On Wednesday 30 October 2002 17:44, Steve M. Gehlbach wrote: > > > Aren't the bios chips soldered down on some of these boards? I > > > > was wondering > > > > > what alternatives you have, short of unsoldering the chip and finding a > > > programmer, if something goes wrong in the flashing process or > > > > the linuxbios > > > > > code has a bug. > > > > you really should not buy a board with a bios soldered down ... there are > > very few of them because failed bios flashes in essence destroy a board. > > > > ron > > A number of the Giga-byte boards seem to have the bios soldered, in > particular the the GA-6VEML (the Walmart $199 computer). The Via Eden > appears to also but I am just looking at the photo. For the EPIA, if you > bongo the PLCC (socketed), you'll need another PLCC bios mobo to fix it and > hot swapping a PLCC has got to require a deft touch. Personally I prefer > to use my Needham's programmer and I have never flashed on the mobo. In > the case of the GA-6VEML, I intend to install an SM socket (PLCC) if I ever > get to putting linuxbios on that one. But anyone considering linuxbios > that does not have a programmer should think of their backup plan if there > is a bug or flashing failure. > > The main point of my question, though, was if anyone was aware of another > way to program the flash short of unsoldering it. I wasn't aware of any, > and maybe it seemed like a silly question, but if the mobo mfrs would start > using the LPC interface flash, and put a header on the mobo to access it, > you could program it from a PC-LPT interface with a specially wired cable > (plus a few R's and D's). This has been done on the Xbox and the software > is available on the net.
LinuxBIOS and kernel on the xbox? Where do I get a copy. I may have to pick up a used xbox. I dont think we would get the kind of help with porting linuxbios to that than we have other platforms. :) > The LPC flash would also allow much larger memory > in the same footprint, which is really useful. The success of this can > depend somewhat on how the other chips behave, though, while programming > (mobo power is off). > > -Steve > > > _______________________________________________ > Linuxbios mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.clustermatic.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxbios _______________________________________________ Linuxbios mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.clustermatic.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxbios
