[LinuxBIOS] LinuxBIOS on Laptops.

[Bari Ari]

Uwe Hermann wrote:
>> * video bios is tightly integrated
>> * superios are different from what we know
>>     
>
> Do you have more details? As far as I can see at least some seem to be
> very similar to non-laptop superios. If there's a datasheet it shouldn't
> be too hard to support them.
>
>
>   
>> * most of the time, embedded controllers have to be initialized as
>>   well if you don't want to kill the hardware
>> * wrong video initialization has the potential to kill the display
>>     
>
> Hm, that doesn't sound good. Which controllers in particular can become
> problem?
>
>   
The Keyboard Scan/ Power Management Controllers are the non-standard 
parts of laptops.

Laptops use microcontrollers that do combined operations such as 
keyboard scan, Flash write enable, battery management, power management, 
lid open/close, power buttons etc.

These are the areas that we would need documentation for.

The chipset docs may all be available but not docs to the power 
management/keyboard scan controller firmware. The docs for the micros 
describe the general purpose micro itself, but that won't tell you how 
they are using all of its gpio pins and ports.

Bari