BIOS Settings from Linux

BIOS Settings from Linux

Most vPro machines ship with AMT enabled in BIOS by default. But if yours doesn't, you can still avoid a reboot — both Lenovo and Dell expose BIOS attribute setting from Linux userspace.

Lenovo — think-lmi

The thinklmi kernel module exposes BIOS attributes as files under /sys/class/firmware-attributes/thinklmi/attributes/. Modern ThinkPads, ThinkCentres, and ThinkStations support it.

Check if your machine exposes AMT

ls /sys/class/firmware-attributes/thinklmi/attributes/ | grep -i amt

You should see something like:

• AMTControl
• IntelAmtControl
• AMTCIRAtimeout
• UserConsent

If empty, your model predates think-lmi AMT exposure — use the BIOS UI once.

Set AMT enabled

echo Enable | sudo tee /sys/class/firmware-attributes/thinklmi/attributes/AMTControl/current_value

Verify:

cat /sys/class/firmware-attributes/thinklmi/attributes/AMTControl/current_value

Lenovo BIOS Supervisor Password

Some attributes require the BIOS Supervisor Password (set via BIOS UI once). Set it for the current session:

sudo bash -c 'echo "your-supervisor-password" > /sys/class/firmware-attributes/thinklmi/authentication/Admin/current_password'

Then writes to AMT attributes will succeed.

Models with confirmed think-lmi AMT support

• ThinkPad T14 Gen 2+, X1 Carbon Gen 9+
• ThinkCentre M90q Gen 2+
• ThinkStation P3 Ultra / P3 Tower
• ThinkStation P360 series

Reboot or not?

Some attribute changes need a reboot to take effect, some don't. AMT enablement typically does not require reboot if /dev/mei0 is already exposed. Check after writing:

sudo rpc amtinfo | grep "Operational State"

If enabled, you're set. If not, reboot once.

Dell — cctk (Dell Command Configure Toolkit)

Dell provides cctk as a Linux binary for BIOS attribute management.

Install

Dell ships cctk as a .deb and .rpm from their Linux software repository, or as a portable binary inside the Dell Command | Configure suite.

For Arch users: build from the Dell .rpm or copy the binary from a Dell-supplied tarball to /usr/local/bin/cctk.

Enable AMT

sudo cctk --AdvancedAmt=Enable

Set BIOS Admin Password (required if not already set)

sudo cctk --setuppwd=your-bios-admin-pwd

If a password is already set, supply it:

sudo cctk --AdvancedAmt=Enable --ValSetupPwd=existing-pwd

Verify

sudo cctk --AdvancedAmt

Should output --AdvancedAmt=enable.

Common Dell BIOS attributes

Attribute	Purpose
--AdvancedAmt	Enable Intel AMT capability
--AmtSetting	AMT operational mode
--MebxPwd	Set MEBx password
--AmtSetupCert	Trusted certificate for ACM

Combined Dell flow

# Set BIOS admin pwd (one-time)
sudo cctk --setuppwd=$(openssl rand -base64 12)
# Enable AMT
sudo cctk --AdvancedAmt=Enable
# Now activate
sudo amt-activate

HP

HP does not ship a Linux equivalent to think-lmi or cctk (as of May 2026). You'll need to enter BIOS once if AMT is disabled — but most HP business machines ship with AMT enabled.

Check: BIOS → Advanced → System Options → Intel Active Management Technology.

ASUS Pro / Supermicro / DIY W680

These typically have AMT disabled by default. Enter BIOS once (one-time, doesn't need to happen again):

• ASUS Pro / W680: BIOS → Advanced → AMT Configuration → Intel AMT → Enabled
• Supermicro X13SAE-F: BIOS → Advanced → ME Configuration → Intel AMT → Enabled

After that one-time toggle, amt-activate runs from Linux for all future provisioning.

Verifying the toggle worked

After any BIOS-side change:

ls /dev/mei0           # device should exist
sudo rpc amtinfo       # Operational State should be "enabled"

If /dev/mei0 is missing: load the driver sudo modprobe mei_me. If Operational State: disabled: AMT toggle is off, BIOS-side fix required.