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SubjectRe: BIOS
Date
In linux.dev.kernel, article <Pine.LNX.3.93.961029151307.22013C-100000@fastware.kiev.ua>,
Egor Egorov <lkernel@fastware.kiev.ua> writes:
>
> Hi. How do "LinuxBIOS" project goes on ? Is it started, or it was just talks?

Forget it.

> I mean BIOS project for PC's for putting kernel in (Flash)ROM. As far as I
> know, Linux does not use BIOS at all (only to start), so why dont we just
> .... BIOS out ? :)
>
Because the BIOS' first task is to set up memory mapping, configure the
machine so that it actually does what you have entered in SETUP, find
devices like VGA cards and initialize them, etc.

Without a BIOS, i.e. if you just replace the EPROM, the thing might not
even be able to use any RAM. Kinda difficult to run a Linux box that way.

Somebody tried that recently, over on comp.lang.forth, with disastrous
results. However, they managed to burn the thing into the VGA boot EPROM.
The problem is that a standalone Forth interpreter typically is an order of
magnitude smaller than a Linux kernel... so you need a boot loader anyway.

What's wrong with the BIOS and Lilo, anyway?

--
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