Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!nih-csl!lhc!ncifcrf!haven!udel!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!ira.uka.de!fauern!lan!rommel
From: rommel@lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de (Kai-Uwe Rommel)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Re: keyboard problems, IDE drives, VGA BIOS
Message-ID: <5115@tuminfo1.lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de>
Date: 27 Oct 90 09:29:25 GMT
References: <1990Oct25.042016.24320@morrow.stanford.edu>
Sender: news@lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de
Reply-To: rommel@lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de (Kai-Uwe Rommel)
Organization: Inst. fuer Informatik, TU Muenchen, W. Germany
Lines: 34

In article <1990Oct25.042016.24320@morrow.stanford.edu> GD.SAR@forsythe.stanford.edu (Sandy Rockowitz) writes:
>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.

No, my experience was that it is ONLY OS/2's fault if some keyboards
don't work. XR4053 of OS/2 1.2 from IBM now works even with old K8
keyboard controllers on AMI boards (like mine). My keyboard now ALWAYS
and under all circumstances (and with all keys) works - the same
keyboard and keyboard controller that did not even boot the install disk
of a previos revision level of IBM OS/2 1.2.

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

OS/2 always writes to the hardware (well, it uses screen0?.sys to access
it or basedd0?.sys with 1.2). And the PM driver probably also does so as
the VGA BIOS is real mode code and accesses the BIOS memory area at
40:00 which, of course, is N/A under OS/2 protected mode.

Kai Uwe Rommel

--
/* Kai Uwe Rommel
 * Munich
 * rommel@lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de
 */