From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Oct 19 11:57:45 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 303DE6B1 for ; Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:57:45 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Received: from mx02.qsc.de (mx02.qsc.de [213.148.130.14]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E1D5E8FC12 for ; Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:57:44 +0000 (UTC) Received: from r56.edvax.de (port-92-195-110-131.dynamic.qsc.de [92.195.110.131]) by mx02.qsc.de (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8D08624574; Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:57:37 +0200 (CEST) Received: from r56.edvax.de (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by r56.edvax.de (8.14.5/8.14.5) with SMTP id q9JBvbC8002669; Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:57:37 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:57:37 +0200 From: Polytropon To: mexas@bristol.ac.uk Subject: Re: laptop with no BIOS? or BIOS reflash pain Message-Id: <20121019135737.bf3ada15.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <201210191038.q9JAcmq7073341@mech-cluster241.men.bris.ac.uk> References: <201210191038.q9JAcmq7073341@mech-cluster241.men.bris.ac.uk> Organization: EDVAX X-Mailer: Sylpheed 3.1.1 (GTK+ 2.24.5; i386-portbld-freebsd8.2) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list Reply-To: Polytropon List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:57:45 -0000 On Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:38:48 +0100 (BST), Anton Shterenlikht wrote: > There is an updated BIOS version, but > so far I failed to get it installed. > HP only provide MS and freedos executables. > I tried BartPE - doesn't work. Maybe you can utilize the approach to create the "typical" DOS boot diskette and access it via attached USB floppy disk drive? > I tried plugging in a MS disk - doesn't work. > The only think I haven't tried is getting > a spare disk, installing freedos on it > and then running the freedos executable > from USB - what a fucking pain... The idea with a disk could work, but seems a bit over- complicated for such a "simple" (yes, haha) task like updating the BIOS. > For proper hardware (servers) HP provide > images which are executed from management > console, but not for laptops. > I guess the idea that one might > use their laptops for anything other than MS > is so wild, that it never crossed their maid. That's because it doesn't exist. :-) > Anyway, I think I've heard there are some laptops > with no BIOS, is this true? Per termini technici, yes. Some systems use EFI (or UEFI) instead of a BIOS. It's comparable to a much more advanced (than BIOS) micro-OS that initializes the hardware, connectes to the Internet, tells the manufacturer what you're doing and keeps limiting you in what you are allowed to install. :-) > Or perhaps there are brands where BIOS > reflash is not such a great pain? Yes, mainframes with loadable microprogram. :-) > I remember on Compaq Armada the BIOS was > stored on disk and Compaq provided a floppy > image to boot from and reflash BIOS. > That was easy. I remember that idea, but having to rely on a working hard disk in order to have _basic_ (that's what the 'B' in BIOS means) input and output functionality looks a bit ridiculous. > Anything like this exist these days? For sure, but not very common in home consumer hardware (yet). > Are there any EFI laptops? As far as I know, Apple only makes such. Newer netbooks intended to run MICROS~1 products are also known, both for i386/amd64 and ARM architecture (with the idea that on ARM, you cannot run anything else than what the hardware vendor allows, which is "Windows"). > Any model people would recommend? IBM Thinkpad. :-) -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...