Hi
I want to run LinuxBIOS on an NCR-7456 POS PC. It`s mainboard is said to be "Tiger MVP" (http://developer.novell.com/yes/75294.htm) and it doesn`t seem to be on the SupportedMainboards list. However it`s equipped with a VT8601A northbridge and VT82C686 southbridge. It also has a 39VF040 flash chip soldered onboard. The northbridge is said to be supported by LinuxBIOS but the VT82C686 has a question mark in the SupportedChipsets table (for linuxbios v1) and isn`t mentioned at all on the list of devices supported by LinuxBIOS v2. If so, what are the odds of successfully running LinuxBIOS on this machine ? The BIOS flash is soldered to the mainboard so it won`t be easy to reflash when something goes wrong. If the southbridge chip (VT82C686) isn`t supported what minimal code must be written for it to work ? I assume that rs232 support is crucial for further development. I have 2 of those machines, so I`m can experiment a little on one of them. The second machine has already Linux installed (standard BIOS though) and here is it`s lspci output:
gammu ~ # lspci -v 00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8601 [Apollo ProMedia] (rev 05) Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 8 Memory at fd000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=16M] Capabilities: [a0] AGP version 2.0
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8601 [Apollo ProMedia AGP] (prog-if 00 [Normal decode]) Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 0 Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0 Memory behind bridge: fb100000-fc7fffff Prefetchable memory behind bridge: 10000000-100fffff Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2
00:07.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South] (rev 40) Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. Unknown device 0668 Flags: bus master, stepping, medium devsel, latency 0 Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2
00:07.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06) (prog-if 8a [Master SecP PriP]) Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64 I/O ports at 1860 [size=16] Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2
00:07.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 1a) (prog-if 00 [UHCI]) Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. (Wrong ID) USB Controller Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 9 I/O ports at 1800 [size=32] Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2
00:07.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 1a) (prog-if 00 [UHCI]) Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. (Wrong ID) USB Controller Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 9 I/O ports at 1820 [size=32] Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2
00:07.4 Bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI] (rev 40) Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI] Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 9 Capabilities: [68] Power Management version 2
00:0d.0 Ethernet controller: National Semiconductor Corporation DP83815 (MacPhyter) Ethernet Controller Subsystem: National Semiconductor Corporation DP83815 (MacPhyter) Ethernet Controller Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 90, IRQ 9 I/O ports at 1400 [size=256] Memory at fb000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K] [virtual] Expansion ROM at 10100000 [disabled] [size=64K] Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
00:10.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1 (rev 0a) Subsystem: Creative Labs SBLive! 5.1 Digital Model SB0220 Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 15 I/O ports at 1840 [size=32] Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 1
00:10.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! Game Port (rev 0a) Subsystem: Creative Labs Gameport Joystick Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64 I/O ports at 1878 [size=8] Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 1
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Trident Microsystems CyberBlade/i1 (rev 6a) (prog-if 00 [VGA]) Subsystem: Trident Microsystems CyberBlade/i1 Flags: fast Back2Back, 66MHz, medium devsel, IRQ 7 Memory at fc000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8M] Memory at fb100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128K] Memory at fb800000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8M] [virtual] Expansion ROM at 10000000 [disabled] [size=64K] Capabilities: [80] AGP version 2.0 Capabilities: [90] Power Management version 1
I can also provide dmesg output, exact chip types, dmesg output and any information that is neccessary. Unfortunately I didn`t find any additional specs for this machine apart from marketing gibberish. But I`ll keep looking.
Maciej Grela wrote:
Hi
I want to run LinuxBIOS on an NCR-7456 POS PC. It`s mainboard is said to be "Tiger MVP" (http://developer.novell.com/yes/75294.htm) and it doesn`t seem to be on the SupportedMainboards list. However it`s equipped with a VT8601A northbridge and VT82C686 southbridge. It also has a 39VF040 flash chip soldered onboard. The northbridge is said to be supported by LinuxBIOS but the VT82C686 has a question mark in the SupportedChipsets table (for linuxbios v1) and isn`t mentioned at all on the list of devices supported by LinuxBIOS v2. If so, what are the odds of successfully running LinuxBIOS on this machine?
vt8601 support is already present in linuxbios, and I'm currently working on vt82c686 (which should work, but I haven't had a chance to test it yet). There are two variants of the 82c686, the a and the b. Can you either check the manual to find out which one of these it is, or reply with "lspci -n"? Then, beyond that, it's the code for the actual motherboard, which usually isn't too hard.
The BIOS flash
is soldered to the mainboard so it won`t be easy to reflash when something goes wrong.
Find an electronics shop that can do sodiering work, and get them to install a socket on one of the motherboards, and then get a couple extra bios chips (mouser.com I've had very good luck with). There's a chance that your flash could work perfectly the first time, but if it doesn't, you're out a motherboard, there is no reflash.
Thanks. -Corey
On środa, 27 grudnia 2006 05:21, Corey Osgood wrote:
vt8601 support is already present in linuxbios, and I'm currently working on vt82c686 (which should work, but I haven't had a chance to test it yet). There are two variants of the 82c686, the a and the b. Can you either check the manual to find out which one of these it is, or reply with "lspci -n"? Then, beyond that, it's the code for the actual motherboard, which usually isn't too hard.
Here it is:
gammu ~ # lspci -n 00:00.0 0600: 1106:0601 (rev 05) 00:01.0 0604: 1106:8601 00:07.0 0601: 1106:0686 (rev 40) 00:07.1 0101: 1106:0571 (rev 06) 00:07.2 0c03: 1106:3038 (rev 1a) 00:07.3 0c03: 1106:3038 (rev 1a) 00:07.4 0680: 1106:3057 (rev 40) 00:0d.0 0200: 100b:0020 00:10.0 0401: 1102:0002 (rev 0a) 00:10.1 0980: 1102:7002 (rev 0a) 01:00.0 0300: 1023:8500 (rev 6a) gammu ~ # lspci 00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8601 [Apollo ProMedia] (rev 05) 00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8601 [Apollo ProMedia AGP] 00:07.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South] (rev 40) 00:07.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06) 00:07.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 1a) 00:07.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 1a) 00:07.4 Bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI] (rev 40) 00:0d.0 Ethernet controller: National Semiconductor Corporation DP83815 (MacPhyter) Ethernet Controller 00:10.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1 (rev 0a) 00:10.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! Game Port (rev 0a) 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Trident Microsystems CyberBlade/i1 (rev 6a) gammu ~ #
Maciej Grela wrote:
00:07.4 0680: 1106:3057 (rev 40)
This is the give-away, it's the b version (which is what I've got, too). Once I've tested what I've got, I'll post it, but that probably won't be til after new years. In the meantime, get that flash part on a socket and get some spares!
-Corey
* Maciej Grela maciej.grela@gmail.com [061227 13:48]:
On środa, 27 grudnia 2006 05:21, Corey Osgood wrote:
vt8601 support is already present in linuxbios, and I'm currently working on vt82c686 (which should work, but I haven't had a chance to test it yet). There are two variants of the 82c686, the a and the b. Can you either check the manual to find out which one of these it is, or reply with "lspci -n"? Then, beyond that, it's the code for the actual motherboard, which usually isn't too hard.
Has anyone tested whether the vt8601 code works (again) since the last fix to romcc?
Stefan
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Corey Osgood -
Maciej Grela -
Stefan Reinauer