"Kevin O'Connor" kevin@koconnor.net writes:
Actually, I think the generic solution has been to not use option roms at all. :-) After all, most cards don't use them (VGA being the notable exception).
Agreed.
Frankly, if I had any pull with manufactures or vendors, I'd try to convince them to avoid option roms instead of trying to convince them to support a different option rom format.
Yes. There are cases where multiple vendors need some input on what the firmware is doing and in those cases option roms come into play.
So for high enough volumes the firmware simply can't be solely controlled by the board vendors.
This does not make option roms the only business solution but one of them.
Having cards that conform to standards (or can emulate them during bootup) will be a lot more productive IMO, then a cross platform byte code.
That is the one place where it is the hardest. Usually hardware can be put into an emulation mode but only after it is initialized. I believe one of the important functions of an option roms on video cards is to turn on the memory for the video card.
Eric