[LinuxBIOS] Issues facing IHVs supporting LinuxBIOS

[Drew Lundsten]

I've been lurking for a couple of months and like what I see. I am also
interested in some recent comments disparaging EFI, as well as recent
posts (apparently) from hardware vendors asking how to support LinuxBIOS
on their platforms. After reading through the FAQ again and not finding
answers to my questions, I now turn to the list:

1) What legal conditions, or obligations to make derived source code
available, are placed on independent hardware vendors offering LinuxBIOS
support for their hardware?

2) What's up with Intel, and why, for instance, can't an IHV use their
BIOS guides to support LinuxBIOS? Is it strictly a question of access
(via IBL or hardcover - "orange cover") to such guides, and IHVs with
access to these guides are free to distribute their product with
LinuxBIOS, subject to bugginess resulting from mediocre/nonexistent
Intel support?

2b) I see Intel's 7520 chipset is actually supported, and that's rather
recent - is this an anomaly, or the end of the line for Intel support?

3) Is there a list of IHVs who DO ship product on LinuxBIOS?

For an IHV developing embedded hardware that's just going to run Linux
unattended anyway, it seems LinuxBIOS would be a natural choice and a
tremendous cost savings; at the same time, the power profile of Intel's
new architecture is well-suited to this niche. I'm trying to figure out
why more commercial vendors aren't on this bandwagon.

Thanks for your input,

Drew

[Ronald G Minnich]

Drew Lundsten wrote:
> I've been lurking for a couple of months and like what I see. I am also 
> interested in some recent comments disparaging EFI, as well as recent 
> posts (apparently) from hardware vendors asking how to support LinuxBIOS 
> on their platforms. After reading through the FAQ again and not finding 
> answers to my questions, I now turn to the list:
> What legal conditions, or obligations to make derived source code
>
> available, are placed on independent hardware vendors offering LinuxBIOS 
> support for their hardware?

GPL. That's it;
> What's up with Intel, and why, for instance, can't an IHV use their
>
> BIOS guides to support LinuxBIOS?

The information you need is no longer easily available. Intel has a 
stated policy (at least in meetings) that the will not support 
linuxbios, period. As to reasons, you'll have to ask them.
> 2b) I see Intel's 7520 chipset is actually supported, and that's rather 
> recent - is this an anomaly, or the end of the line for Intel support?

I have no idea.
> Is there a list of IHVs who DO ship product on LinuxBIOS?

not at present. There are some, they just aren't documented.

ron