Viewing BIOS settings from within Linux

dazdaz · 02-15-2005, 08:51 AM

Hi,

I have been looking for a way to view the BIOS settings from within Linux.

Specifically I want to see what the BIOS serial speed has been set to without rebooting the server and causing downtime to check.

If I can also browse other settings, then all the better.

I guess the application will have to run as root, but i'm not aware of any tool that does this.

Thanks for any hints and tips

michaelk · 02-15-2005, 09:15 AM

Have you tried using the setserial command to view the settings?

dazdaz · 02-15-2005, 10:26 AM

Hi, the BIOS serial settings were more of a general example although would be useful along with the 'Console Type', 'Continue C.R. after POST' and ever other BIOS setting.

I would like to be able to see all of the BIOS settings, to be able to dump every setting, that is what I am trying to do....

Many Thanks

michaelk · 02-15-2005, 05:11 PM

A quick search didn't find any neat package. For reading the raw data from memory:
http://packetstorm.linuxsecurity.com...ir3/hir3-3.txt

dazdaz · 03-09-2005, 04:29 AM

Thanks for the information and link. Unfortunately not being a developer coding such a tool is not possible.

I can be more specific in case anybody else does know of a tool.

This is the motherboard that I have.

http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/845ge/index.htm

This apparently uses an Intel BIOS>

I want to be able to dump the BIOS settings, that's all from within Linux 2.4 :-)

morrolan · 03-09-2005, 05:52 AM

I'm probably way off here, but don't virtual machines read the BIOS before you boot a second OS or is the BIOS a software bios within the virtual machine?

JZL240I-U · 03-09-2005, 06:32 AM

Sometimes / Usually the producer of the mainboard and BIOS provides tools on its site to flash updates of the BIOS to the "ROM". And also usually you can make a backup of your old BIOS-parameters. So if you start this tool (via wine

)....

dazdaz · 03-09-2005, 07:47 AM

According to this post, the Intel DOS iflash utility does not save the Intel Express BIOS settings.

http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...80438931173e28

The BIOS Options do suggest that you can save out the settings, but I could'nt get it to work.

I did find this tool which saves some of the BIOS to a file, however I don't know the memory areas, nor do I know how to decode this binary data.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/bioswriter

JZL240I-U · 03-09-2005, 08:53 AM

Your link concerns a Pentium II board, yours is PIV. Why don't you have a look at the intel site, perhaps even they improved their tools...

Did you try out this BIOS-writer?

What kind of BIOS is it anyhow? AMI? AWARD? Those two at least do have utilities...

What is where: http://www.bioscentral.com/misc/bda.htm

jab012 · 03-28-2007, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morrolan

I'm probably way off here, but don't virtual machines read the BIOS before you boot a second OS or is the BIOS a software bios within the virtual machine?

vmware, ttbomk, uses a virtual BIOS for each machine.there are tools to manipulate the virtual bios, but i think that gets off point.

I, too, need to find out if the BIOS can be read-- what values it sets, and what it sets them too --from within linux.

alternatively, if the OS reads the BIOS for a particular setting that determines its behaviour, where would that take place in terms of the boot process?

any help is greatly appreciated.

-jonathan

JZL240I-U · 04-02-2007, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jab012

...I, too, need to find out if the BIOS can be read-- what values it sets, and what it sets them too --from within linux.

alternatively, if the OS reads the BIOS for a particular setting that determines its behaviour, where would that take place in terms of the boot process?...

If you can read german, here is a lot of information...
http://www.bios-info.de/