hunting for bios programmer

[solidcor]

Hi,

First post here. Sorry if it is wrong place, this was my best guess (other than classifieds which is 99 posts away from me).

<snip> so please let me know if you know where I could find one

Board: Jetway NF98
BIOS: AMI
Problem: BIOS does not provide functionality to configure a "static" boot priority list (it is dynamic, changing automatically depending on what is connected & at what time)
Solution:
Option 1: provide functionality for static boot priority list
Option 2: disable all ports except 1 during boot process
Option 3: suggestions?
Thanks for your time!

[edit: solved]

 

[ssjwizard]

There may be a more elegant solution to this situation. First if you could explain why you need this particular functionality over the very complex auto boot that is included with your motherboard?

 

[Automata]

Solidcor, I've moved your thread to the Intel motherboard section to get you more views. Are there BIOS updates available from the vendor?

You also can't trade/buy/sell outside of the classifieds, so I've removed that from your post. You need 100 quality posts and a valid ISP/.edu/.gov/.mil email address to get access. The one you currently have on file does not meet those requirements.

 

[solidcor]

Solidcor, I've moved your thread to the Intel motherboard section to get you more views. Are there BIOS updates available from the vendor?

You also can't trade/buy/sell outside of the classifieds, so I've removed that from your post. You need 100 quality posts and a valid ISP/.edu/.gov/.mil email address to get access. The one you currently have on file does not meet those requirements.

Thanks. Yes, I use the latest BIOS version obtained from OEM official site.

No classifieds for me, got it, thanks again.

 

[solidcor]

There may be a more elegant solution to this situation. First if you could explain why you need this particular functionality over the very complex auto boot that is included with your motherboard?

That would really be some good news.

I (we) build a forensic imaging machine. From forensic view, it is absolutely essential the target disk is not attempted to be boot from. The stock BIOS provides no way to garuntee we can acheive this. I can not lock the boot-list, or disable bootable ports. I need one of the two at minimum. I've also been looking into other mini-itx boards, but other than this BIOS issue, the NF98 has been extremely pleasing.

 

[Automata]

I see what you are doing now, that makes a lot more sense. When you add/remove a device, it scrambles the boot list.

It may be cheaper to simply get another motherboard, unfortunately. The cost to hire someone to change the code in the board (and assuming it works perfectly and has no bugs) is going to be way more than buying 5 boards and seeing which one works. What you are trying to do it not easy and would require someone who knows what they are doing -- and those kind of people aren't cheap.

 

[ssjwizard]

That would really be some good news.

I (we) build a forensic imaging machine. From forensic view, it is absolutely essential the target disk is not attempted to be boot from. The stock BIOS provides no way to garuntee we can acheive this. I can not lock the boot-list, or disable bootable ports. I need one of the two at minimum. I've also been looking into other mini-itx boards, but other than this BIOS issue, the NF98 has been extremely pleasing.

Ok I think I see where this could be going. I have a few other questions if you dont mind.

1: What OS does this machine operate on?
2: Does it have to be a software lock out or would a HW level solution(costing ~30-40 in parts) be sufficient?

 

[solidcor]

I see what you are doing now, that makes a lot more sense. When you add/remove a device, it scrambles the boot list.

It may be cheaper to simply get another motherboard, unfortunately. The cost to hire someone to change the code in the board (and assuming it works perfectly and has no bugs) is going to be way more than buying 5 boards and seeing which one works. What you are trying to do it not easy and would require someone who knows what they are doing -- and those kind of people aren't cheap.

That is the exact word for it - scramble. //very frustrating

Yeah, I think this is being the only option left, this hunt isn't going all that well.

So here is the question then, is there somebody who would know whether this is possible or not? As it is, I have been working with a Jetway BIOS engineer to develop a custom BIOS that *attempted to do this. Issue with the delivered custom BIOS is that it would not allow a disk to be seen if sata-mode was AHCI, but only IDE (can't loose the hotswap for this project)

In other words, do you know if it is possible to configure the BIOS to only seek to boot from one port, while sata-mode is set to AHCI and *not IDE??

 

[Cigarsmoker]

Finding a programmer is easy. Finding a programmer with "working" knowledge of Jetway's hardware is difficult. A programmer would need specific, detail and privileged knowledge of that particular MB.

Having said that, if you're designing a system from the ground up there is a work around.

 

[solidcor]

Ok I think I see where this could be going. I have a few other questions if you dont mind.

1: What OS does this machine operate on?
2: Does it have to be a software lock out or would a HW level solution(costing ~30-40 in parts) be sufficient?

Hi, thanks for your time.

1) We run Linux, Crux distro, custom 2.6.33.7 kernel
2) Solution could be either ... BUT once the system is booted, at minimum I need
[internal] 1 x SATA port for boot disk (SATA-DOM) or 1 x USB (USB-DOM)
[internal] 2 x SATA port for raid storage (2 2.5 SATA disks)
[external] 1 x eSATA port
[external] USB ports
[external/internal] Firewire OR SAS PCIe card (x16)

 

[Automata]

Are you only going to be using SATA drives in this system? Since you are running a recent Linux release, it should pick up on new drives without restarting.

 

[ssjwizard]

Ok last question, does the disk to be examined need to be able to automatically become enabled after boot time or would something like pressing a button or flipping a switch to enable the drive be acceptable?

 

[Cigarsmoker]

Ok last question, does the disk to be examined need to be able to automatically become enabled after boot time or would something like pressing a button or flipping a switch to enable the drive be acceptable?

Exactly what I was thinking. One could even integrate a delayed timer tied to the PSU to switch devices on after the OS is loaded.

 

[solidcor]

Are you only going to be using SATA drives in this system? Since you are running a recent Linux release, it should pick up on new drives without restarting.

Our devices consist of 2 x 2.5 SATA disks as raid storage, and 1 x SATA-DOM as boot device.

The device supports imaging from USB/FIrewire/SAS/SATA/ IDE (ide->sata adapter)

So even in IDE sata mode, with this linux, we should be able to dynamically pick up a newly connected device without a reboot?

 

[ssjwizard]

I was thinking of putting a 2 pole relay inline with the SATA power connector to open/close the +5v and +12v rails to the drive. Could be activated VIA a switch or something like an arduino/ti easy board could run a timer to activate the power to the drive.

If the disks are going to be connected VIA E-SATA then theres really no need to do anything other than connect the disk AFTER booting the machine.

So even in IDE sata mode, with this linux, we should be able to dynamically pick up a newly connected device without a reboot?

Just run AHCI and use an IDE to SATA bridge adapter to connect IDE disks to the AHCI SATA bus and you can maintain your hot swap capabilities.

 

[solidcor]

Are you only going to be using SATA drives in this system? Since you are running a recent Linux release, it should pick up on new drives without restarting.

Ok last question, does the disk to be examined need to be able to automatically become enabled after boot time or would something like pressing a button or flipping a switch to enable the drive be acceptable?

It has a USBLCD front with buttons that can be pressed, this would be accceptable.

 

[solidcor]

Exactly what I was thinking. One could even integrate a delayed timer tied to the PSU to switch devices on after the OS is loaded.

I am liking the sound of this.

Thinking it through, if the disk connected to the initially powered port did fail (1 in 1000 chance) the stock bios does not prompt , so it would automatically seek to boot from the next disk it would find, even after the delay... correct?

 

[ssjwizard]

I am liking the sound of this.

Thinking it through, if the disk connected to the initially powered port did fail (1 in 1000 chance) the stock bios does not prompt , so it would automatically seek to boot from the next disk it would find, even after the delay... correct?

Not if the delay is sufficient. You bios will time out if no bootable device is found within about 30 seconds. If a delay of say 120 seconds was used your equipment would have time to load all the way into its OS before power would be applied to the disk to be examined. In this case a primary boot disk failure would result in black screen after the post and it would hang there until reset.

 

[solidcor]

I was thinking of putting a 2 pole relay inline with the SATA power connector to open/close the +5v and +12v rails to the drive. Could be activated VIA a switch or something like an arduino/ti easy board could run a timer to activate the power to the drive.

If the disks are going to be connected VIA E-SATA then theres really no need to do anything other than connect the disk AFTER booting the machine.



Just run AHCI and use an IDE to SATA bridge adapter to connect IDE disks to the AHCI SATA bus and you can maintain your hot swap capabilities.

Yes, good thoughts, but if I could trust the customer I'd skip all of this and put a huge red danger banner on the box that warned of this. But somehow, somebody will ignore it, and then they will be tampering with forensic eveidence as they are booting the perp's device....

 

[Cigarsmoker]

I am liking the sound of this.

Thinking it through, if the disk connected to the initially powered port did fail (1 in 1000 chance) the stock bios does not prompt , so it would automatically seek to boot from the next disk it would find, even after the delay... correct?

Not if the delay is long enough. Most any BIOS I know will prompt for a bootable disk within seconds of turning on if one is not present.

Since the disks are hot swappable, maybe time them to turn on after the OS is loaded?

Alternatively have them turn on after BIOS startup check. On the OS disk have GRUB delay the OS boot for say 15-30 seconds giving time for the disks to turn on and activate. Then load the OS.