Can linux kernel boot from parallel port device?

Can linux kernel boot from parallel port device?

[Barry Wu]

Hi, all, I want to boot linux kernel directly from
mainboard rom
or flash, but the rom on mainboard is small and it
contains BIOS in it. 
Therefore I want to boot kernel from parallel port. I
can put linux
kernel on parallel storage. Is it possible to boot
linux kernel from
parallel port? If so, how to modify the kernel? If
someone knows,
please help me.
 
Barry

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Re: Can linux kernel boot from parallel port device?

[Stephane Jourdois]

On Tue, Oct 16, 2001 at 05:20:40PM -0700, Barry Wu wrote:
> Hi, all, I want to boot linux  kernel  directly from mainboard rom or flash,
> but the rom on mainboard is small  and  it  contains BIOS in it. Therefore I
> want to boot kernel from parallel port.  I  can put linux kernel on parallel
> storage. Is it possible to boot linux kernel  from parallel port? If so, how
> to modify the kernel? If someone knows, please help me.

IMHO if you don't have an option in your BIOS to boot on a parallel
device, that won't be possible. The problem is not the kernel or any OS
itself, but your BIOS that won't be able to jump to runnable code.
Usually, your BIOS looks for a MBR on the selected device. If that
device isn't recognised by the BIOS itself, of course it won't find any
Operating System.

Perhaps there is another solution, but much difficult :
If grub or any loader is able to recognize your parallel device, it will
be able to boot on it. But that requires a hard disk or at least a
floppy drive, and a modified version of grub or any loader.

Bye,

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