---
name: "cxl-update-firmware"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "ndctl"
version: "85-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cxl-update-firmware"
---

# cxl-update-firmware(1)

update the firmware on a CXL memdev

## NAME

cxl-update-firmware - update the firmware on a CXL memdev

## SYNOPSIS

```
cxl update-firmware <mem0> [<mem1>..<memN>] [<options>]
```

## DESCRIPTION

Update the firmware on one or more CXL mem devices. The mem devices must support the set of firmware related mailbox commands.

This command doesn’t directly issue the transfer / activate firmware mailbox commands. Instead, the kernel’s firmware loader facility is used to provide the kernel with the data, and the kernel handles performing the actual update while also managing time slicing the transfer w.r.t. other background commands.

## EXAMPLE

```
# cxl update-firmware mem0 -F firmware.bin -w
[
  {
    "memdev":"mem0",
    "pmem_size":1073741824,
    "ram_size":1073741824,
    "serial":0,
    "numa_node":0,
    "host":"cxl_mem.0",
    "firmware":{
      "num_slots":3,
      "active_slot":2,
      "online_activate_capable":false,
      "slot_1_version":"cxl_test_fw_001",
      "slot_2_version":"cxl_test_fw_002",
      "slot_3_version":"cxl_test_new_fw",
      "fw_update_in_progress":false
    }
  }
]
firmware update completed on 1 mem device
```

## OPTIONS

\-b, --bus=

Restrict the operation to the specified bus.

- \-F, --firmware-file

  Firmware image file to use for the update.

- \-c, --cancel

  Attempt to abort an in-progress firmware update. This may fail depending on what stage the update process is in.

- \-w, --wait

  By default, the update-firmware command only initiates the firmware update, and returns, while the update operation happens asynchronously in the background. This option makes the firmware update command synchronous by waiting for it to complete before returning.

  ```
  If --wait is passed in without an accompanying firmware-file,
  it will initiate a wait on any current in-progress firmware
  updates, and then return.
  ```

- \-v, --verbose

  Emit more debug messages

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2016 - 2022, Intel Corporation. License GPLv2: GNU GPL version 2  \<http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO

[cxl-list(1)](/cxl-list/1.md),