Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!cbmvax!andy
From: andy@cbmvax.UUCP (Andy Finkel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Autoconfig for expansions
Message-ID: <3375@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 26 Feb 88 14:15:46 GMT
References: <1408@sugar.UUCP> <507@xicom.UUCP> <2507@tekig4.TEK.COM> <985@sbcs.sunysb.edu>
Reply-To: andy@cbmvax.UUCP (Andy Finkel)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 31
Keywords: autoconfig hobby

In article <985@sbcs.sunysb.edu> root@sbcs.sunysb.edu (SBCS Systems Staff) writes:
>In article <2507@tekig4.TEK.COM>, brianr@tekig4.TEK.COM (Brian Rhodefer) writes:
>> peripherals".  This wonder would include (or perhaps consist of)
>> a battery-backed CMOS RAM or EEPROM to hold autoconfig code
>
>	I had proposed this same idea to folks out at Los Gatos - they
>	didn't like it too much.  At Ameristar, we wanted to use the idea
>	to provide a user configurable network boot for the Amiga.  I 
>	personally feel that the idea has a lot of merit - perhaps enough
>	that CA should provide a largish EEPROM on the next cut machine.

That last line was the part they didn't like too much, I bet :-)

>	This way, each vendor that wants autoboot, etc would provide an
>	EEPROM'able driver that could be loaded at user discretion into
>	the machine.  8K EEPROM's are pretty cheap in volume these days..

Not only for cost reasons (every has to pay for it) but I can see fights
over who gets to live where in the EEPROM.  Lots of protocols to be worked
out.  Lots of protocols for companies to ignore.  Better to put
the EEPROM on the board that wants to autoboot.  But wait!  ROMs are
still less expensive...

-- 
andy finkel		{ihnp4|seismo|allegra}!cbmvax!andy 
Commodore-Amiga, Inc.

"Never test for an error condition you don't know how to handle."
		
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