From owner-freebsd-hackers  Thu Jun 15 19:14:30 2000
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To: Sergey Babkin <babkin@bellatlantic.net>
Cc: Ronald G Minnich <rminnich@lanl.gov>, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject: Re: Anybody working on FreeBSD BIOS? 
In-Reply-To: Message from Sergey Babkin <babkin@bellatlantic.net> 
   of "Thu, 15 Jun 2000 21:42:48 EDT." <39498618.103CC6AB@bellatlantic.net> 
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Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 19:14:25 -0700
Message-ID: <77540.961121665@pinhead.parag.codegen.com>
From: Parag Patel <parag@cgt.com>
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Well, the main reason we're replacing the BIOS is that we've had several
requests from people who want relatively sane firmware in their
computers.  :)  One of our (potential) customers needs to completely
manage their rack-mount systems remotely using the serial port without
video and without a keyboard - something that few motherboards support.

Another option is to create a custom ISA or PCI card with pretty much
just a ROM on in, let the BIOS set things up, then completely take over
control of the machine.  This is a lot more work and more expensive, not
to mention taking up one of the relatively few slots, but it would work
in more computers.  (Some BIOSes still refuse to run without video and
keyboard though.)

One problem with flash disks and such is that by the time the machine is
ready to boot from one, it's already well past where you'd like to have
control over the BIOS settings.

Frankly, I'd just as soon support PowerPC or Alpha ATX motherboards with
SmartFirmware.  Anyone know of inexpensive ATX non-x86 boards? :)


	-- Parag Patel


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