Option "Enable Firmware Upgrade" doen't exist

I want to upgrade the firmware of my Nitrokey Pro:
App Version: 1.2, Firmware Version 0.7
However, there is no option “Enable Firmware Upgrade”,
neither in the Windows nor in the Ubuntu Nitrokey App.
Even if I start “nitrokey-app -a” there are only four
entries in the Configure menu:

  • OTP and Password safe
  • Change User PIN
  • Change Admin PIN
  • Factory Reset
    (Without the option “-a” the Factory Reset isn’t displayed neither.)

How do I switch into the Firmware Upgrade mode in case
of Nitrokey firmware 0.7?

Hi,

firmware upgrade is only possible for Nitrokey Storage and Nitrokey Start, not for Nitrokey Pro.

Kind regards
Alex

Hi kowa!

User side on day-to-day use there are not much changes between v0.7 and v0.8, except of support for 320-bit OTP secrets and secrets starting with the null byte. I do not know your cause for the firmware update, but please reconsider it in this light.

Sadly we do not support Nitrokey Pro’s firmware update at the moment. Saying that, there is a way to do so, though you would have to do it without our help. I think warranty is not concerning unsupported firmware and hardware modifications as well.

Flashing instructions are in nitrokey-pro-hardware’s readme (section Flashing). You would need a serial / TTL programmer (cheapest are around 2 EUR), an USB socket and a couple of cables to make it work. The device’s case will have to be broken too.
Perhaps Raymii’s guide regarding NK Start flashing via DFU would be helpful as well.

Edit: see my last message: Option "Enable Firmware Upgrade" doen't exist

Thank your for your revealing information.

Wolfgang

Any reason for that?

you need a serial cable to flash new firmware. The Nitrokey Storage is based on a different hw (that permits easily the software upgrade).

2 Likes

@kowa You are welcome!

I have totally missed we have a guide on our site already: Programming the Nitrokey.

@NoiZtril: @comio is right, Nitrokey Storage is bundled with (software activated) DFU bootloader, allowing to update code. Nitrokey Start has its own implementation and similarly it has to be done on Nitrokey Pro.