[coreboot] here we go *again*

Russell Whitaker russ at ashlandhome.net
Fri May 15 20:40:15 CEST 2009



On Fri, 15 May 2009, ron minnich wrote:

> On Fri, May 15, 2009 at 10:31 AM, Robinson Tryon
> <bishop.robinson at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> If software such as Splashtop and HyperSpace are based on the linux
>> kernel, to what extent does that help Free Software and coreboot?
>> Specifically, if a given set of hardware can support a proprietary
>> instant-on system, to what extent will their kernel diffs enable
>> coreboot and the linux kernel to run with at least the same level of
>> functionality on that set of hardware?
>
> In some ways it doesn't really help. The key parts are going to be in
> the binary blob that loads linux from flash.
>
> In other ways it does really help. It shows that linux in flash is a
> commercially viable idea. A number of companies have been fighting
> this idea with FUD for 10 years now. One company even has demo'd
> linux-in-flash at private and open conferences for almost 5 years, but
> they still refuse to release it to the general public or even, in many
> cases, acknowledge its existence (strange but true).
>
> I think Phoenix just gave the idea of linux-in-flash and
> virtualization in flash a huge dose of credibility. That's why it is
> nice that we had AVATT as a GSOC project -- we're there already!
>
> Among other things, when CME asks vendors for linux-in-flash, the
> vendors can no longer say it is not practical, given that CME can buy
> it ...
>
> Among other things, this last 10 years has been a lesson in how long
> it can take to get an idea into general use.
>
Looks like we are going full circle: as I recall in the early days of the
PC there was a cluster of roms on the MB containing the operating system
and a basic interpreter.

   Russ




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