____/ [H]omer on Wednesday 07 November 2007 14:11 : \____
> Verily I say unto thee, that Roy Schestowitz spake thusly:
>
>> Microsoft nonchalant about Phoenix assault on Windows
>
> Yeah right.
>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>> | BIOS maker Phoenix Technologies Ltd.'s plans to market a new application
>> | platform the company claims will solve a number of problems endemic to
>> | Microsoft's Windows platform might be taken as a provocative gesture at
>> | their longtime partner. But Redmond's immediate reaction was nonchalant.
>> |
>> | On Monday, the Milpitas, Calif. software maker announced Hyperspace, a
>> | Linux-based virtualization platform that will let OEMs bundle cut-down
>> | versions of popular open-source software that end users will be able to
>> | access instantly, even without booting Windows.
>> `----
>>
>>
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=software&articleId=9045662&taxonomyId=18&intsrc=kc_top
>> http://tinyurl.com/3depfj
>
> My, my ... how times change:
>
> Microsoft Embraces BIOS Vendor Phoenix
>
> .----
> | The reality of the agreement will mean fewer choices for customers
> | and more control for Microsoft.
> | Oct 16, 2003 - By Steven Schuchart Jr.
> |
> | In a move best described as puzzling, BIOS manufacturer Phoenix
> | Technologies inked an agreement with Microsoft that will more
> | tightly bind Windows to the system BIOS. The goal of the agreement,
> | both companies say, is to improve security, serviceability and
> | deployment of Windows boxes.
> |
> | Although this is a laudable goal, the reality of the agreement will
> | mean fewer choices for customers and more control for Microsoft.
> | Any benefits should be accessible to all, not just those running
> | Microsoft operating systems. The agreement was a foolish move on
> | Phoenix's part, not only in a customer relations sense but also a
> | practical sense. Phoenix doesn't sell operating systems and should
> | not play favorites when it comes to its BIOS. Better to make the
> | new BIOS features available to everyone, and let the consumer
> | decide what operating system to run.
> |
> | For its part, convicted monopolist Microsoft should stop trying to
> | push the hardware and BIOS industries into sentencing alternative
> | operating systems to a second-rate electronic Siberia. Customers
> | should take note and hope that competing BIOS manufacturers, such
> | as American Megatrends, have a clearer vision than the people
> | running Phoenix.
> `----
>
> http://www.networkcomputing.com/showitem.jhtml?docid=1421buzz2
>
>> ASUS add WiFi-N, quick-boot Linux to P5E3 motherboard
>
> They've changed quite a bit too:
>
> MozillaQuest Op-Ed
> Asus Anti-Linux Attitude Sucks
>
> .----
> | It is painfully clear from the narrative that Asus refuses to
> | provide hardware support for Linux and support for Linux users . .
> | . Therefore, until such time as Asus pledges to fully support the
> | GNU-Linux operating system, people and organizations ought to
> | refrain from purchasing Asus motherboards and products.
> `----
>
>
http://web.archive.org/web/20061113162014/http://www.mozillaquest.com/Linux04/Asus_Sucks_Story-02.html
>
> Yes indeed, the worm has certainly turned.
Yes, from this:
WARNING!! There is windows in my.. BIOS!!!!
,----[ Quote ]
| From my laptop's Bios download page
|
| This BIOS is ONLY for use with Windows Vista. Please do not install this
| BIOS for use with Windows XP, or other Windows versions.
`----
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?p=2705017#post2705017
Intel to make major UEFI announcement
,----[ Quote ]
| "It takes a few years to unseat a legacy - it took 22 years to create
| it and it has taken a few years to unseat. New technology usually
| happens first in servers - all the server markers are now using
| UEFI -- and Microsoft has been working with us, it just takes a
| few years," he said.
`----
http://apcmag.com/5845/intel_to_make_major_efi_announcement_tomorrow
Amidst Boom, Warning Signs On The Horizon
,----[ Quote ]
| Reports about the crack started circulation online a few weeks
| ago. The method uses a feature that allows system builders to
| qualify new computers as licensed by inserting a short digital
| marker in the BIOS. Upon detection of this special marker,
| Windows XP and Vista bypass product activation and anti-piracy
| checks.
`----
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2187590/microsoft-mulls-counterattack
To this:
LinuxBIOS with X11 server, completely in Flash ROM
,----[ Quote ]
| All of this in a normal BIOS chip (2 MB), without any hard drive
| connected (who needs hard drives when you can fit everything in the
| BIOS just fine)...
`----
http://www.hermann-uwe.de/blog/linuxbios-with-x11-server-completely-in-flash-rom
,----[ Gist ]
| LinuxBIOS is a Free Software project aimed at replacing the normal BIOS
| with a little bit of hardware initialization and a compressed Linux
| kernel that can be booted from a cold start.
`----
http://www.linuxbios.org/index.php/Main_Page
First desktop motherboard supported by LinuxBIOS: GIGABYTE M57SLI-S4
,----[ Quote ]
| The GIGABYTE M57SLI-S4 [1] is the first-ever desktop motherboard
| supported by a Free & Open Source BIOS, thanks to AMD engineer
| Yinghai Lu who released GPL-licensed code last month.
`----
http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0702.2/2347.html
http://linuxbios.org/Supported_Motherboards
LinuxBIOS: The Forgotten Hero
,----[ Quote ]
| This begs the question: is anyone currently using LinuxBIOS on
| their machines? You bet they are. According to one recent report,
| LinuxBIOS was installed on about one million machines and that
| existing number is expected to rise significantly, assuming the
| rate of growth remains constant.
`----
http://www.madpenguin.org/cms/?m=show&id=7694
Google Sponsors the LinuxBIOS project
,----[ Quote ]
| The LinuxBIOS project aims to take down the last barrier in Open
| Source systems by providing a free firmware (BIOS) implementation.
`----
http://addict3d.org/index.php?page=viewarticle&type=news&ID=31343
LinuxBIOS ready to go mainstream
,----[ Quote ]
| LinuxBIOS is intended to provide a philosophically free replacement
| for proprietary firmware in chipsets.
`----
http://enterprise.linux.com/article.pl?sid=06/11/30/199208&from=rss
LinuxBIOS Brings Clones One Step Closer to Freedom
,----[ Quote ]
| Even if you don't care about the openness of your system BIOS, you might be
| concerned about its inflexibility and legacy baggage. The x86 BIOS still
| thinks it's supporting MS-DOS and performs a number of tasks, such as probing
| hardware and loading drivers, that modern operating systems (including Linux
| and Windows) now handle better, faster and with a lot more flexibility and
| user control. This can take 30-50 seconds. The operating system ignores what
| the BIOS does and then re-runs the same tasks. Newer PCs shortcut this with
| the "fast boot" setting, which skips most of the usual steps and gets to a
| boot prompt in about ten seconds.
`----
http://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/nethub/article.php/3706881
An Open-Source BIOS For ATI GPUs?
,----[ Quote ]
| Mark Shuttleworth would also like to see everything down to the device's
| firmware being free software. The steps Oliver is taking at this point is to
| examine the AtomBIOS parser, which is open-source as part of the RadeonHD
| driver (a partial explanation of AtomBIOS).
`----
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=NjE0NQ
Boot Linux Faster With An Open BIOS
,----[ Quote
| Another interesting approach involves using Linux itself to initialize the
| hardware. The LinuxBIOS takes the approach of loading a small Linux kernel
| directly into the boot ROM. This approach is increasingly practical now that
| boards have 1-2MB of flash ROM onboard, according to Seebach.
`----
http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/knitter/2007/10/08/boot-linux-faster-with-an-open-bios
Booting into Linux in 5 seconds? ASUS says Yes!
,----[ Quote ]
| Having the Linux available - especially with the boot time of 5 SECONDS (as
| they say) is something I find very interesting. My next PC might easily have
| one of these beasts inside.
`----
http://boss.peconi.com/2007/10/08/booting-into-linux-in-5-seconds-asus-says-yes/
--
~~ Best of wishes
Beware the Windows box spewage (more commonly known as "spam")
http://Schestowitz.com | Free as in Free Beer | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
Cpu(s): 26.3%us, 4.4%sy, 1.0%ni, 64.1%id, 3.8%wa, 0.2%hi, 0.1%si, 0.0%st
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|
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