"Ian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> > 2) If you can get reliable kernel driver that always sets up hardware it
> > doesn't matter who sets it up.
> What happens when kernels are booted from kernels? Or when kernels are
> software booted from wares such as VMWare? (I haven't ever run it, so I don't
> know how it handles hardware manipulation -- nor do I want to see linuxbios
> external to the kernel ..).
The point here is that if you put the hardware into a proper state the
kernel just works no matter if the hardware has been setup before.
Kernels booted from kernels might get a benefit if the first kernel
knew how to initialize the hardware and the second kernel didn't, it
depends on how the reset the hardware.
As for vmware it might mean it has to emulate a few extra hardware
registers.
But the point is if you unconditially set hardware to a known state in
your driver you have more reliable code period. This works for
linuxBIOS but it also works for other BIOS's as well. The framebuffer
drivers are a good example of this.
Eric
