[LinuxBIOS] [RFC] Call for Action: LinuxBIOS foundations

[Rasmus Wiman]

Joseph Smith <joe at smittys.pointclark.net> skrev:

> > Didn't even know LB has that kind of support for any graphics chip.
> > I only knew about the CONFIG_PCI_ROM_RUN and (if needed )
> > extracting the vga bios from the stock bios approach. By the way,
> > at least Rage XL (with its own memory) seems pretty common on
> > server mainboards.Is it a coincidence that just that chip is
> > supported?
> >
> 
> Rasmus have you read this:
> 
> http://www.linuxbios.org/data/vgabios/
> 
> It goes into pretty good detail on how graphics work in LinuxBIOS.

Now I have. I hadn't seen it before, I had only seen
<http://www.linuxbios.org/VGA_support> and
<http://www.linuxbios.org/X11_on_EPIA-M> before. The link you provided
was far more informative and in-depth than the two other. Not finding
the right docs seem to be one of my virtues. :)

Anyway, I suppose I think I am starting to know some basics. I guess it
is actually possible to set up memory and getting serial output on the
board without even knowing that there is a vga chip integrated into the
chipset. I guess getting that far would be considered a good start.

I read at least one card spec that said that the GF6100 was "integrated
into the north bridge". But if I understand things correctly, the north
bridge sits in the K8. I guess it means that one of the HT links go to
the vga chip, or to a vga chip on a PCIE controller.

Also, since the K8 is supported, does that mean that memory works "once
and for all", or is that part a separate part for every MB anyway?

I assume (I really don't know too much about this stuff) that the
superio is connected to the south bridge, so without knowing the south
bridge, serial won't come up. Correct? That's also why I wonder how
much chipsets from the same manufacturer differ from each other. If
there are lots of similarities, just finding out the superIO, putting
the MCP55 code in the bios and see what happens could perhaps be a good
start. I know I just did tons of over-simplifications. :)

/Rasmus