There is also the Video BIOS area which may be used by X (or others) for displaying graphics when no native drivers are available.
Also, if USB Legacy mode is enabled there may be background SMIs that are generated to break into the BIOS System Management Mode and provide legacy support for keyboard and mouse. My understanding is that the CPU may also generate SMIs for other purposes, such as manipulating power management settings if the hardware is overheating. Best regards, Rob 2010/11/4 Rajat Sharma <[email protected]> > As I can remember, Linux uses BIOS only at the bootup time, after that on a > running kernel, there is no role of BIOS routines. Please refer to > Understanding Linux Kernel for specific details. It also has one appendix on > Linux Boot-up sequence which depends on BIOS. Linux has its own drivers for > controlling IOAPIC and PCI drivers etc. > > Rajat > > 2010/11/4 अनुज <[email protected]> > > Hi list, >> >> I am just exploring how much the linux is dependent on BIOS. I wanted to >> know : >> >> 1. Which information linux uses from BIOS ( some sort of tables like >> MP tables, ACPI tables) and for what purpose? >> 2. Whether linux uses BIOS routines to program and initialize the >> different chips (e.g. IOAPIC, PIR, PCI devices etc.) or not? >> >> Please provide if there is any document or link which explains the >> clear interface between BIOS and linux? >> >> Thanks & Regards, >> -- >> Anuj Aggarwal >> >> .''`. >> : :Ⓐ : # apt-get install hakuna-matata >> `. `'` >> `- >> >> -- >> To unsubscribe from this list: send an email with >> "unsubscribe kernelnewbies" to [email protected] >> Please read the FAQ at http://kernelnewbies.org/FAQ >> >> >
