Re: [Etherboot-developers] Etherboot questions

[<ebi...@ln...>]

Paul <pau...@vi...> writes:

> I am currently considering using an open source bootloader (ROLO) on an
> embedded PC.  However, ROLO currently does not support ethernet
> booting.  I am considering adding this functionality.  I am trying to
> get a grip on what I need to do so that I can estimate how much effort I
> would need to put in.  I have two questions:
> 
> (1) What are the BIOS requirements of Etherboot? (ROLO doesn't have too
> much in the way of BIOS services so any required will probably have to
> be added).

Etherboot depends on no BIOS services.

With that said it does need a clock that counts up, and it assumes
the pci or other pnp devices have already had their resources
assigned.

A current user of etherboot is LinuxBIOS which provides no BIOS
services.

> (2) I have a PCI ethernet device (Intel GD82559ER) and I would like to
> incorporate Etherboot into the boards main boot PROM (there is no socket
> specifically for the ethernet device).  I couldn't find any information
> in the documentation that describes doing this.  What steps would I need
> to take to accomplish this?

Etherboot can build as a standard option rom, and if the boards BIOS
supports incorporating such you are done.  Or else you can be more
creative.

And etherboot has been ported to the Itanium so it has the worst
of the portability problems worked out.

Eric