On Sat, Sep 19, 1998 at 08:35:44PM -0400, Adam Sulmicki wrote:
[snip]
>
> Most BIOSes nowdays are designed for primiate dos-like operating systems,
> and does not quite correspond to needs of operating system as linux.
>
The PeCe bios 100% DOS model. It was written as a complement to DOS.
> Since BIOS is software, most of what BIOS can do linux can do too.
>
Yes.
> Moreover, since most of the bioses today are on FLASH-ROM so it is easy
> to update. Furthermore those FLASH-ROOMS are usually big, of magnitude
> of 1-2mb.
>
FlashRAM = EEPROM.
> What is boils down to, is that I would like to see bios concentrate on
> the thing which it is desinted to: a) init device from which it is
> to load kernel b) load kernel c) _optionally_ provide some basic Input
> output.
>
Unfortunatly BIOS stand very close to the hardware. PeCes are not the case
of Alphas were you have 1 architecture. BIOSs are made in some degree to fit
the hardware they are running on.
> What I mean here is that I don't see my my BIOS need to have "Virus
> Protection" or "date setup". But I would like to see my BIOS to provide
> a) serial console support
the serial is pretty much standard i think. except for the "fish the irq/io
port" issue.
> b) support for netbooting.
ouch . have you seen the zillions of network cards out there ?
this can be very hard to achieve. of course you could just compile the
firmware for your PeCe yourself :)
> c) booting over parallel port ;P
IDE paralell device ? seems simple enough :)
ZIP drive ?
and about ZIP ide booting ?
> d) IR booting (variation of netbooting)
>
IR ? humm .. like in the laptops ?
and what about paper tape and serial port booting ? :)
> Espeically B, It would ease pains of needing to find a burner burn EEPROM
> for netowrk card.
>
> Comments?
>
This would be fun except for the pain it would to be to make firmware for
all the motherboards out there. (or wouldn't this be needed ?)
- --
Carlos Morgado - l39801@alfa.ist.utl.pt - http://alfa.ist.utl.pt/~c39801
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My views are my own - but for a reasanoble amount of cash they can be your's
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