Loading a different HAL on .net

NTDEV
1

I have a BIOS that has an error in its ACPI tables, but there is a correct MPS table ( or so I’m told),
and I’ve been instructed to load HalMps instead of the ACPI HAL as a workaround for .net.

I’m told that this should be done as a full install, and that there is some funny key sequence during the
install that will give me a larger HAL selection.

Its it true that I can’t just replace the ACPI hal with the MPS hal?

What’s the magic that lets me select other HALs than ACPI and uni processor?

Thanks

-DH

PS. A very short tutorial on the BIOS interface would also be helpful. I’m guessing that the BIOS wants
to be used as ACPI because that’s the latest, MPS is a older standard that the BIOS needs to support
to run say NT4, and that the BIOS also presents an even older interface that even more archaic OSes.

Dave Harvey, System Software Solutions, Inc.
617-964-7039, FAX 208-361-9395, xxxxx@syssoftsol.com, http://www.syssoftsol.com
Creators of RedunDisks - Robust RAID 1 for embedded systems.

2

BIOS wants

to be used as ACPI because that’s the latest, MPS is a older standard that the BIOS needs
to support
to run say NT4, and that the BIOS also presents an even older interface that even more
archaic OSes.

Wrong. First, “MPS” is not a predecessor to ACPI. “PnP BIOS” and APM are ACPI’s predecessors.
BIOS presents all of them, it’s the OS decision to use ACPI since it is presented by BIOS.
Lame ACPI tables in BIOSes are not uncommon, downloading the BIOS update from the mobo vendor’s site usually helps.

Max

3

When it asks for F6 to load a custom SCSI driver, hit F5 instead.

“Dave Harvey” wrote in message
news:xxxxx@ntdev…
>
> I have a BIOS that has an error in its ACPI tables, but there is a correct
MPS table ( or so I’m told),
> and I’ve been instructed to load HalMps instead of the ACPI HAL as a
workaround for .net.
>
> I’m told that this should be done as a full install, and that there is
some funny key sequence during the
> install that will give me a larger HAL selection.
>
> Its it true that I can’t just replace the ACPI hal with the MPS hal?
>
> What’s the magic that lets me select other HALs than ACPI and uni
processor?
>
> Thanks
>
> -DH
>
> PS. A very short tutorial on the BIOS interface would also be helpful.
I’m guessing that the BIOS wants
> to be used as ACPI because that’s the latest, MPS is a older standard that
the BIOS needs to support
> to run say NT4, and that the BIOS also presents an even older interface
that even more archaic OSes.
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
> Dave Harvey, System Software Solutions, Inc.
> 617-964-7039, FAX 208-361-9395, xxxxx@syssoftsol.com,
http://www.syssoftsol.com
> Creators of RedunDisks - Robust RAID 1 for embedded systems.
>
>
>
>
>
>

4

“Maxim S. Shatskih” wrote in message news:xxxxx@ntdev…
> …
> Lame ACPI tables in BIOSes are not uncommon, downloading the BIOS update from the mobo vendor’s site usually helps.
Not when its a proprietary BIOS on an old platform, i.e., its what I get to test with, because all the new hardware (that
I’d eventually ship on, with a correct BIOS) is committed for other purposes. So my .net port will be most delayed
by something I don’t need in the end…

5

Actually, MPS is also a predecessor to ACPI. All of the information
that MPS provides is also provided by ACPI. The distinction is that MPS
is static. The description can’t change as the machine is dynamically
reconfigured. ACPI is as dynamic as it needs to be. If, for example,
you plug in another I/O chassis, while the machine is running, ACPI can
provide all the firmware-related information that the OS needs.

  • Jake

-----Original Message-----
Subject: Re: Loading a different HAL on .net
From: “Maxim S. Shatskih”
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 16:09:32 +0400
X-Message-Number: 13

BIOS wants
> to be used as ACPI because that’s the latest, MPS is a older standard
that the BIOS needs
to support
> to run say NT4, and that the BIOS also presents an even older
interface that even more
archaic OSes.

Wrong. First, “MPS” is not a predecessor to ACPI. “PnP BIOS” and APM are
ACPI’s predecessors.
BIOS presents all of them, it’s the OS decision to use ACPI since it is
presented by BIOS.
Lame ACPI tables in BIOSes are not uncommon, downloading the BIOS update
from the mobo vendor’s site usually helps.

Max