Re: Generic VESA framebuffer driver and Video card BOOT?

["Kendall Bennett" <KendallB@scitechsoft.com>]

Richard Smith <rsmith@bitworks.com> wrote:

> Kendall Bennett wrote:
> 
> > 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.
> 
> > 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.

> > 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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