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Intro To Intel's Next-Gen BIOS Architecture
An anonymous reader writes "This article introduces the Intel Platform Innovation Framework for the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), which is intended to provide an alternative to BIOS that will allow for faster booting, manageability, and additional features. According to the author, there has been rapid evolution of the personal computer platform since the 1980s. These advances have included order-of-magnitude increases in performance, ease-of-use, storage capacity, and connectivity. But there is one element of the PC that has not changed for the past 23 years -- namely, the BIOS (basic input/output system)."
The awesome backward compatibility of the PC architecture is one of the main reasons it's the most popular personal computer platform. Besides, there have been tons of advances in BIOS technology over the past 20 years. Sure, the basics are still in there, but even 5 years ago you couldn't boot off a USB key fob or even over the network (PXE) on most motherboards. 10 years ago power management was basically non-existent and things like ACPI and APIC were years away. Extend, don't just throw it away. If you're going to get rid of it then at least adopt Openboot firmware like Macs and Suns have.
Otherwise you have to patch Lotus 1-2-3 to make it work.
Seriously though, it seemed to me that at first this should break backward compatability but why couldn't BIOS emulation be plugged in as an EFI driver? All it has to do is provide the same software interrupts and it wouldn't even have to be loaded unless your OS needs BIOS to boot. Just because this "framework" isn't natively backwards compatible doesn't mean it couldn't be made backwards compatible.
If you are running a server, and have a restart (due to failure, new kernel, or whatever) you want to be able restart as fast possible to minimize downtime.
Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
It strikes me that losing the hardware BIOS will almost certainly lead to some kind of DRM scheme - probably hardware related - that can't be bypassed by something like a boot floppy.
In fact, I really can't believe that DRM won't be built into whatever replaces the BIOS chip.
Course maybe I'm i'm just paranoid...
Three Squirrels
Well, I think the answer's obvious. The same reason that drug companies scorn rain forest treatments and marijuana: because it can't be patented.
I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.