From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Wed, 8 Jan 2003 18:57:58 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Wed, 8 Jan 2003 18:57:58 -0500 Received: from neon-gw-l3.transmeta.com ([63.209.4.196]:55563 "EHLO neon-gw.transmeta.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Wed, 8 Jan 2003 18:57:57 -0500 To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org From: "H. Peter Anvin" Subject: Re: Killing off the boot sector (was: [STATUS 2.5] January 8, 2002) Date: 8 Jan 2003 16:06:27 -0800 Organization: Transmeta Corporation, Santa Clara CA Message-ID: References: <200301082123.h08LNXSY003383@darkstar.example.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Disclaimer: Not speaking for Transmeta in any way, shape, or form. Copyright: Copyright 2003 H. Peter Anvin - All Rights Reserved Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Followup to: <200301082123.h08LNXSY003383@darkstar.example.net> By author: John Bradford In newsgroup: linux.dev.kernel > > Shouldn't that part stay, incase somebody boots a machine from a > floppy, and leaves it running for hours? > No; interrupts are enabled so the BIOS will time out the floppy and turn off the motor if necessary. The only reason Linux (sort of) needs that code is because the kernel takes control away from the BIOS. I say "sort of" because it really only matters if the kernel doesn't have a floppy driver. -hpa -- at work, in private! "Unix gives you enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot." http://www.zytor.com/~hpa/puzzle.txt