OpenFirmware on x86

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919

as i have some partitioning problem due to the old bios system limitations, i thoat about an open-firmware
and i've found the open bios project
http://www.openbios.info/
so i've some questions
-is it possible to install gentoo on an x86 machine with the open-firmware
-do i just need to replace the old bios flashing it???
-are some functions not any more accesible as overclocking(on apple computer thi is achieved by changing the place of some resistors)
so mabe i need to overclock with jumpers nd monitor temperatures under linux
-are there others open-firmware compatible "bios" that i an install

i've an kt133A/atv133
so... http://www.linuxbios.org/index.php/Supported_Motherboards
linux-bios doesn't work

widan · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2005 9:51 pm Post subject:

I would strongly suggest that you don't mess with the BIOS unless you really know what you're doing (or you don't care about what happens to the machine in case the alternate BIOS fails). It is really easy to render a machine unbootable (and it is not necessarily easy to get the flash chip reprogrammed so the machine can boot again).

I don't know what your "partitioning problems" are, but there are probably other solutions.

Redhatter · Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 1:20 pm Post subject:

I'd agree with widan here. Unless you've got an EEPROM programmer handy and know how to back up the contents of your board's FLASH ROM chips, then forget it... It's a very easy to turn a perfectly good machine into a rather useless paperweight.

You'll notice in the MIPS handbook, it recommends AGAINST flashing the PROM on Qube systems... In most cases, chainloading the firmware is much safer, as it doesn't risk the hardware.
_________________
Stuart Longland (a.k.a Redhatter, VK4MSL)
I haven't lost my mind - it's backed up on a tape somewhere...

Gentoo/MIPS Cobalt developer, Mozilla herd member.

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919

ok i'll construct an EEPROM programer...
but i have to found linux program matching realisation(because in card programers there are more or less things done by hardware or software)

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919

my partition problem is that with the bios there is a maximum numbrer of partition
my partition sheme (on one hard drive):
-1GB swap PRIMARY
-/HDA2 PRIMARY
-/EXTENDED
*/HDA5
*/HDA6
-/HDA4 PRIMARY
-FREE SPACE

resizing doesn't work for expanding hda4
creating a new volume doesn't work
(qtparted)

and i have heard that in open-firmware there is no partitioning limit
so i can create an infinite number of partitions

and i am capable of making an epprom programer and i have such shematics but if you know things about linux programs for driving such devices
because they always work with windows... and linux is better than windows or react-os for my uttilisation

an unlimited number of partition would be an enourmous advantage for a machine for testing distributions,os...

Tiger683 · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 3:53 pm Post subject:

If you can get your hands on an empty bios chip, hotflashing is also an option to get a backup bios so you
can mess around with it.
simply turn on shadowing in your bios, reboot into a dos disk with flashprogram and proper bios image,
swap the chips without turning the machine off and start the flash process...

saved my computer's a*s many times...

cheers

T
_________________
Retired gentoo user