
I would make the boot partition larger, since you are using xsf 1GB should be enough.
A couple of years ago I transformed a non-UEFI install into an UEFI system by following this guide:
The system was later changed from grub2-efi to systemdboot. Still runs without any issues.
After backing up you have nothing to loose to give it a try. If it fails you can always do a reinstall. You can even try to attempt to change the existing system with the help of the installation USB. Instead of installation pick upgrade, here you can change the bootloader, for me this also worked when I change from grub2-efi to systemdboot on a separate machine.
Needs to be fat32 and make it 1-4GB…
Model: SPCC M.2 PCIe SSD (nvme)
Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 1024GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags:
Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 4296MB 4295MB fat32 EFI system partition boot, esp
2 4296MB 1024GB 1020GB ext4 Linux filesystem
Model: ATA APPLE SSD SM512E (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags:
Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 20.5kB 210MB 210MB fat32 EFI system partition boot, esp
2 210MB 300GB 300GB Customer
3 300GB 305GB 4295MB fat32 EFI system partition boot, esp
4 305GB 500GB 196GB ext4 Linux filesystem
Model: Patriot M.2 P300 128GB (nvme)
Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 128GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags:
Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 1075MB 1074MB fat32 boot, esp
2 1075MB 128GB 127GB ext4
Okay, increased the partition size. The YaST partitioner apparently chooses fat16 or fat32 depending on the partition size.
Model: ATA PNY CS900 1TB SS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags:
Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 2149MB 2147MB fat32 boot, esp
3 2149MB 68.7GB 66.6GB linux-swap(v1) swap
2 68.7GB 1000GB 931GB xfs
I did see that Redhat tutorial. I need to study it more. I have downloaded grub-efi. Not enabled it yet.