I think that, at the moment, you have to actually flash the bios to get the functionality described.

Well I have flashed my bios to the latest version, F.28 see this link http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...842155&lang=en
and scroll down to the bios part. I could already shutdown the notebook with even the original version, my only problem is trying to get linux to know when I am on battery vs. being plugged in, plus trying to get gkrellm to correctly display the status of the battery when I am running on battery, plus having the processor being toggled (using AMD PowerNow!) which I have compiled as a module.

They can't write a secure OS so now they expect the BIOS vendors and board manufacturers to do their jobs.

Hard to tell the similarities of your laptop bios to that of the OP since it's different companies and architectures.

Off topic for the post, but possibly of interest to you, there are known issues with that laptop and kernel 2.6.18 related to acpi. I don't know if the problem also affects 2.6.17 kernels. On Debian, at least, the only solution is to move to a kernel > 2.6.19

Thats true, plus also HP does offer Linux products, though their notebooks I have seen are windows, the only alternative they offer is FreeDos but not linux. I hope maybe one day they will also give out information on how to get the media buttons to work under linux, but thats another post. Going back on topic, I think it might be a little different with hp/phoenix, but I don't know, I really wouldn't know why my notebook does not suffer from the same restrictions as the OP's, because my notebook was purchased back in Sept of 06, therefore it would have had to be subject to the same restrictions, but it is not, hrmm. :scratch:

To comment strictly on this post, Microsoft has not like BIOS for some time. It's the one bit of software on a PC they didn't write, and they have activly been trying to kill it for a while now.

Concerning the Linux BIOS project, from what I have seen, it was written specifically for a machine running Linux. While the code may be GPLed, I don't see too much difference in the idea from what Microsoft and Phoenix are doing.

The only thing I have seen to replace BIOS that advertises as being neutral is UEFI. The idea is an open standard with source available for one potental implemenation at Tianocore.org. It has its problems, but because of the way it is being developed, the community can help shape it rather than have everything dictated by Microsoft.

Jeebiz - I have the Compaq (R4000) version of that same laptop. I have trouble with the bios period, sometimes when you boot the screen is darker like you are running on the battery even tho it is plugged in yet other times it is at its normal brightness.

I started out trying to run the amd64 flavor of Debian and had clock issues (which has been fixed), I do not think HP will ever correctly fix the bios.

hello!!
 

did anyone READ the post? this guy just said win xp and opensuse booted fine with the new bios.... the actual problem is a BIOS password, that appeared the next day... probably the default password set from the factory! go look it up on their site. they are just not guaranteeing the BIOS to work with non-vista systems since they probably havent tested it with any of them, why dont we wait until boy wonder here figures out his BIOS password before the entire internet decides every computer on earth is going to be vista-only.

ok let me say it again in different words for those who still dont get it, he installed a BIOS, it booted windows xp and opensuse.... ok? you read that right? if it was vista only, why would it boot them? ok, then the NEXT DAY, it asked him for a password, which he thinks had to do with connecting a USB device. ok, so any of you want to explain to me how a USB device sets a password on your system? ok i didn't think so, now maybe you can explain why a manufacturer would make a BIOS that said it was for vista only, worked with every other OS, and then was carefully programmed to detect that it had been installed for a day, and block access to the system by asking for a password? or would it be safer to assume this person is technically inept, has no idea what they're doing, and this post got blown way out of proportion?

Go open hardware! There are open-source-friendly manufacturers, we need to buy their stuff and boycott evil manufacturers!

Phoenix BIOS - Broken Input/Output System

I wonder if setting the password at the very first boot would have overridden that defect in the Phoenix BIOS. Also, if this defect comes from an extension ROM, it may not be something that can be repaired via flashing.

Oh well, maybe this is good news for AMI. I won't buy anything with Phoenix anymore.

Why has nobody suggested yet that you should return your laptop immediately and complain about its crippled functionality and that (hopefully) this was not clearly advertised when you bought it? If you keep the laptop and work around the problem, you're putting money in the pocket of the BIOS maker, Microsoft and the laptop maker, encouraging them to to continue developing BIOSs like this.

I read the description of the BIOS update on the Toshiba page. The "Vista Only" comment probably has something to do with the BIOS ACPI code (also called ASL/AML).

The ACPI code from the BIOS is actually interpreted/executed by the Operating System at runtime. Different operating systems all have their own differences when it comes to implementing ACPI.

Windows Vista expands its ACPI support over previous Windows versions. It adds supports for ACPI 3.0, among other things. Most likely, the Toshiba BIOS uses some ACPI objects that are only supported in Vista. Hence, the comment that this BIOS is "Vista only".

What does this really mean? It means you are probably ok to run this BIOS on previous versions of Windows, however some ACPI-based features (power management, lid closing, special keyboard buttons, etc) may not work properly.

Likewise, you are probably OK to run it on Linux, but some ACPI things may not work properly. If there are some ACPI objects in your BIOS that are unrecognized by the Linux ACPI engine, they will probably be listed in dmesg.

The Linux/ACPI project aims for full ACPI support in the Linux kernel, so if you find something that doesn't work, I recommend you tell them about it.

Of course, if you don't use any power management on your system, this may all be a moot point.

P.S. The Phoenix-Microsoft partnership information you found is a red herring. Phoenix itself does nothing to restrict their firmware to the Windows platform. The issue at hand is Toshiba's specific BIOS implementation. They may have started by licensing the BIOS code from Phoenix, but things specific to the Toshiba platform were (most likely) implemented by Toshiba.

if the whole bios of a computer is easily available to the computer users like they are just normal application softwares that can be executed on the users desktop , they edit , save and reboot(ok , maybe not this one if in linux) ... that would be fun for everyone ... i can(or know how to) use your thing but you cant(or donno how to) use mine ... ^_^


//.2 cents ...

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[OT ::] hmm ... a bit like record breaking for the counts ...


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chessonly, you are in the news ;).
http://www.itavisen.no/php/art.php?id=376634

As the author of the quoted news piece
 

As the author of the four-year-old piece that chessonly quotes, I felt a need to respond considering the attention this post has had.

http://www.networkcomputing.com/blog...g_to_conc.html


I have discussed chessonly's problems with Phoenix and my thoughts are contained in the blog post above.


chessonly, if you are still having problems, I would be willing to try and help you out. Please feel free to email me.




Steven J. Schuchart Jr.
Managing Technology Editor
Network Computing Magazine
sschuchart@nwc.com