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

[Matt DeVillier]

On 3/11/2015 2:45 PM, Kevin O'Connor wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 11, 2015 at 06:39:44PM +0100, Paolo Bonzini wrote:
>> On 11/03/2015 18:24, Kevin O'Connor wrote:
>>> On Wed, Mar 11, 2015 at 05:42:18PM +0100, Paolo Bonzini wrote:
>>>> 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:
>>> Can you explain that "network boot" feature further?
>> It prioritizes NIC option ROMs over other options, trying all network
>> cards before falling back to HD, CD/DVD and non-NIC option ROMs.
> How will you know which option ROMs are NIC option roms?
>
>> It's a common feature on a real machine, to the point that the SMBIOS
>> tables have a special bit for "network boot can be done with F12".  This
>> makes sense mostly for Coreboot, though some people requested it on
>> virtual machines as well.
>>
>>> I think the message should be
>>> as succinct as possible - hit this key to stop the default boot -
>>> otherwise the default boot is going to happen.  I don't think we
>>> should make that initial prompt any more complex.  Once the user stops
>>> the default boot (by hitting ESC, F12, whatever) then a more detailed
>>> explanation and more detailed options can be provided.
>> What about this:
>>
>> - for now, change the default key to "ESC" and the default message to
>> "Press ESC for boot menu".
>>
>> - in my next round of patches, add "Press N for network boot" in the
>> boot menu.
> Works for me.
Here we also want to disable the use of ESC to short-circuit the boot menu, otherwise users (trained by years of repeatedly hitting keys to enter the BIOS) will often end up hitting ESC multiple times and immediately booting the primary boot device.  I've already done this on my own branch (used for ChromeOS devices): https://github.com/MattDevo/SeaBIOS/commit/7772166bf90e0bb1a49860d7913817652d0864eb

>
>> - also in my next round of patches, support the F12 key for direct
>> network boot but keep it "secret".  It's the same as real machines
>> anyway.  Maybe support ESC+@ in addition to ESC+N too, but that seems
>> overengineered.
> If you want, but I'd personally hold off on that until someone screems
> for it.
2nd
>
> Thanks,
> -Kevin
>
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regards,
Matt