Hello,
Does or will LinuxBIOS support my motherboard? It's an Abit AV8 - socket 939, Athlon64 3200, VIA K8T800 Pro / VT8327 chipset. Video via AGP slot Radeon 9250. Manufacturer link: http://abit-usa.com/products/mb/techspec.php?categories=1&model=175
lspci: 00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8T800Pro Host Bridge 00:00.1 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8T800Pro Host Bridge 00:00.2 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8T800Pro Host Bridge 00:00.3 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8T800Pro Host Bridge 00:00.4 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8T800Pro Host Bridge 00:00.7 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8T800Pro Host Bridge 00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8237 PCI bridge [K8T800/K8T890 South] 00:07.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): VIA Technologies, Inc. IEEE 1394 Host Controller (rev 46) 00:09.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC (rev 01) 00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8169 Gigabit Ethernet (rev 10) 00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905B 100BaseTX [Cyclone] (rev 34) 00:0e.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6120/VT6121/VT6122 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (rev 11) 00:0f.0 RAID bus controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VIA VT6420 SATA RAID Controller (rev 80) 00:0f.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06) 00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81) 00:10.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81) 00:10.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81) 00:10.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81) 00:10.4 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 86) 00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8237 ISA bridge [KT600/K8T800/K8T890 South] 00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 60) 00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration 00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map 00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller 00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200 PRO] (rev 01) 01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200 PRO] (Secondary) (rev 01)
SuperIO chipset is Winbond W83627HF-AW.
I'm really not sure about the BIOS chip. There's a chip that _might_ be the BIOS (it has an Abit mGURU sticker on it). It's square, soldered directly to the motherboard, and has >10 thin legs on each of the four sides. According to your FAQ that probably makes it a PLCC but I'm really not qualified to judge this.
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I'm also looking to build a new system soon. What motherboards are known to work with LinuxBIOS that have: socket AM2, PCI express, no embedded video unless it's got free drivers?
Please cc: any replies as I am not subscribed to the list.
Thanks a lot,
Hi Dan,
On Wed, Oct 18, 2006 at 03:06:20PM +0200, Dan Armak wrote:
Does or will LinuxBIOS support my motherboard? It's an Abit AV8 - socket 939, Athlon64 3200, VIA K8T800 Pro / VT8327 chipset.
It's not supported, yet, I'm afraid (but correct me if I'm wrong). The K8T800 Pro is not supported (not sure how hard it'll be to get proper datasheets), and the VT8327 isn't either (but the VT8325 is supported, so maybe that's easier to add).
SuperIO chipset is Winbond W83627HF-AW.
That's supported, as far as I can see.
I'm really not sure about the BIOS chip. There's a chip that _might_ be the BIOS (it has an Abit mGURU sticker on it). It's square, soldered directly to the motherboard, and has >10 thin legs on each of the four sides. According to your FAQ that probably makes it a PLCC but I'm really not qualified to judge this.
It's quite probably a PLCC, most newer boards use PLCC.
The image on the URL you posted suggests that it's _not_ soldered on, i.e. it's in a socket (it's the chip left from the battery).
I'm also looking to build a new system soon. What motherboards are known to work with LinuxBIOS that have: socket AM2, PCI express, no embedded video unless it's got free drivers?
Someone else has to answer this question. But please also see http://www.linuxbios.org/pipermail/linuxbios/2006-October/016268.html
Cheers, Uwe.
On Thursday 19 October 2006 21:35, Uwe Hermann wrote:
I'm really not sure about the BIOS chip. There's a chip that _might_ be the BIOS (it has an Abit mGURU sticker on it). It's square, soldered directly to the motherboard, and has >10 thin legs on each of the four sides. According to your FAQ that probably makes it a PLCC but I'm really not qualified to judge this.
It's quite probably a PLCC, most newer boards use PLCC.
The image on the URL you posted suggests that it's _not_ soldered on, i.e. it's in a socket (it's the chip left from the battery).
I was talking about the smaller chip to the left and slightly above of the chip you're talking about. But I don't really know which is the BIOS. Anyway, I don't have the equipment to flash a removable chip :-)
I'm also looking to build a new system soon. What motherboards are known to work with LinuxBIOS that have: socket AM2, PCI express, no embedded video unless it's got free drivers?
Someone else has to answer this question. But please also see http://www.linuxbios.org/pipermail/linuxbios/2006-October/016268.html
It'd be nice if someone could name a few known-good boards.
The post you linked to lists these supported chipsets: AMD8111, CK804, HT1000. As far as I can make out (with google), the first two are socket 940 chipsets and all three are used with server boards. I don't want anything as expensive as that...
Then there's MCP55 = nforce 5xx, which looks OK. The post says: support will be released some time. What is the status of MCP55 support? Does it make a difference which particular MCP55 variation I buy (MCP55P SLI, MCP55 Ultra, MCP55S) and which particular nforce 5xx chip, or are they all the same for LinuxBIOS?
Thanks,
Hi,
On Thu, Oct 19, 2006 at 11:57:24PM +0200, Dan Armak wrote:
The image on the URL you posted suggests that it's _not_ soldered on, i.e. it's in a socket (it's the chip left from the battery).
I was talking about the smaller chip to the left and slightly above of the chip you're talking about. But I don't really know which is the BIOS.
The one in the socket is quite surely the BIOS.
Anyway, I don't have the equipment to flash a removable chip :-)
You do. It's your motherboard :) Have a look at the 'flashrom' utility in the LinuxBIOS svn repository. It can flash many different chips when they are put into the BIOS socket of your board (while the computer is running).
You can get another (empty) chip of the same size as your current one for 2-5 Euros/Dollars, swap them, and burn a LinuxBIOS image on the empty one. Before you attempt such a thing make sure to read all available info on the wiki and in the FAQ, as you may render your mainboard useless if you overwrite your original BIOS chip accidentally or so.
Anyway, it's very well possible to burn a BIOS image, even without special equipment which costs 500 Euros, by simply using your motherboard and 'flashrom' (if that supports your board/chip)...
Someone else has to answer this question. But please also see http://www.linuxbios.org/pipermail/linuxbios/2006-October/016268.html
It'd be nice if someone could name a few known-good boards.
Anyone?
Then there's MCP55 = nforce 5xx, which looks OK. The post says: support will be released some time. What is the status of MCP55 support? Does it make a difference which particular MCP55 variation I buy (MCP55P SLI, MCP55 Ultra, MCP55S) and which particular nforce 5xx chip, or are they all the same for LinuxBIOS?
I have no idea, sorry :)
Uwe.
On Friday 20 October 2006 23:18, Uwe Hermann wrote:
Anyway, I don't have the equipment to flash a removable chip :-)
You do. It's your motherboard :)
Yes, I know that :-) I meant I don't have special equipment for flashing the chip outside the motherboard. That's why I thought it didn't matter whether it was removable or not.
The thought of buying a blank one hadn't occurred to me. I'm purely a software guy. I wouldn't know what to buy...
I don't want to use linuxbios if there's a non-negligible chance of trashing my motherboard in the process. If there's no suitable board I can buy and expect to work, and if I have to do stuff like replacing the BIOS chip, then I'll probably just give it up for now.
On Fri, Oct 20, 2006 at 11:40:54PM +0200, Dan Armak wrote:
You do. It's your motherboard :)
Yes, I know that :-) I meant I don't have special equipment for flashing the chip outside the motherboard. That's why I thought it didn't matter whether it was removable or not.
The thought of buying a blank one hadn't occurred to me. I'm purely a software guy. I wouldn't know what to buy...
Just buy the same one that's already in your mainboard, that's the easiest option. The chips should be available from most electronics stores. An example in Germany: http://www.bios-chip.de/bios-chips,_leer.htm
Some chips supported by 'flashrom' are listed here: http://www.linuxbios.org/Supported_Chipsets_and_Devices#Flash_Devices_Suppor...
I don't want to use linuxbios if there's a non-negligible chance of trashing my motherboard in the process. If there's no suitable board I can buy and expect to work, and if I have to do stuff like replacing the BIOS chip, then I'll probably just give it up for now.
It's not as bad as I probably made it sound :) The risk to damage your board is very very small, AFAIK. The worst that can usually happen is that you overwrite your BIOS chip with a bogus image and cannot boot anymore. Or put it in the socket the wrong way(which I did once), in which case it'll get pretty hot and will probably be damaged (usually only the chip though, but not your board).
The solution is to pull a backup image first, and flash it to an empty chip, test booting with that chip, and if it works put it in your bank safe :) From there you can mess up if you want, as you can always use that working backup BIOS chip if things go wrong.
The http://www.bios-chip.de/ website (for example) also offers BIOS chips which are already flashed with your factory (AMI/AWARD/Phoenix) BIOS for ca. 10 Euros, that's another easy way to get a backup...
Uwe.
On Saturday 21 October 2006 00:21, Uwe Hermann wrote:
The http://www.bios-chip.de/ website (for example) also offers BIOS chips which are already flashed with your factory (AMI/AWARD/Phoenix) BIOS for ca. 10 Euros, that's another easy way to get a backup...
Cool, then I just need to find a reseller in Israel. If I order something from abroad it'll take it weeks to get here.
On Saturday 21 October 2006 01:27, Dan Armak wrote:
On Saturday 21 October 2006 00:21, Uwe Hermann wrote:
The http://www.bios-chip.de/ website (for example) also offers BIOS chips which are already flashed with your factory (AMI/AWARD/Phoenix) BIOS for ca. 10 Euros, that's another easy way to get a backup...
Cool, then I just need to find a reseller in Israel. If I order something from abroad it'll take it weeks to get here.
I haven't found an Israeli one, but there are plenty of international sellers. So I can buy one if I want to.
But since this board's VIA chipset isn't supported, I still need to find a supported AM2 board :-)
Uwe Hermann uwe@hermann-uwe.de writes:
It's not as bad as I probably made it sound :) The risk to damage your board is very very small, AFAIK. The worst that can usually happen is that you overwrite your BIOS chip with a bogus image and cannot boot anymore. Or put it in the socket the wrong way(which I did once), in which case it'll get pretty hot and will probably be damaged (usually only the chip though, but not your board).
Are you suggesting to hotswap the chip?
~j
Johan Rydberg wrote:
Uwe Hermann uwe@hermann-uwe.de writes:
It's not as bad as I probably made it sound :) The risk to damage your board is very very small, AFAIK. The worst that can usually happen is that you overwrite your BIOS chip with a bogus image and cannot boot anymore. Or put it in the socket the wrong way(which I did once), in which case it'll get pretty hot and will probably be damaged (usually only the chip though, but not your board).
Are you suggesting to hotswap the chip?
that's how we have burned flash here for 7 years now
ron
Ronald G Minnich rminnich@lanl.gov writes:
Johan Rydberg wrote:
Uwe Hermann uwe@hermann-uwe.de writes:
It's not as bad as I probably made it sound :) The risk to damage your board is very very small, AFAIK. The worst that can usually happen is that you overwrite your BIOS chip with a bogus image and cannot boot anymore. Or put it in the socket the wrong way(which I did once), in which case it'll get pretty hot and will probably be damaged (usually only the chip though, but not your board).
Are you suggesting to hotswap the chip?
that's how we have burned flash here for 7 years now
Just making sure :). I'm also looking into buying a board, to test LinuxBIOS+GNUFI on, and I don't want to spend a months salary on a fancy bios flasher. Not that they are THAT expensive, but you get the picture.
~j
Johan Rydberg wrote:
Just making sure :). I'm also looking into buying a board, to test LinuxBIOS+GNUFI on, and I don't want to spend a months salary on a fancy bios flasher. Not that they are THAT expensive, but you get the picture.
now that you mention this .... GNUFI or open firmware? Sure you want to do GNUFI?
ron
Ronald G Minnich rminnich@lanl.gov writes:
Just making sure :). I'm also looking into buying a board, to test LinuxBIOS+GNUFI on, and I don't want to spend a months salary on a fancy bios flasher. Not that they are THAT expensive, but you get the picture.
now that you mention this .... GNUFI or open firmware? Sure you want to do GNUFI?
I'm quite sure LinuxBIOS enables me to run whatever payload I want. By "do" do you mean "run" or "develop"? I know some (most?) people here are in favor of Open Firmware, and regards EFI as a freak of nature. I'm not one of them.
~j
Johan Rydberg wrote:
I know some (most?) people here are in favor of Open Firmware, and regards EFI as a freak of nature. I'm not one of them.
OK, just thought I'd ask.
thanks
ron
Ronald G Minnich rminnich@lanl.gov writes:
I know some (most?) people here are in favor of Open Firmware, and regards EFI as a freak of nature. I'm not one of them.
OK, just thought I'd ask.
Just to clarify; I do not favor EFI _over_ Open Firmware. I strongly believe they can co-exist.
~j
On Tue, Oct 24, 2006 at 09:35:59PM +0200, Johan Rydberg wrote:
It's not as bad as I probably made it sound :) The risk to damage your board is very very small, AFAIK. The worst that can usually happen is that you overwrite your BIOS chip with a bogus image and cannot boot anymore. Or put it in the socket the wrong way(which I did once), in which case it'll get pretty hot and will probably be damaged (usually only the chip though, but not your board).
Are you suggesting to hotswap the chip?
Yes.
Uwe.
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Dan Armak -
Johan Rydberg -
Ronald G Minnich -
Uwe Hermann