This article by a staff engineer in Intel’s Enterprise Platforms Group (EPG) introduces the Intel Platform Innovation Framework for the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), which is intended to provide an alternative to BIOS that will allow for faster booting, manageability, and additional features.
Introducing the Intel Platform Innovation Framework
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If I’m reading this correctly, it looks as if EFI could provide OS agnostic drivers which operate at a layer below where they do currently, the OS level. If so, this would be a major boon to all operating systems, as hardware support would no longer be an issue. This really seems like the sensible approach to me… one of the biggest barriers to writing your own OS has been the needless duplication of effort involved in hardware support. Eliminating this would allow OS developers to focus on the real issues, rather than wasting all their time writing drivers.
If I’m reading this correctly, it looks as if EFI could provide OS agnostic drivers which operate at a layer below where they do currently, the OS level.
I don’t believe so. I believe EFI’s drivers exist for the sole purpose of loading the operating system, after which the OS is on its own.
EFI has been in the works for at least six years. This is old news.
The news is the “Intel Platform Innovation Framework”, not EFI. Read carefully…
Is that a joke?
between this and OpenFirmware. Any good URL?
Is it just me, or does this sound awfully similar to OpenFirmware found on Macs and Sun computers?
Is it just me, or does this sound awfully similar to OpenFirmware found on Macs and Sun computers?
It would be foolish of Intel not to borrow design ideas from OpenFirmware, especially because it’s designed in part to serve as an OpenFirmware replacement…
How does this differ from the works of linuxbios team other than specific to Intel?
openfirmware uses forth as embedded code in drivers.. EFI uses a custom language, with custom compilers etc.
Intel _totally botched_ ACPI… which has a bytecode interpreter.. why should EFI be any better?
I dont think it will. OF is at least, a ratified IEEE standard.
Fear, Uncertainty, doubt grip our people
Intel is trying to set up things (computers) that WILL be compatible with WINBLOWS or its own OS
(thousands of eyes stare turged with fear!)