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Google Sponsors the LinuxBIOS project

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the guts-like-to-be-free-too dept.

Rockgod noted that "The LinuxBIOS project aims to take down the last barrier in Open Source systems by providing a free firmware (BIOS) implementation. LinuxBIOS celebrates its Sixth anniversary this year, and has an installed base of over 1 million LinuxBIOS systems. With the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project, that number is expected to exceed 10 million users in 2007. LinuxBIOS supports 65 mainboards from 31 vendors in v1 and another 56 mainboards from 27 vendors in v2"

6 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. It's not the last barrier by ClosedSource · · Score: 5, Insightful

    to Open Source systems since the microprocessor and other PC hardware is not open.

  2. why would a major manufacturer of motheboards by BrentRJones · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why would a major manufacturer of motheboards want to stay away from Linux for BIOS?
    What do Award and Phoenix have better than Linux?

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    Help end the use of Sigs. Tomorrow
    1. Re:why would a major manufacturer of motheboards by Laur · · Score: 5, Informative
      LinuxBIOS is not compatible with legacy DOS-based PC operating systems
      According to the ADLO page there is no reason that LinuxBIOS couldn't boot up DOS-based OSes with a bit of tweaking, it just seems that no one has bothered yet.
      --
      When you lose something irreplaceable, you don't mourn for the thing you lost, you mourn for yourself. - Harpo Marx
  3. Any place to buy the MOBO with lb pre-installed? by WindBourne · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If a company is selling mobos with these on it, now is the time to speak up. It strikes as this will be free advertisement. If not, this might be the time to start selling.

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    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  4. Re:Eternal game of catch-up? by sgtrock · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If a motherboard vendor chooses to use the FOSS BIOS, then I would assume that the vendor would recognize that it was in their interest to make sure that any changes to the hardware elements on their motherboard lines would necessarily require that they demand that their parts vendors work with the FOSS BIOS project to make sure that the low level drivers are working correctly.

    I suppose it's possible that such a motherboard vendor might want to donate engineering time and samples to the project as well. They would have to weigh the cost of that effort against a host of other costs; licensing costs to use Award or Phoenix, the size of the expected market for the combined product, etc. Show them that the FOSS BIOS will work for MS Vista and they'll have a real incentive to push for it. Tell them that the market will be limited to just Linux and *BSD and they'll probably lose interest really fast.

  5. Re:Any place to buy the MOBO with lb pre-installed by Laur · · Score: 5, Informative

    Try starting with the Products page at LinuxBIOS.

    --
    When you lose something irreplaceable, you don't mourn for the thing you lost, you mourn for yourself. - Harpo Marx