How can I update Godox firmware from macOS or Linux?

Question

I need to update the firmware on a Godox or Flashpoint flash/trigger, but I don’t have a Windows computer. Godox’s older G1/G2 and Flashpoint’s F1/F2 updater apps are Windows-only. Are there any workable options for updating from macOS or Linux, and does Godox offer a Mac updater for any devices?

linux godox macos flash-trigger firmware

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Photography Stack Exchange contributor

7y ago

user27440 · Accepted Answer

OSX-only options

G3 / F3

Godox/Flashpoint has released an OSX version of the G3/F3 updater. However, as of 2023, it only supports updates for the following devices:

AD100/200/300/400/1200 Pro
V1
TT350-P
X2T
XPro-P
P2400
TT685 II
V860 III
XPro II
[anything newer]

For all other devices, or from Linux, however there are a few different ways you can do this, if you don't want to, say, purchase a cheap Windows tablet or haul that old Windows XP box you thought you'd retired out of storage.

BootCamp / Dual Booting

If you're on OSX, you can install Windows on a Bootcamp partition, and run the G1/G2 or F1/F2 applications from there. This has the disadvantages of actually still using Windows and requiring space for a full installation, but will have the advantages of speed, and no issues with USB hardware recognition.

If you're using a newer Mac that no longer uses an Intel processor, however, Bootcamp is not an option.

On Linux you could set up a dual-boot system that can boot into either Windows or Linux.

Command Line: dfu-util

If your device is the AD200 or later, and has a .dfu (Device Firmware Upgrade) update file that requires the Godox G2 updater, then you can use the open source dfu-util on the command line to copy the .dfu file to the device, as outlined by burning1rr on reddit. The basic steps, according to that reddit post, after installing dfu-util are:

Connect the device with the appropriate USB cable, and run: dfu-util -l.
Check the value of the alt= flag in the output.
Run dfu-util --alt --download where alt_value is the value that was printed out in step 1, and dfu_filename is the path/name of the firmware update file.

dfu-util, however, cannot be used for updates that require the Godox G1 application, since those firmware updates are not DFU compliant. It is also unknown if the G3 updates are DFU-compliant, as Godox is posting them as .bin files.

Virtual Machines

If you don't want to mess with Bootcamp or you're on a Linux box, a virtual machine has been known to work for Godox and Yongnuo firmware updates. A full video tutorial can be found here on Youtube.

If you're feeling cheapskate and want to try doing this for free, you can use the open source VirtualBox and a free 90-day Windows Developer's VMs from the Microsoft website. It should also work with Parallels or VMWare.