[SeaBIOS] [PATCH] boot: add serial-friendly alternatives for invoking the boot menu

[Paolo Bonzini]

On 11/03/2015 17:09, Kevin O'Connor wrote:
>> But more important, which keys are and are not available depends on the
>> client, not on the server.  So for VNC all keys work but on at least a
>> viewer F8 is inconvenient because it brings up a menu (thankfully one
>> item in the menu is "Send F8"); for the serial console on a Unix machine
>> F12 is okay but F11 might bring the terminal full screen; on older Mac
>> OS X machine F9-F12 were intercepted by the OS, but on newer OS X
>> releases function keys are basically gone for good.  A configuration
>> that always works might be broken by the addition of a new client.
> 
> The above makes sense.  The F12 key comes from Bochs bios.  Given the
> difficulties in using F-keys (on QEMU as well as on real machines) I
> wonder if we should just change the SeaBIOS default to ESC?
> 
> I don't like changing the default message to "Press ESC+@ or F12 for
> boot menu." as I think the description becomes confusing when multiple
> options are given.  So, ESC+@ could be a hidden feature, but
> admittedly that's not a great option.  Otherwise the technical parts
> of the patch looks okay to me.

I have no problem with changing the key; the problem I have with ESC is
that I'm going to add F12 for network boot, and then I would like ESC+@
to trigger network boot.  ESC for the boot menu would clash.  With my
full patches, the default message would be like this:

   Press ESC+6 or F6 for boot menu.
   Press ESC+@ or F12 for network boot.

Hmm... what about just adding quotes like this:

   Press "ESC+6" or "F6" for boot menu.
   Press "ESC+@" or "F12" for network boot.

or like this:

   Press <F6>, or <ESC><6>, for boot menu.
   Press <F12>, or <ESC><@>, for network boot.

Paolo