[OT] But important to me. Appropiate Mailing Lists ??

Tim ignored_mailbox at yahoo.com.au
Thu Apr 20 23:46:25 UTC 2006


On Thu, 2006-04-20 at 09:17 -0400, William Case wrote:
> Everything that I had read about BIOS including the Intel Data Sheets
> left me with the impression that the BIOS (Firmware Hub) was like a
> minor CPU that fired up everything else.

The Basic Input Output System is a program.  A minature operating
system, if you like.  It's stored on non-volatile memory (could be
permanant, could be battery powered, could be memory that needs
deliberately erasing to be volatile, etc).  Your CPU runs it.  It gives
your system access to the basic hardware on the main board.  It may
interact with other firmware on cards plugged into them mainboard.  It
then kicks off whatever software you want to run (generally an operating
system, though you could have it run dedicated custom software that
doesn't really fit the description of an operating system).  Once your
operating system is running, it may continue to use the BIOS for
whatever it does with the mainboard, or the OS may use itself, instead.

It's also often erroneously referred to as the CMOS.  CMOS is a type of
electronic circuitry, named after the chemistry involved, that a BIOS
could be stored on.  It was, and may still be, the commonly used types
of componentry for where the BIOS, or its settings, are stored, but it
doesn't have to be.  It's only one type of electronic componentry.

-- 
(Currently running FC4, occasionally trying FC5.)

Don't send private replies to my address, the mailbox is ignored.
I read messages from the public lists.




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