Flash Intel Arc GPU Firmware in Linux

[qualmtastic]

Thanks for this advice @TheDreadPirate!

For anyone finding this thread to update their Sparkle 'eco' card with Intel Arc A310 on linux, potentially to deal with a fan speed revving up-and-down noise issue (see https://www.reddit.com/r/SparkleComputer..._released/ ), I did this with a newly bought card and things seem to work okay. 

I particularly wanted to do this on linux because I'm using an older motherboard and didn't want to juggle figuring out enabling rebar/modifying a bios (which may be required to run this card in windows) just to update firmware. Here's what I did:

1) If your linux os is still based on Debian 12 (i.e. glibc is earlier than 2.38, such as Truenas 24.10.x), download/setup a linux live usb (I used ubuntu in this case, with balena etcher) and boot into the live usb.

2) Download igsc ( https://github.com/Solaris17/ARC-Firmwar...ux%20Build ) per the OP's post and follow their setup directions ( https://forum.jellyfin.org/t-flash-intel...e-in-linux ) . I did this on the live usb desktop via firefox web browser.

3) Download the appropriate update files.
Specific for updating to 101.6557 (released January 2025), I just needed the following after reviewing the 'spoiler: firmware matrix' chart in https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threa...ix.312440/
 - The SOC2 firmware file ( https://github.com/Solaris17/Arc-Firmwar...e_SOC2.bin ), as SOC2 is specific to the "(A380/A310/A40 Pro) Firmware"
 - No OPROM change for the Sparkle Eco A310.
 - The firmware data file within https://github.com/Solaris17/Arc-Firmwar...fwdata.zip . Notice there's both a 'dg2_sparkle_lp-eco-a310_config-data.bin' versus 'dg2-sparkle-lp-s-eco-a310_config-data.bin' in the zip file. I used the former and things seemed to work okay.

4) read out the device / version data:
$ sudo ./igsc list-devices
Device [1] '/dev/mei1': 8086:56a6 172f:4019 0000:06:00.00

$ sudo ./igsc oprom-code version --device /dev/mei1
OPROM CODE version: 14 00 2C 04 00000000

$ sudo ./igsc fw version --device/dev/mei1
Device: FW Version: DG02_2.2353

5) Upload the firmware and firmware data files

$ sudo ./igsc fw update --device gfx_fwupdate_SOC2.bin


Image: FW Version: DG02_2.2357
Device: FW Version: DG02_2.2353
Progress 100/100:100%
Device: FW Version: DG02_2.2357

$ sudo ./igsc fw-data update --device /dev/mei1 --image dg2_sparkle_lp-eco-a310_config-data.bin

Image: Fw Data Version: Major Version: 101, OEM Manufacturing Data Version: 3,Major VCN: 1
Device: Fw Data Version: Major Version: 101, OEM Manufacturing Data Version: 2,Major VCN: 1
Progress 100/100:100%
Device: Fw Data Version: Major Version: 101, OEM Manufacturing Data Version: 3,Major VCN: 1

6) reboot.

Again, I'm not too deeply familiar with this card yet but it seems to be working okay, and I don't seem to be noticing the fan noise issue anymore.