[LinuxBIOS] etherboot/filo + sata startup timing

[Richard Smith]

> this problem goes back to our very first boot some six years ago. Amazing.
>
> ATA has outrageous boot delays. I'm sorry to see that SATA has them too.
> I have no good idea how to fix this, unless we can train FILO to know
> that we're coming into boot from power on reset.

I don't know that they are *that* outrageous when you consider what's
happening.  The problem is mostly physics and economics.  Consider
what it takes to spin a platter from a dead stop up to 7200 rpm and
position a read head on the platter with nanometer accuracy across a
fairly wide temp range.  Now try to do it with hardware that costs
less than $10.

If you want really fast boot times you need to boot off of non-mechancial media.

--
Richard A. Smith