On Thu, 21 Dec 2000, Jeroen Janssen wrote:
> I think we'll need to determine how/what exactly will be developed for
> the plex86 bios. I don't know if anybody else is working in the bios and
> what Kevins plans for the bios are (ie. what features we would like to
> have in the bios). Also, it would be good to know what bios data is used
> by the bochs plugin (hardware "plugins").
I have thing about it last night. I can give out some idea here for
discusstion. While I am not family with plex86, please give me your
comment and correct me if I am wrong.
To make CDROM boot on plex86, two proposal, from easy one first.
1. Use the Smart Boot Manager in the plex86.
Since plex86 is a virtuallized PC and it might have it's ATAPI
CDROM implemented, and SMB use the ATAPI interface, it should able
to use SMB on plex86 to boot CDROM. Can anybody here have a try
on that? We might need not to modify any source code. If it do not
work and need to change the source, I think the modify should be a
minor one.
2. Make a native plex86 cdrom boot.
To make a CDROM boot, it have two part:
I) CDROM access driver.
In SMB, it use the ATAPI command to detect and access the cdrom.
I think in plex86, we can use the host OS to access the cdrom and
greately simplify this part, am I right?
II) Disk Emulation and prove the BIOS api.
In SMB, it take over the INT 13H. In plex86, we can make it part of
the plex86 BIOS. It will change two part: INT 13H and the boot code.
How is that fit in the plex bios?
Chris
