[LinuxBIOS] V3 fallback, failover, and the normal boot flag.

[Stefan Reinauer]

* Peter Stuge <peter at stuge.se> [070718 17:32]:
> > Using ACPI here would be nicely transparent though, hiding firmware
> > specifics in the firmware code. I like that approach.
> 
> We want to use less ACPI, not more, right?

Not sure. I think the use of ACPI as to and will greatly increase in the
(near) future for us. At some point all boards should use ACPI. Or we
end up patching the kernel with power management code for each and every
board. Or we continue to ignore the power management issue as we did
until now, but then we will not support laptops.

> Tempting as it may be, can't we find a better way?

Sure, do it manually. I think whether LinuxBIOS or ACPI or the OS does
this should be configurable (or detectable by inspecting the payload?)

> Also see Dell's patent:
> 
> http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6640316.html
> 
> or just google simple boot flag. This article is informative:
> 
> http://www.rtcmagazine.com/home/article.php?id=100333
> 
> It seems that the simple boot flag is merely intended to control what
> parts of POST is performed. Not a perfect fit for us..

Did you see the patent on "fast booting"? If we are scared we have to
boot slow, because fast booting is patented. Engineers, let's go home,
we're not allowed to do a better job anymore.

Stefan

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