Help finding BIOS software
Jessica Cohen
[crossposted to carleton.chat.suggestions even though this isn't CHAT related,
since I suspect the other students who can help me have long since given
up on the compuser* groups which seem more spam than anything else]
I have both a PC running BIOS, DOS, and a Sun box running BIOS and SunOS.
Since BIOS (Built-in Operating System) runs on both machines,
I would like to find some modem software that I can use right from the
BIOS. Obviously, since the BIOS is built-in, than the program is going
to be fairly basic, I just need it to work.
Also, if anyone can tell me where I might find a handy 'BIOS for Dummies'
type of book, or an assembly language program that's portable to all the
different hardware environments running BIOS, would they please let me know.
--
Jessica Cohen
How sharper than a hound's tooth it is to have a thankless serpent.
-from the fortune program
Richard Griffith
In article <4rruah$n...@bertrand.ccs.carleton.ca> jco...@chat.carleton.ca (Jessica Cohen) writes:
> I have both a PC running BIOS, DOS, and a Sun box running BIOS and SunOS.
> Since BIOS (Built-in Operating System) runs on both machines,
> I would like to find some modem software that I can use right from the
> BIOS. Obviously, since the BIOS is built-in, than the program is going
> to be fairly basic, I just need it to work.
1) The sun box had better be one of those old Sun PC's otherwise I don't
think you have the right idea of what is going on.
2) Does SunOS allow you to make the BIOS calls or do you have another
way of "booting" your program without SunOS in the way.
3) BIOS is a simple library of functions
read disk block XX to addr YY
write disk block XX from addr YY
(Unless the CPU's are the same you will need to cross compile your
application. I presume the CPU is an XX286 compatible on the SunOS
box. I forget what the actual SunPC was.)
Unless you are really confident I don't suggest you try programming
this on a system containing valuable or data. Or any system that
takes more than 5 minutes to reinstall the real operating system on.
4) To use something "right from the BIOS" you need to install it in
the boot sector or have someother way of booting it.
BIOS basically loads Track 0 Sector 0 of the boot disk then hands
controll of the CPU (JMP's) to the first address of the data just
loaded. The code there is responsible for loading the rest of the
application (normally the operating system, could be the rest of
a fancy boot loader) and going on from there.
I have a reasonable book describing the BIOD and BDOS.
Rg