From: jfritz@rdrc.rpi.edu Subject: Re: How to switch back to VGA-text from SVGA-text mode??? Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1993 19:42:33 GMT
In article <1993Mar26.165234.19263@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> mancus@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov (Keith Mancus) writes:
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> Sorry, I don't understand. The basic interface of the cards MUST be
>the same at some level, or the common BIOS couldn't talk to all of them.
>Why can't a Linux program be written that, in effect, acts as the BIOS
>does? I can see that it might have to execute in real mode, which might
>be a problem. Other than that, what is so magic about the BIOS?
>
The problem is that the is NO common BIOS. Each video card has a ROM
chip that augments the system BIOS and provides access to its extended
features. So when you add a video card, you also add the BIOS support
for it.
>--
>| Keith Mancus <mancus@butch.jsc.nasa.gov> |
>| N5WVR |
>| "Black powder and alcohol, when your states and cities fall, |
>| when your back's against the wall...." -Leslie Fish |
---joe (jfritz@rdrc.rpi.edu)