Richard Smith [off-list ref] wrote:

Kendall Bennett wrote:

quoted

Actually there is nothing wrong with the x86 BIOS from the perspective of 
functionality and useability (or bloat for that matter). It contains all 
the functionality we need and armed with something like the x86 emulator 
we can use it for what we need on any platform.

quoted

IMHO that is the best solution to the problem because it will be using 
code that has been heavily tested by the vendor. The one thing x86 Video 
BIOS'es can do reliably is POST the graphics card ;-)

I'm just going to take your word on this since you have messed
with far more video bioses than I.  I've just got a few too many
scars over the years from trying to make the whole BIOS sub-system
robust enough for embedded standards. 

Most BIOS'es are relatively good, but there are some terrible ones. We 
have one a lot of work over the years making our VESA VBE drivers work 
well with all the BIOS'es out there, working around the issues in the 
broken ones. I plan to use that same module for the kernel VESA driver 
when I get around to re-writing it.

quoted

lot of code bloat. But if you do that, then you would need this code in 
the kernel since now it would be the boot loader as well ;-)

Exactly. Which is why I like your project and I think its a good
thing. The only reason I have to carry around the legacy BIOS
baggage is for video. 

Yep.

How big is your in-kernel implementation?

Right now the compiled x86 code is about 100K in size. PowerPC code 
appears to be about twice that size and x86-64 is about 130K I think. I 
have no idea how big an Open Firmware interpreter would be for comparison 
purposes because I have never seen an Open Source implementation of one.

Regards,

---
Kendall Bennett
Chief Executive Officer
SciTech Software, Inc.
Phone: (530) 894 8400
http://www.scitechsoft.com

~ SciTech SNAP - The future of device driver technology! ~




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