Flash Qualcomm Linux using QDL - Qualcomm Dragonwing Documentation

Qualcomm Device Loader (QDL) is a cross-platform command-line flashing tool for Qualcomm devices. Use this method when you need full control over the flash process, are running in a headless environment, or want to script automated flashing. For a GUI-based alternative, see Flash Qualcomm Linux using Qualcomm Launcher.

Flashing erases all data on the device. Back up anything important before you begin.

What you need

IQ-9075 EVK with 12 V power supply
USB Type-C cable (USB0 port on the EVK → host computer)
Host computer running Ubuntu, Windows, or macOS

Select your host OS and follow the complete path

Download QDL for your host OS from the Qualcomm Software Center.

Ubuntu
Windows
macOS

Download the Qualcomm Linux image

Download the Qualcomm Linux image

Extract the zip file

unzip qli-2.1.1-qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image.zip

The flashable artifacts are in:

<path-to-image>/images/iq-9075-evk/qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image-iq-9075-evk/

Where <path-to-image> is the folder created when you extracted the image zip.

Download QDL

Download the QDL tool for Linux (x64) and unzip it. The unzipped folder contains the qdl binary — referred to as <qdl_dir> below.
Install the required libraries (skip if already installed):
sudo apt-get install libxml2-dev libudev-dev libusb-1.0-0-dev
We recommend extracting both the image and QDL into the same parent folder. This keeps all paths under one root and simplifies navigation between the provision, SAIL, and image folders.

Set up QDL driver

Ubuntu requires a udev rule so the kernel grants your user permission to communicate with the device when it enters EDL mode.

Check whether the rule already exists:
ls /etc/udev/rules.d/51-qcom-usb.rules

If the file is not present, create it in one command:

echo 'SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="05c6", ATTRS{idProduct}=="9008", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/51-qcom-usb.rules

If the file already exists, verify the rule is present:

cat /etc/udev/rules.d/51-qcom-usb.rules

Reload udev to apply the rule:
sudo systemctl restart udev
If the USB cable was already connected, disconnect and reconnect it.

Set up QDL path

Make QDL executable:
chmod +x <qdl_dir>/qdl
Verify QDL is working:
cd <qdl_dir> ./qdl --help
You should see the QDL usage output. If you get an error, check the path.

Put the device in EDL mode

Put the device in EDL mode using the SW2 DIP switches: set switches 1, 2, and 4 to OFF and switch 3 to ON.
Connect the 12 V power supply to the EVK.
Connect the USB Type-C cable from USB0 on the EVK to your host.
Toggle the power switch to turn on the device.
Confirm the device is in EDL mode:
lsusb
Expected output:
Bus 002 Device 014: ID 05c6:9008 Qualcomm, Inc. Gobi Wireless Modem (QDL mode)
If the device doesn’t appear, recheck SW2-3 and the USB-C cable.

Provision UFS

UFS (Universal Flash Storage) provisioning divides the internal storage into separate logical unit numbers (LUNs), each dedicated to a specific type of data (boot, system, user data, etc.). This improves access efficiency and keeps the partition layout consistent across flashes.Run UFS provisioning if any of the following apply:

This is a brand-new board that has never been flashed.
You are upgrading to a new image version.
You are switching distributions (Qualcomm Linux ↔ Ubuntu).

Download and unzip the provision file:

wget https://artifacts.codelinaro.org/artifactory/codelinaro-le/Qualcomm_Linux/QCS9100/provision.zip
unzip provision.zip -d provision

Provision UFS from the unzipped provision directory:

cd provision
<qdl_dir>/qdl --storage ufs prog_firehose_ddr.elf provision_1_2.xml

Expected output:

UFS provisioning succeeded

After UFS provisioning completes, the device disconnects from USB. Toggle the power switch off and on to reboot it back into EDL mode before continuing.

Flash SAIL firmware

The Safety Island (SAIL) is a separate, isolated processor on the IQ-9075 EVK that handles safety-critical functions independently from the main application processor. Its firmware lives on a dedicated spinor flash partition and must be flashed separately before the main OS image.

Navigate to the sail_nor subfolder inside the extracted image:

cd <path-to-image>/images/iq-9075-evk/qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image-iq-9075-evk/sail_nor

Flash the SAIL firmware:

<qdl_dir>/qdl --storage spinor prog_firehose_ddr.elf rawprogram0.xml patch0.xml

Expected output:

flashed "SAIL_HYP" successfully
flashed "SAIL_SW1" successfully
flashed "SAIL_HYP_BKUP" successfully
flashed "SAIL_SW1_BKUP" successfully
flashed "PrimaryGPT" successfully
flashed "BackupGPT" successfully
11 patches applied

Flash Qualcomm Linux

Navigate to the main image folder:

cd <path-to-image>/images/iq-9075-evk/qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image-iq-9075-evk

Flash the image:
<qdl_dir>/qdl --storage ufs prog_firehose_ddr.elf rawprogram*.xml patch*.xml
The flash is complete when the final line reads:
partition 1 is now bootable
Any sector-truncation warnings during flashing are harmless.

Download the Qualcomm Linux image

Download the Qualcomm Linux image

Extract the zip file

tar -xf qli-2.1.1-qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image.zip

The flashable artifacts are in:

<path-to-image>\images\iq-9075-evk\qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image-iq-9075-evk\

Where <path-to-image> is the folder created when you extracted the image zip.

Download QDL

Download the QDL tool for Windows and extract it.
We recommend extracting both the image and QDL into the same parent folder (for example C:\Users\you\Downloads\qualcomm-flash\). This keeps all paths under one root and simplifies navigation between the provision, SAIL, and image folders.

Set up QDL driver

Uninstall any existing Qualcomm USB drivers (QUD), as they can conflict with the QDL driver. You can uninstall QUD using one of the following methods: a) Uninstall through Qualcomm Software Center(QSC)
- If QUD was installed using Qualcomm Software Center (QSC), launch QSC and select the Uninstall option, as shown in the image below.
b) Uninstall manually through Device Manager
- Open Device Manager
- Locate your device and uninstall any existing Qualcomm USB drivers associated with it
- After uninstallation, verify that the device no longer appears under COM Ports (Ports (COM & LPT))
Run install_driver.bat from the unzipped QDL folder to install the WinUSB driver.

Put the device in EDL mode

Put the device in EDL mode using the SW2 DIP switches: set switches 1, 2, and 4 to OFF and switch 3 to ON.
Connect the 12 V power supply to the EVK.
Connect the USB Type-C cable from USB0 on the EVK to your host.
Toggle the power switch to turn on the device.
Open Device Manager and confirm a Qualcomm USB device appears (not under COM Ports).

Provision UFS

This is a brand-new board that has never been flashed.
You are upgrading to a new image version.
You are switching distributions (Qualcomm Linux ↔ Ubuntu).

Download provision.zip and extract it.
Navigate to the extracted provision folder:
cd <path-to-provision>

Provision UFS (replace <qdl_dir> with your QDL folder path): Command Prompt:

"<qdl_dir>\qdl.exe" --storage ufs prog_firehose_ddr.elf provision_1_2.xml

PowerShell:

& "<qdl_dir>\qdl.exe" --storage ufs prog_firehose_ddr.elf provision_1_2.xml

Expected output:

UFS provisioning succeeded

After UFS provisioning completes, the device disconnects from USB. Toggle the power switch off and on to reboot it back into EDL mode before continuing.

Flash SAIL firmware

Navigate to the sail_nor subfolder inside the image directory:

cd <path-to-image>\images\iq-9075-evk\qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image-iq-9075-evk\sail_nor

Flash the SAIL firmware (replace <qdl_dir> with your QDL folder path): Command Prompt:

"<qdl_dir>\qdl.exe" --storage spinor prog_firehose_ddr.elf rawprogram0.xml patch0.xml

PowerShell:

& "<qdl_dir>\qdl.exe" --storage spinor prog_firehose_ddr.elf rawprogram0.xml patch0.xml

Expected output:

flashed "SAIL_HYP" successfully
flashed "SAIL_SW1" successfully
flashed "SAIL_HYP_BKUP" successfully
flashed "SAIL_SW1_BKUP" successfully
flashed "PrimaryGPT" successfully
flashed "BackupGPT" successfully
11 patches applied

Flash Qualcomm Linux

Navigate to the main image folder:

cd <path-to-image>\images\iq-9075-evk\qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image-iq-9075-evk

Flash the image (replace <qdl_dir> with your QDL folder path — Windows does not support wildcards, list all files explicitly): Command Prompt:

"<qdl_dir>\qdl.exe" prog_firehose_ddr.elf rawprogram0.xml rawprogram1.xml rawprogram2.xml rawprogram3.xml rawprogram4.xml rawprogram5.xml patch0.xml patch1.xml patch2.xml patch3.xml patch4.xml patch5.xml

PowerShell:

& "<qdl_dir>\qdl.exe" prog_firehose_ddr.elf rawprogram0.xml rawprogram1.xml rawprogram2.xml rawprogram3.xml rawprogram4.xml rawprogram5.xml patch0.xml patch1.xml patch2.xml patch3.xml patch4.xml patch5.xml

The flash is complete when the final line reads:

partition 1 is now bootable

Download the Qualcomm Linux image

Download the Qualcomm Linux image

Extract the zip file

unzip qli-2.1.1-qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image.zip

The flashable artifacts are in:

<path-to-image>/images/iq-9075-evk/qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image-iq-9075-evk/

Where <path-to-image> is the folder created when you extracted the image zip.

Download QDL

Download the QDL tool for macOS (Apple Silicon) and unzip it. The unzipped folder contains the qdl binary — referred to as <qdl_dir> below. For tool usage details, see the QDL_User_Guide in that folder.
We recommend extracting both the image and QDL into the same parent folder. This keeps all paths under one root and simplifies navigation between the provision, SAIL, and image folders.

Set up QDL path

Install required libraries via Homebrew (skip if already installed):
brew install libusb libxml2

brew install failed? Install Homebrew utility

Brew (officially called Homebrew) is software package manager that lets you install, update, and remove programs using text commands in the Mac Terminal. Follow the below procedure to install homebrew.1. Install xcode

xcode-select --install

2. Run the homebrew installation command

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

3. Add Homebrew to your shell’s PATH

vi ~/.zshrc or vi ~/.bash_profile

Add the below line

PATH=/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH

4. Apply the changes

source ~/.zshrc or source ~/.bash_profile

5. Verify installation

brew doctor

Expected output:

Your system is ready to brew

Make QDL executable and clear the macOS quarantine flag so Gatekeeper allows it to run:
chmod +x <qdl_dir>/qdl sudo xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine <qdl_dir>
sudo is needed because some bundled libraries are read-only. If macOS still blocks the tool after this step, allow it under System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Verify QDL is working:
<qdl_dir>/qdl --help
You should see the QDL usage output. If you get an error, check the path.

Put the device in EDL mode

Put the device in EDL mode using the SW2 DIP switches: set switches 1, 2, and 4 to OFF and switch 3 to ON.
Connect the 12 V power supply to the EVK.
Connect the USB Type-C cable from USB0 on the EVK to your host.
Toggle the power switch to turn on the device.

Confirm the device is in EDL mode:

system_profiler SPUSBDataType | grep -A4 -i qualcomm

Expected output:

Product ID: 0x9008
Vendor ID: 0x05c6  (Qualcomm, Inc)
Manufacturer: Qualcomm CDMA Technologies MSM

Product ID: 0x9008 confirms the device is in EDL mode. If it doesn’t appear, recheck SW2-3 and the USB-C cable.

Provision UFS

This is a brand-new board that has never been flashed.
You are upgrading to a new image version.
You are switching distributions (Qualcomm Linux ↔ Ubuntu).

Download provision.zip and unzip it:
unzip provision.zip
Move the provision files and the QDL binary into the same folder, then run from there:
On macOS, the qdl binary and its supporting libraries must be in the same directory as the provision files. Copy the provision files into <qdl_dir>, then run the command from there.
./qdl --storage ufs prog_firehose_ddr.elf provision_1_2.xml
Expected output:
UFS provisioning succeeded

After UFS provisioning completes, the device disconnects from USB. Toggle the power switch off and on to reboot it back into EDL mode before continuing.

Flash SAIL firmware

Navigate to the sail_nor subfolder inside the extracted image:

cd <path-to-image>/images/iq-9075-evk/qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image-iq-9075-evk/sail_nor

Flash the SAIL firmware:

<qdl_dir>/qdl --storage spinor prog_firehose_ddr.elf rawprogram0.xml patch0.xml

Expected output:

flashed "SAIL_HYP" successfully
flashed "SAIL_SW1" successfully
flashed "SAIL_HYP_BKUP" successfully
flashed "SAIL_SW1_BKUP" successfully
flashed "PrimaryGPT" successfully
flashed "BackupGPT" successfully
11 patches applied

Flash Qualcomm Linux

Navigate to the main image folder:

cd <path-to-image>/images/iq-9075-evk/qcom-multimedia-proprietary-image-iq-9075-evk

Flash the image:
<qdl_dir>/qdl --storage ufs prog_firehose_ddr.elf rawprogram*.xml patch*.xml
The flash is complete when the final line reads:
partition 1 is now bootable
Any sector-truncation warnings during flashing are harmless.

If flashing fails at any point, disconnect the USB cable and power supply, reconnect them, and retry from the EDL mode step.

Finish

Turn off the SW2-3 DIP switch — push it down.
Power-cycle the device. It boots into the newly flashed Qualcomm Linux image.

Next steps

Continue to Set up the device to connect the debug UART, verify the software version, and bring up the network, SSH, and display.