====== Updating a Samsung SSD (840) Firmware with Linux ======

If you are lucky and have an (external) CD drive you can burn one of the ISO images provided on the [[http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/samsungssd/downloads.html|Samsung SSD]] page. However as I bought the SSD (a 840 non-pro) for my netbook and had already installed the SSD and didn't want to remove it again I didn't have this option.

After some trial and error I succeeded by extracting a part of the ISO image and putting it on the FreeDOS stick that I created using [[http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/|UNetbootin]]. Neither using the executable for Windows on FreeDOS nor creating a USB Stick using UNetbootin and the ISO image worked for me.

I read that under Windows you can create a bootable USB stick using Magican (can be found on the same download page). I didn't know this before and haven't tried it but if you have a Windows somewhere this might be a safer option than what I suggest here.

For those of you who don't want to repeat the trial and error, here is what worked for me. Updating the firmware is a dangerous procedure, your SSD could be damaged irreparably if the update fails. If you follow these instructions you do that at your own risk.

I have a Samsung 840 (non-pro) SSD but I could imagine that this could work for other Samsung SSDs, too.

===== The short version =====

You need the ''samsung'' directory from the ''isolinux/btdsk.img'' image inside the ISO, copy it on the USB stick. Once you have booted the stick, change the directory to ''C:\samsung\DSRD\'' directory and execute ''DSRDGUIO.exe''.

===== The long version =====

  - Use UNetbootin to install FreeDOS on the USB stick
  - Download the ISO image. I assume it is in ''/tmp/Samsung_SSD_840_DXT07B0Q.iso''
  - Mount the ISO image. I've create a directory ''/mnt/test'' for this purpose: <code bash>mount -o loop /tmp/Samsung_SSD_840_DXT07B0Q.iso /mnt/test</code>
  - Copy ''/mnt/test/isolinux/btdsk.img'' to ''/tmp''.
  - Unmount the ISO image: ''umount /mnt/test''
  - Mount ''btdsk.img'': ''mount -o loop /tmp/btdsk.img /mnt/test''
  - Copy ''/mnt/test/samsung'' on the USB stick
  - Unmount ''btdsk.img'': ''umount /mnt/test''
  - Reboot from the USB stick
  - Select one of the live versions of FreeDOS
  - In FreeDOS execute:  <code>C:\
cd samsung\dsrd\
DSRDGUIO.exe</code>
  - Follow the instructions that appear

Feel free to comment if it worked for you or if it didn't so other people can learn from your experiences.