Comments on: Hi BIOS! My Name Is “Linux”, Or Is It? http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html Shantanu's Gadgets, Gizmos, Hacks, Tips, Tricks, Technology...and your kitchen sink Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:29:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: DimWit http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-4870 DimWit Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:37:54 +0000 http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-4870 Can someone tell me why the BIOS should care what OS is going to run? I thought it would be up to the OS to deal with whatever data the BIOS throws at it - as long as it standard driven. Can someone tell me why the BIOS should care what OS is going to run? I thought it would be up to the OS to deal with whatever data the BIOS throws at it – as long as it standard driven.

]]> By: Mike http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-4866 Mike Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:22:54 +0000 http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-4866 Ill give a link that explains the reasoning imo http://www.custompc.co.uk/news/604521/foxconn-sabotages-bios-to-stop-linux-running.html Ill give a link that explains the reasoning imo
http://www.custompc.co.uk/news/604521/foxconn-sabotages-bios-to-stop-linux-running.html

]]> By: Ken Jennings http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-4865 Ken Jennings Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:15:09 +0000 http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-4865 DRM was my first thought too. I'd suspect motherboard/bios makers of being in cahoots with Microsoft and using this "feature" to disable or reduce hardware functionality if a Microsoft-approve OS is not running the system. DRM was my first thought too. I’d suspect motherboard/bios makers of being in cahoots with Microsoft and using this “feature” to disable or reduce hardware functionality if a Microsoft-approve OS is not running the system.

]]> By: Louis http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-4836 Louis Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:02:34 +0000 http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-4836 Does anyone think that this is to disable functionality if the OS is not one that adheres to DRM standards. Does anyone think that this is to disable functionality if the OS is not one that adheres to DRM standards.

]]> By: Nathan http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-4835 Nathan Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:01:05 +0000 http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-4835 The difference between Linux and Windows in this area is that if there is a problem with a motherboard/bios feature and Linux then Linux is likely to have a work around within a short amount of time. BIOS is firmware and should probably be replaced less often than an OS kernel, so this makes sense, but with Windows there aren't the same fixes and the board producers are trying to work out of the box with versions of Windows rather than allowing all features. Too bad BIOS and OS don't negotiate on features; something similar to the LCP layer of PPP. The difference between Linux and Windows in this area is that if there is a problem with a motherboard/bios feature and Linux then Linux is likely to have a work around within a short amount of time. BIOS is firmware and should probably be replaced less often than an OS kernel, so this makes sense, but with Windows there aren’t the same fixes and the board producers are trying to work out of the box with versions of Windows rather than allowing all features.
Too bad BIOS and OS don’t negotiate on features; something similar to the LCP layer of PPP.

]]> By: Shantanu Goel http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-2138 Shantanu Goel Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:38:59 +0000 http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-2138 maccam, you are correct. But its so disgusting of bill to say that "we do this work...and result is that linux works great without having to do the work". I mean, till now because of the crappy windows design linux has been doing ALL the work, and on top of that he talks of making it specially biased towards windows. I wonder what became of that case... maccam, you are correct. But its so disgusting of bill to say that “we do this work…and result is that linux works great without having to do the work”. I mean, till now because of the crappy windows design linux has been doing ALL the work, and on top of that he talks of making it specially biased towards windows. I wonder what became of that case…

]]> By: maccam94 http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-2112 maccam94 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:39:18 +0000 http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/08/03/hi-bios-my-name-is-linux-or-is-it.html#comment-2112 My only guess is that Windows does not support "capability checks" like that. Nor would they want to implement it when: A) __OSI works fine for them B) It helps Linux "Bill Gates muses on the merits of making ACPI extentions "somehow Windows specific.", continuing to say "If (sic) seems unfortunate if we do this work and get our partners to do the work and the result is that Linux works great without having to do the work." In the same memo, he suggest defining "the APIs so that they work well with NT and not the others, even if they are open."" http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/3000/PX03020.pdf So basically it would be up to the BIOS manufacturers to do this specially for Linux. My only guess is that Windows does not support “capability checks” like that. Nor would they want to implement it when:
A) __OSI works fine for them
B) It helps Linux
“Bill Gates muses on the merits of making ACPI extentions “somehow Windows specific.”, continuing to say “If (sic) seems unfortunate if we do this work and get our partners to do the work and the result is that Linux works great without having to do the work.” In the same memo, he suggest defining “the APIs so that they work well with NT and not the others, even if they are open.”"
http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/3000/PX03020.pdf

So basically it would be up to the BIOS manufacturers to do this specially for Linux.

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