On Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 04:33:15PM +0200, Stefan Reinauer wrote:
This thread seems to reinvent VSA.
VSA is one possible implementation of an SMM handler.
I was thinking about the plugging and services and so on. I have always enjoyed coreboot being SMM free, and I consider that a huge marketing advantage even with the SMM handler being optional.
Also, if it is easy to add SMM code to coreboot I'm afraid it will become a trend and to me, it is not the right fix for anything.
Advocatus diaboli: Just like Windows is a possible implementation of a protected mode OS. Does this make protected mode bad per se?
I like PM, but not SMM.
My beef with SMM besides virtualizing hardware is the segregation and to some degree duplication of logic between OS and $othercode. Just like we enjoy Linux as bootloader because drivers are only in one place, I want to enjoy the operating system doing everything SMM is used for. You know, operations. Yes, it is revolutionary, at least for PCs.
I agree with Stefan that we have to go through this as a learning exercise. Things will undoubtly get a lot worse before they get better.
What exactly makes being able to support laptops so bad in your opinion?
Not what, but how. Again, it is an inevitable first step, but I don't want to settle down once it is done.
I am afraid that what I consider to be the wrong solution will gather critical mass very quickly because people think it is good enough, and that yet another migration will be too painful. Sorry if I sound too cynical. Blame the kernel guys who show no love. :p
//Peter