Messages in this thread | | | Date | Sat, 9 Mar 1996 09:38:15 +0100 (MET) | From | Andreas Kostyrka <> | Subject | Re: Blind-access patch for Linux 1.3.x |
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On Thu, 7 Mar 1996, Albert Cahalan wrote:
> > > > I'm the most uncomfortable with the changes to the bootsector. We only > > have so many configuration bytes available, and using a full byte for > > the blind option seems to not be the best use of that resource. > > > > Question: is it really critical that all of the hardware probe messages > > always be accessible via the blind-mode console? How about this as a > > proposal: > > > > All kernels will have support for turning on/off "blind mode" via the > > escape sequences. Init will recognize the kernel command line argument > > "blind=1", and if it sees it, it will send the escape sequence to all of > > the console. A blind person who wishes to see the boot messages gets > > Linux running using the above procedure, and then recompiles a kernel > > whose default mode is "blind mode on". That will allow the blind person > > to see the hardware probing boot messages. > > This is not good enough because it is not possible to > know what went wrong during an install. > > The problem is that this stuff must go in the boot sector. Why must it go in the boot sector? What about cmdline flag ``blind=1'' that is interpreted as one of the first things in the kernel? So you don't loose to much infos, and still don't need a byte in the boot sector. Or have I overlooked something? (I know, this works only with LILO type boot disks, but then, blinds can only access PC's with Brailleterminals, so we just add one requirement en plus: Don't use raw zImage disks :( )
Andreas -- Andreas Kostyrka Email: andreas@medman.ag.or.at Fax: +43/1/7070750 Tel: +43/1/7077571, +43/664/3020166 (cellular) Copyright 1996 Andreas Kostyrka. Microsoft Network is prohibited from redistributing this work in any form, in whole or in part.
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