* Jakob Praher jpraher@yahoo.de [041102 12:38]:
I'd like to do some embedded systems and cluster research and would like to use linuxbios as the building block.
Has anybody tried to use linuxbios as the bios in a vm like bochs or vmware, so that one can "play" with linuxbios in software only?
I started a build for qemu, a free x86 (plus a lot of other cpus/architectures) emulator, see http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/
there's a target emulation/qemu-i386 but it needs some fixing since the last major restructure...
Additionally I'd like to know, whether you prefere the LinuxBiosKernel (I mean that there is no "real" linux kernel in the bios) over the LinuxKernel in Bios approach. If you are using LinuxBiosKernel are you using a standard ATA flash disk, or are there better ways to boot the LinuxKernel.....
There is no such thing as a LinuxBIOS-Kernel. Basically LinuxBIOS initializes the machine just far enough so a Linux (or any other) kernel can be started from flash or IDE(disk/cf/...) This kernel or application is reffered to as "payload" in LinuxBIOS contect. Since most flash devices are too small to fit in a standard linux kernel, other payloads are used that allow loading a Linux kernel or other operating system from a file system or over network. Examples for payloads are: OpenBIOS, etherboot, filo (See mailinglist archive for more information).
- in todays boards: is the flash bios big enough for the LinuxBiosKernel
If you load a Linux kernel from an IDE device, it fits easily in every common flash device out there. Otherwise you will at least need 512k or more of flash.. I don't think that Linux in flash is a good solution, but others on this list have a different opinion and proofed that it works fine.
- if not, which flash chips would you prefer?
You always need something that is compatible to the already available flash device (LPC/parallel/3V,5V,12V...)
- what board would you choose for clustering testing purposes (it should
have state of the art peripheral stuff and modern chipsets, etc).
Clearly AMD64 boards with AMD8111/8151/8131 chipset. They are best supported so far. Many boards from Tyan come with this chipset, but there are machines/boards available from other vendors as well..
Stefan