> Ron Johnson wrote:
>
> It might not be as bad as we fear. Intel sells a *lot* of chips
> into linux servers, which are their high margin products...
>
> However, if I were a really malevolent virus writer, I'd be
> salivating right now (unless the EFI "drivers" are embedded in
> EPROMs).
>On Behalf Of Andrew S. Johnson
>1) Unless this new code comes from the US, it likely won't be a MS
>derivative. Nobody in Asia wants to pay licensing fees when free
>is an option, so it might even be Linux based.
Maybe they will follow the Linux model and take submissions from multiple
sources and integrate a working EFI 'package'.
Then again, it may turn out to be FYOB (Flash Your Own BIOS).
>2) If this new system makes it easier to support something like a small
>Compact Flash card to hold all that is needed to boot, including an OS,
>then I can see an upside. No more special hardware or programs to
>flash an EEPROM. Any computer with a USB port could bail you out.
Andrew, can you elaborate the point about the USB port?
>4) It seems a prerequsite for this that the hardware be standardized
>at the lowest levels, meaning that chipsets all act the same and use
>the same instructions. If not, how would this work? If you have to have
>some code beyond EFI, then aren't we back at the BIOS we have now?
My thoughts are that there will be a central 'variable processor' that calls
subprograms that are EFI updates.
The hardware may flash EEPROM during some seeking process. This would make
manufacturers independent with no global standard other than working with
the EFI seek process.
The upside is hardware features will not be limited to bottom of the barrel
foot dragging standards of legacy compatibility.
The upside/downside is either the hardware manufacturer or software
programmers will have to establish compatibility between the hardware and
software.
The downside is that certain hardware may be totally incompatible with
specific OSs. Microsoft dream world here. Intel makes chip X for Microsoft
and chip Z for Linux servers. Everybody builds PC's with chip X. No more
Linux distro's until chip X is cracked or patched. Same with other hardware
(just my parinoia).
Just my two cents...does anybody have change for a penny?
Chris
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Received on 12/31/03
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