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Create a PCI boot manager option ROM (save in bios)

You can create a pci option rom file with plpbtrom-0.6.zip. You can store the option rom in your bios or to the rom of a network card and run it from there. 


Usage: plpbtrom [OPTIONS] input-file output-file

Options:
========
 -h               this help
 -vendorid        id hex value of the card vendor
 -deviceid        id hex value of device
 -grabid          grab vendor/device id from PCI ROM file
 -hidden          disable option rom text output
 -nodisable       do not allow option rom disable
 -forceINT        force hook interrupt
 -INT18           hook int 18h
 -compress        compress option rom
 -size  set rom to a size. examples: 64k, 128k, 1m, ...

 input-file   boot manager file (ex. plpbtrom.bin)
 output-file  ROM file name

Examples

  • plpbtrom plpbtrom.bin plpbt.rom
  • plpbtrom -vendorid 0x10ec -deviceid 0x8139 plpbtrom.bin plpbt.rom
  • plpbtrom -grabid netcard.rom plpbtrom.bin plpbt.rom
  • plpbtrom -grabid netcard.rom -size 64k plpbtrom.bin plpbt.rom

Special parameters

  • -forceINT: This forces the boot manager to hook the INT 19h/INT 18h. If you have a PNP bios, then the boot manager does not use the PNP bios feature of the boot device sequence. The boot manager will be started before any boot device is tried (when INT 19h mode is used) or the boot manager is the last program that is started when all boot devices failed to boot (when INT 18h mode is used).

  • -INT18: Hook INT18h instead of INT19h. INT19h is the default mode.


Files

plpbtrom - Linux executable
plpbtrom.exe - Windows executable
plpbtrom.bin - Boot Manager

Difference plpbtrom.bin and plpbt.bin

    plpbtrom.bin gives the control of the boot process back to the bios with a far return if you press esc. plpbt.bin makes a reboot with int 19h.

    Passing parameters to the boot manager with the linux kernel command line is not supported by plpbtrom.bin

    You can configure plpbtrom.bin like plpbt.bin with plpcfgbt. You can enable/disable a hotkey to start the boot manager.


How to test a ROM

    You can test your rom file with the free virtual machine qemu.

    qemu -hda harddisk.img -option-rom plpbt.rom

    If you have no hard disk image file then take one from the qemu download page or use a floppy image.

    qemu -fda floppy.img -option-rom plpbt.rom


How to flash an AMI bios

Do this at your own risk! This can damage your pc.

  • Download the Ami bios flash utility and save your current bios. AMI Homepage

    It's a DOS program, run the following command from a DOS floppy to save your bios

    afudos /obios.rom

  • Use the Windows tool MMTools to replace the network rom with the plpbt.rom.

  • Load the file bios.rom

  • Find the network option rom. It has the id 20, the name PCI Option ROM and the RunLoc number VendorID:DeviceID of your network card. Maybe there are other option roms in your bios. Take care that you choose the network option rom.

  • Click on it that it's marked.

  • Click at the Replace Tab

  • Load as Module file the plpbt.rom file.

  • Press the Replace button

  • Press the Save ROM as and give it the name mybios.rom

  • Now comes the dangerous part. Flashing the bios.
    I suggest setting the bios to the default settings and save it. Then boot from a dos floppy and run

    afudos /imybios.rom

    Do not turn off the pc during flash. After the flash has completed, go to the bios and do again a reset to the default settings.

  • If all is ok, you should be able to configure the bios and start the boot manager during the boot process.


How to flash an AWARD bios

Do this at your own risk! This can damage your pc.

  • Download the Award bios flash utility aflash. You should find it at your Motherboard homepage in the bios section.

  • Run it from a DOS floppy and save your current bios to a file. Give it the name bios.rom.

  • Search the file cbrom in the web. There are different versions, not all will work with your bios file, so you have to test it with different versions.

  • Run cbrom bios.rom /d

  • This should list all parts of the bios rom. I cannot give you the command to replace the rom. None of the cbrom programs where able to display the content of my bios rom file. You have to test it by yourself.

  • When you updated the bios rom file, then flash it. I suggest setting the bios to the default settings and save it. Then boot from a dos floppy and run with awdflash.

  • If all is ok, you should be able to configure the bios and start the boot manager during the boot process.



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