At 1:22 PM -0500 11/14/2002, Andrew wrote: >I think the ability to boot from the PC card devices and RAM was lost when >Apple went to the firmware upgradeable models. It specifically states that >in the Read Me for the Bronze keyboard models. >Taken from Apple: >"Open Firmware and Startup Devices >In order for a device supported by an expansion card (for example a SCSI PC >card) to participate in the startup process (for example, to start up from a >drive connected to that SCSI PC card), the card must include an expansion >ROM containing startup firmware. Expansion cards for startup devices must >contain all the driver code required during startup in the expansion ROM on >the card. Depending on their functions, such cards may also need to provide >support resources such as fonts. > >Examples of devices needed during system startup include display, keyboard, >and mouse devices, and storage devices such as hard drives and CD-ROM >drives.
This is generally true for all computers. To boot off a SCSI card the computer must know how to access it. If this info isn't in it's own ROM it must be in ROM on the card. Mass Storage and display cards usually have ROM on board so they can be used in the boot process. Some SCSI cards don't have ROM on board so they can't be booted from but can be used later after the system is loaded. Most USB cards don't contain ROM and therefore can't be used for booting nor can any connected keyboard or mouse be used to control the boot up process. Now whether OF prevents using a CF card at boot is still unclear.. > >Important: If Open Firmware code is not included in the expansion card for a >startup device, the card will not be usable until the operating system loads >its supporting software from disk after the startup process has concluded. " -- Clark Martin Redwood City, CA, USA Macintosh / Internet Consulting [EMAIL PROTECTED] "I'm a designated driver on the Information Super Highway" -- PowerBooks is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PowerBooks list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:powerbooks@;mail.maclaunch.com> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:powerbooks-off@;mail.maclaunch.com> For digest mode, email: <mailto:powerbooks-digest@;mail.maclaunch.com> Subscription questions: <mailto:listmom@;lowendmac.com> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- >The Think Different Store http://www.ThinkDifferentStore.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
