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From: GD.SAR@forsythe.stanford.edu (Sandy Rockowitz)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: keyboard problems, IDE drives, VGA BIOS
Message-ID: <1990Oct25.042016.24320@morrow.stanford.edu>
Date: 25 Oct 90 04:20:16 GMT
Sender: news@morrow.stanford.edu (UNIX News Service)
Organization: Data Center, Stanford University, California, USA
Lines: 33

A couple OS/2 hardware related questions have recently been posted
to the newsgroups.  Since they have been addressed in the past, I
hesitated to respond to the entire group, but I'm posting my
response to the group on the assumption that if there's one person
with a question, there are probably others.  (If anyone feels this
is a waste of the net's bandwidth, let me know.)

First, there was a question regarding a keyboard problem with OS/2
and an AMI motherboard with (naturally) an AMI BIOS.  I'm not sure
of the details, but AMI had to upgrade its keyboard controller for
OS/2 (1.2?).  Your keyboard controller needs to be at least at level
KD if I recall correctly.   I'm using an AMI MKIII with keyboard
controller level KF, and previously used a MKII with keyboard
controller level KD.  The only problem I've seen is that the central
keys (cursor, PgUp, PgDn, etc) don't work with when using Codeview
on the second monitor, and that's such an obscure case that I
suspect Codeview more than I suspect the BIOS.

The second question concerned IDE drives.  There was recently an
excellent overview of these drives on one of the OS/2 discussion
lists; I'll not try to redo it.  Basically, the controller is
integrated with the drive, which is interfaced to the system through
a simple adaptor card or in some case plugs directly into the
motherboard.  The IDE drive appears to the system as a vanilla ST506
device.  I've been using a Conner CP3204F (200 mb) IDE drive and AMI
MKII and MKIII motherboards with IBM OS/2 1.2 for several months
now, and have had no problems.

Finally, a question for the newsgroup. Does OS/2 use the ROM BIOS
on VGA cards, or does it always write to the hardware?

Sanford Rockowitz
GD.SAR@FORSYTHE.STANFORD.EDU