[OpenBIOS] General comments

[Chris Arguin]

On Wed, 18 Feb 1998, Benjamin Scott wrote:

> OB> no Unneccessary hardware detection that makes startup slow
> OB> no 16bit Code
> OB> no MSDos Filesystem code
> 
>   While I agree that we should dump anything that is around simply
> because it was there first, let's not fall into the trap of getting so
> hooked on redesigning things we forget reality.  For one, any x86 CPU

Of course this is something important to remember, I'm no sure everything
on this list falls into that category. Why should the BIOS reconize the
DOS filesystem?

> support what they know or need.  Users can choose what they want and
> like.  This mirrors the design of the Linux kernel itself, and I think
> it is a very good design policy to follow.

Amen.

>   Chris Arguin (chris.arguin at unh.edu) posted a suggestion for a source
> code tree.  If I may be so bold to make some suggestions/changes:

Changes? You rewrote the whole thing! :)

> ui/       <- user-interface and UI extensions
>   cli/    <- command-line interface
>   fsm/    <- full-screen menu
>   mouse/  <- mouse support (maybe?)
>   gui/    <- GUI (if we get really bored :)

Ok, I see how you are constructing this... Yeah, this will proably be
somewhat cleaner, and better address the issue of using multiple
inputs/outputs, as raised by somebody else.

> drivers/  <- device drivers for boot and BIOS function support
>   ide/
>   scsi/   <- how do we tie this in with SCSI cards that have their own
>              INT13 BIOS?  write our own drivers for the SCSI chipset?
>   usb/    <- can USB support boot devices?

Somebody will throw a harddrive on there :)

Seriously, I was figuring support for it more for the serial console
stuff. We also need VGA and RS232 support, for the output.

>   net/    <- network cards (for BOOTP)

I had debated this, but I wasn't thinking along the lines of BOOTP.
Definitly we want some network support for that.

> init/     <- handles system initialization and the like
> boot/     <- OS boot stuff (standard MBR, Linux kernel, BOOTP)
> std/      <- standard BIOS call implementation (like good ole INT13)
> ext/      <- OpenBIOS extensions (dunno what they are yet, tho :)

As you have mentioned before, set/query commands for the BIOS settings. 

> misc/     <- the ever-popular "other" category

--
Chris Arguin          | "While I'm still confused and uncertain, it's on a 
Chris.Arguin at unh.edu  |  much higher plane... at least I know I'm bewildered 
                      |  about the really fundamental and important facts of 
                      |  the universe." - Equal Rites, Terry Pratchett






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