Beyond Bios

Chapter 4 - Protocols You Should Know ; EFI OS Loaders ; Device Path and Image Information of the OS Loader ; Accessing Files in the Device Path of the OS Loader ; Finding the OS Partition ; Getting the Current System Configuration ; Getting the Current Memory Map.

This book provides an overview of modern boot firmware, including the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and its associated EFI Developer Kit II (EDKII) firmware. The authors have each made significant contributions to developments in these areas. The reader will learn to use the latest developments in UEFI on modern hardware, including open source firmware and open hardware designs. The book begins with an exploration of interfaces exposed to higher-level software and operating systems, and commences to the left of the boot timeline, describing the flow of typical systems, beginning with the machine restart event. Software engineers working with UEFI will benefit greatly from this book, while specific sections of the book address topics relevant for a general audience: system architects, pre-operating-system application developers, operating system vendors (loader, kernel), independent hardware vendors (such as for plug-in adapters), and developers of end-user applications. As a secondary audience, project technical leaders or managers may be interested in this book to get a feel for what their engineers are doing. The reader will find: An overview of UEFI and underlying Platform Initialization (PI) specifications How to create UEFI applications and drivers Workflow to design the firmware solution for a modern platform Advanced usages of UEFI firmware for security and manageability

Focusing on the use of the UEFI Shell and its recently released formal specification, this book unlocks a wide range of usage models which can help people best utilize the shell solutions. This text also expands on the obvious intended utilization of the shell and explains how it can be used in various areas such as security, networking, configuration, and other anticipated uses such as manufacturing, diagnostics, etc. Among other topics, Harnessing the UEFI Shell demonstrates how to write Shell scripts, how to write a Shell application, how to use provisioning options and more. Since the Shell is also a UEFI component, the book will make clear how the two things interoperate and how both Shell developers as well as UEFI developers can dip into the other's field to further expand the power of their solutions. Harnessing the UEFI Shell is authored by the three chairs of the UEFI working sub-teams, Michael Rothman (Intel, chair of the UEFI Configuration and UEFI Shell sub-teams), Vincent Zimmer (Intel, chair of the UEFI networking sub-team and security sub-team), and Tim Lewis (Insyde Software, chair of the UEFI security sub-team). This book is perfect for any OEMs that ship UEFI-based solutions (which is all of the MNCs such as IBM, Dell, HP, Apple, etc.), software developers who are focused on delivering solutions targeted to manufacturing, diagnostics, hobbyists, or stand-alone kiosk environments.

Despite its importance, the role of HdS is most often underestimated and the topic is not well represented in literature and education. To address this, Hardware-dependent Software brings together experts from different HdS areas. By providing a comprehensive overview of general HdS principles, tools, and applications, this book provides adequate insight into the current technology and upcoming developments in the domain of HdS. The reader will find an interesting text book with self-contained introductions to the principles of Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS), the emerging BIOS successor UEFI, and the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL). Other chapters cover industrial applications, verification, and tool environments. Tool introductions cover the application of tools in the ASIP software tool chain (i.e. Tensilica) and the generation of drivers and OS components from C-based languages. Applications focus on telecommunication and automotive systems.

BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is a very important tool that helps in initializing the computer. Whatever the form factor, every computer should have a BIOS for it to work. Initially BIOS was considered as a very simple basic code with very few settings to manipulate. Currently the sheer number of peripherals that are attached to a computer is mind boggling. BIOS has undergone lots of changes in order to make these peripherals work. Author has managed to simplify the various settings which are available under the hood of BIOS. All the various settings are discussed in detail with the help of screen shots. Two common BIOS manufacturer’s settings (Gigabyte and Acer) are discussed. Other manufacturer’s BIOS settings are more or less the same with minor modifications. Reading this book will help the reader to configure any BIOS settings out there. This book has been authored by a Non computer science professional who spent lots of his time tinkering and tweaking various BIOS settings. The result of the experience is this book. Entering the BIOS setup utility allows the user to change the boot process order as well as a wide variety of hardware settings. One caution is that it is not recommended for an inexperienced user to change settings in the BIOS. BIOS limitations which were inherent led to the creation of a new firmware interface called Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. This interface can boot from disks over 2-TB in size, has a graphical user interface with network capability, and is also backward and forward compatible. Currently UEFI is slowly replacing conventional BIOS. This book extensively discusses UEFI BIOS settings. Updating BIOS has become simple and safe with the inherent update tool. Users can now safely update their BIOS without the fear of damaging CMOS chips. Exact steps of the BIOS update process could vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but they have been simplified and made fail safe. This book has been tailored for intermediate users with basic knowledge of computers who are capable of installing operating systems. Initially BIOS was purely text based with no GUI. Users needed to use the keyboard extensively to manipulate the settings. Current BIOS chips have GUI interfaces with mouse enabled. This made life of the user simple as settings can be manipulated by the click of a mouse button.

Bursting with ideas, replete with human insight, Bios is science fiction in the grand tradition: a novel of bravery, exploration, and discovery in a universe charged with awe. In the 22nd century, humankind has colonized the solar system. Starflight is possible but hugely expensive, so humakind's efforts are focussed on Isis, the one nearby Earthlike world. Isis is verdant, Edenic, rich with complex DNA-based plant and animal life. And every molecule of Isian life is spectacularly toxic to human beings. The entire planet is a permanent Level Four Hot Zone. Despite that, Isis is the most interesting discovery of the millennium: a parallel biology with lessons to teach us about our own nature. It's also the hardest of hardship posts, the loneliest place in the universe. Zoe Fisher was born to explore Isis. Literally. Cloned and genetically engineered by a faction within the hothouse politics of Earth, Zoe is optimized to face Isis's terrors. Now at last Zoe has arrived on Isis. But there are secrets implanted within her that not even she suspects--and the planet itself has secrets that will change our understanding of life in the universe. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Modern Embedded Computing: Designing Connected, Pervasive, Media-Rich Systems provides a thorough understanding of the platform architecture of modern embedded computing systems that drive mobile devices. The book offers a comprehensive view of developing a framework for embedded systems-on-chips. Examples feature the Intel Atom processor, which is used in high-end mobile devices such as e-readers, Internet-enabled TVs, tablets, and net books. This is a unique book in terms of its approach - moving towards consumer. It teaches readers how to design embedded processors for systems that support gaming, in-vehicle infotainment, medical records retrieval, point-of-sale purchasing, networking, digital storage, and many more retail, consumer and industrial applications. Beginning with a discussion of embedded platform architecture and Intel Atom-specific architecture, modular chapters cover system boot-up, operating systems, power optimization, graphics and multi-media, connectivity, and platform tuning. Companion lab materials complement the chapters, offering hands-on embedded design experience. This text will appeal not only to professional embedded system designers but also to students in computer architecture, electrical engineering, and embedded system design. Learn embedded systems design with the Intel Atom Processor, based on the dominant PC chip architecture. Examples use Atom and offer comparisons to other platforms Design embedded processors for systems that support gaming, in-vehicle infotainment, medical records retrieval, point-of-sale purchasing, networking, digital storage, and many more retail, consumer and industrial applications Explore companion lab materials online that offer hands-on embedded design experience