Certain computers were built incomplete -- the motherboard does not contain all of the software for accessing BIOS settings! This requires using additional software, either by diskette or installed onto a special Diagnostic Partition (on the hard drive).
Example: Compaq P-233MMX
When the hard drive is swapped on this motherboard, if the new one is small (<1GB approx) it seems to just automatically re-configure. But if it is larger, this happens:
Code: Select all
Compaq Deskpro 2000 DP2000 5233MMX
The following configuration options were automatically updated:
Disk 1: 4326 Mbytes
If you are running Unix, you need to configure your system
using the COMPAQ User Diagnostics diskette.
F1: Save Changes
I have seen this kind of warning for years, but always ignored it, since it was not relevant to Windows. Now that I am trying to convert to the Puppy/Linux world, what Unix issues apply, if any?
What other BIOS settings have specific Linux/Unix concerns? I seem to recall a setting like "PnP OS" that mentions Unix.
There is also the whole (possibly related) terribly complex matter of hard drive geometry mappings, and needing to understand very thoroughly in order to be able to successfully move hard drives from one computer to another and have the partitions etc actually work right. What exactly does one need to know for successful Mobile Transplantable Puppy/Linux hard drives?
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Here is a good question -- any answers?
(Where does this "HD parameter translation" happen?)
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions ... did=193648
The explaination is that DOS, Windows, etc
require that a HDDs parameters need to be translated
so that it appears to have fewer than 1024 cylinders !
Unix, Banyan, etc require untranslated HDD parameters !
Revised Question :
Does anyone know if this address translation issue
affects Linux or FreeBSD ?
Since Linux and FreeBSD evaluate the disk geometry
and read/write directly to the HDD does the
BIOS HDD geometry need to be translated ?