Questions...

[Steve and Sue]

Hi folks,

I've been keeping an eye on the project for some time now, but the web site
content seems not to change, except for an ever growing wish list. Perhaps
someone would answer a couple of questions.

Is http://www.freiburg.linux.de/openbios/ the correct URL?
Is there any specification for OpenBIOS that defines the initial aims,
features etc?
Is anyone guiding the development process?

I have written and ported BIOS code for industrial computers, but most of
that source is over-weight and difficult to adapt - so I am interested in
working on something that is more flexible, but I don't want to waste time
on code that is only intended for getting a Linux box up and running.

Any pointers or comments greatly received.

Steve

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[Daniele Frijia]

On Thu, Jan 20, 2000 at 08:33:42PM -0000, Steve and Sue wrote:
> Is http://www.freiburg.linux.de/openbios/ the correct URL?

Yes.
> Is there any specification for OpenBIOS that defines the initial aims,
> features etc?

There a several goals....one of them ist providing a 32-bit bios, so
that you won't need bootloaders for several Unice.
You saw the wishlist, so now you know which features could be implement
;)
> Is anyone guiding the development process?

I it should be Stefan Reinauer
> I have written and ported BIOS code for industrial computers, but most of
> that source is over-weight and difficult to adapt - so I am interested in
> working on something that is more flexible, but I don't want to waste time
> on code that is only intended for getting a Linux box up and running.

Linux isn't the only unixlike 32-bit OS, OpenBIOS should support. I
think it's not necessary to list all other free Unice that would profit
of the programming of OpenBIOS.

Regards, Daniele

[Boaz Harrosh]

getting a Linux box up and running ... Means to me Run LILO. On my PC LILO
Boots 4 different OS's better than any multi boot solution I ever HAD.
(Win98 ,NT4 ,Win2k ,RedHat 6.1) have I forgot something.
So yes give me a LILO loading BIOS and You're work is done !!!
By the way LILO in ROM ?? sounds like the right place for it.

It will be a pleasure going into LILO code and changing :

mov AX ,BIOS_READ_BLOCK
        move DX ,aBlockNumber
        INT 13h

by :
        BIOS_ReadBlock( aBlockNumber ) ;

Then linking and flashing viola 4 OSs

About flashing Software. Does any one need an NT+GUI flashing Application I
have one with code - For flashing OnBoard PCI-connected Flash chips ( only
the address change same chip programming ).
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve and Sue" 
To: "OpenBIOS" 
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 00 10:33 PM
Subject: [OpenBIOS] Questions...
> Hi folks,
>
> I've been keeping an eye on the project for some time now, but the web

site
> content seems not to change, except for an ever growing wish list. Perhaps
> someone would answer a couple of questions.
>
> Is http://www.freiburg.linux.de/openbios/ the correct URL?
> Is there any specification for OpenBIOS that defines the initial aims,
> features etc?
> Is anyone guiding the development process?
>
> I have written and ported BIOS code for industrial computers, but most of
> that source is over-weight and difficult to adapt - so I am interested in
> working on something that is more flexible, but I don't want to waste time
> on code that is only intended for getting a Linux box up and running.
>
> Any pointers or comments greatly received.
>
> Steve
>
> To unsubscribe: send mail to [e-mail]
> with 'unsubscribe openbios' in the body of the message

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with 'unsubscribe openbios' in the body of the message

[Jeff Garzik]

Boaz Harrosh wrote:
> By the way LILO in ROM ?? sounds like the right place for it.

It wouldn't be difficult at all to put LILO in ROM...

[Bob Dobbs]

Jeff Garzik wrote:
> Boaz Harrosh wrote:
> > By the way LILO in ROM ?? sounds like the right place for it.
>
> It wouldn't be difficult at all to put LILO in ROM...

It would probably be better to a bootloader that complies to a booting
standard, i.e. GRUB/MultiBoot rather one that can only chainload and
boot Linux.

Remember that we are focusing on all operating systems, yet free ones
(all free ones) have a higher priority.

If this means taking some time to make all free kerenels
MultiBoot-compliant, well then it is time well spent.

-graham
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[Jeff Garzik]

Bob Dobbs wrote:
> Jeff Garzik wrote:
> > Boaz Harrosh wrote:
> > > By the way LILO in ROM ?? sounds like the right place for it.
> >
> > It wouldn't be difficult at all to put LILO in ROM...
>
> It would probably be better to a bootloader that complies to a booting
> standard, i.e. GRUB/MultiBoot rather one that can only chainload and
> boot Linux.

I agree, though remember that there is big incentive to get BIOS
interrupt calls going, and LILO supports booting once these are in
place.  Also, hackers will hack on what they want... :)
> Remember that we are focusing on all operating systems, yet free ones
> (all free ones) have a higher priority.

The operating systems for which code is contributed have priority ;)
> If this means taking some time to make all free kerenels
> MultiBoot-compliant, well then it is time well spent.

In any case, supporting more motherboard chipsets, and basic BIOS
interrupts must come long before we worry about advanced stuff like boot
standards.

Regards,

Jeff

[Ronald G. Minnich]

> > It would probably be better to a bootloader that complies to a booting
> > standard, i.e. GRUB/MultiBoot rather one that can only chainload and
> > boot Linux.

hey, it's open source. It's an NVRAM. There is no reason for us to all
have the same thing anymore. That's the beauty of this whole project. If I
need linux in the NVRAM, I do that. You want openboot? you do that. And
none of us have to cleave to supporting DOS 1.0, unless we want to.

ron

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[Jeff Garzik]

"Ronald G. Minnich" wrote:
> > > It would probably be better to a bootloader that complies to a booting
> > > standard, i.e. GRUB/MultiBoot rather one that can only chainload and
> > > boot Linux.
>
> hey, it's open source. It's an NVRAM. There is no reason for us to all
> have the same thing anymore. That's the beauty of this whole project. If I
> need linux in the NVRAM, I do that. You want openboot? you do that. And
> none of us have to cleave to supporting DOS 1.0, unless we want to.

Yep.  OpenBIOS will evolve in the direction that people use it.

There will undoubtedly be an option to omit BIOS interrupt handling in
OpenBIOS, if that even gets written at all.  :)

[Jeff Garzik]

Steve and Sue wrote:
> Is http://www.freiburg.linux.de/openbios/ the correct URL?

Yes.
> Is there any specification for OpenBIOS that defines the initial aims,
> features etc?

There are a few docs inside the source tarball itself.  Right now the
feature set maintain consists of bootstrapping an x86 PC.  BIOS
interrupt support and support for specific motherboard chipsets needs to
be added before it can be useful.
> Is anyone guiding the development process?

There is a Web page, but no updates have come out of the maintainer in a
year or more.

I am now collecting patches for OpenBIOS, as well as working on it on my
own.  Hopefully the maintainer will re-appear, and I can submit my patch
collection to him for a new release of OpenBIOS.
> I have written and ported BIOS code for industrial computers, but most of
> that source is over-weight and difficult to adapt - so I am interested in
> working on something that is more flexible, but I don't want to waste time
> on code that is only intended for getting a Linux box up and running.

OpenBIOS is _not_ only for Linux.  It should be able to boot all
operating systems your current BIOS can boot.

One of the wonderful thing about OpenBIOS is that is allows us (as
programmers) to bring modern features and support to old motherboards
which haven't been supported in years.