Please add @spark2k06's alternative branch changes to the main Repo.

[explit7]

Hello @skiselev ! Again thank you very much for your work and the new changes. I try to ask again, if it would be possible to add @spark2k06 alternative branch

https://github.com/spark2k06/8088_bios/tree/alternative

somehow to the main repo.

As i know, @spark2k06 is working on other projects at the moment and has no time, to maintain his alternative repo. So atm. on every your update, @skiselev i need every time to add sparks changes in the main code.

The changes i would like to see in the main repo are:

• Initial delay before BIOS starts, to allow time for some ISA cards to be initialized (#define INIT_DELAY in config.inc)
• POST code visualization in debug mode (#define DEBUG in config.inc)
• The Intel Inside tune is moved until just before the video card initializes.
• Short beep once the video card has been initialized, and prior to the copyright message.
• OPL Sound Card detection
• In addition to identifying the type of card installed in the equipment, if it is available on port 388h, the Intel Inside symphony will play through it instead of through the PC-Speaker.

Maybe its possible to create additional branch in your repo @skiselev, if you don't want to have all this changes in the main code.

Thank you very much!

Pawel aka explit7

[skiselev]

Hi Pawel,

I haven't yet merged most of these changes because I don't believe they are necessary or useful. You'll need to provide a good justification for each one of these changes.

Here are my thoughts and questions:

• Time delay before BIOS starts
  • What cards are affected by it? Is that only OPL2?
  • Perhaps there are other ways to detect these cards without adding a delay, as adding delays during the boot is not a good thing
• POST code visualization in debug mode
  • I don't really understand the point of this, other than being an "eye candy" (or just copying the behavior of more modern Intel BIOSes). The 8088 BIOS goes through most of the POST codes before initializing video. Once video is initialized, it can actually print user readable status/error messages (if any need to be printed). If you know about particular POST codes that are shown after video is initialized, and are useful for the troubleshooting, perhaps we just need to add more diagnostic messages?
• The tune and OPL2 related changes:
  • The original intention of playing the tune was testing the PIT and the speaker
  • It is also a very good indicator of a basic motherboard functionality (aka the "smoke test"): It shows that the CPU, the chipset (or the XT board logic), the BIOS ROM, and the lower RAM are functional. If it is moved to the later stage, the PIT/speaker won't be tested until later (potentially causing other failures down the line), also if the system is mostly functional, but say keyboard controller is faulty, it won't be playing at all, leaving users wondering about the nature of the problems they have.
  • Yes, the tune played through the OPL2 sounds much nicer. But it doesn't achieve the initial requirement of testing the PIT and the speaker (we could consider/test playing it through both devices?!)
  • Other that playing the tune through the OPL2, I don't understand the reason for OPL2 detection. It is not an essential component. There is other software that can be run later from DOS and would test the OPL2. Also, if we detect OPL2, why wouldn't we detect other hardware? Sound Blasters? Network Cards? And so on

Thanks, Sergey

[TzOk83]

You got my vote AGAINST OPL2 support in BIOS. I see absolutely no point in that. For me even the Intel Inside tune is annoying. There is a great tool for supporting Sound Cards in DOS - Unisound.

[explit7]

Understandable, @skiselev Thanks for figuring it out. Maybe an Option would be to create BIOS Option, where you can setup how the startup tune should be played: Thru speaker, thru OPL card, or disable it at all. All other points and arguments you mentioned make really sense.

The default state should be of course playing thru speaker to test the functionality. But an option to disable it, or play thru OPL (or both, as you mention), or disable it should be an BIOS option.

[spark2k06]

Thanks, in the end this fork is a personal alternative. I've taken the opportunity to update it, taking into account some of Sergey's comments, the changes are as follows:

• Version 1.0.0a (Alternative version by spark2K06)
  • PIT/speaker test moves to the original location, but only 3 different tones instead of Intel tune, which stays in place, just before video initialisation.
  • Remove optional delay, as these 3 initial tones replace it.

I am sure that Sergey will use for his main branch those changes that he finds interesting in relation to my proposals, as he has done before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQsEW73hpU8

Regards,

Aitor.

[explit7]

Thanks @spark2k06 !

[explit7]

@spark2k06 Could you please, update your alternative branch with the latest commits of the new @skiselev latest 1.0.0 branch?

I know, i bother you both guys, but all i want is

• Proper Sound Card Detection in Micro8088 BIOS
• Playing Intel Tune from the Sound card Speakers, when the Soundcard (OPL or SoundBlaster) is detected.
• Maybe it could be implemented as a BIOS setting

Thanks for your work.

[spark2k06]

@explit7, untested, but would already be merged:

https://github.com/spark2k06/8088_bios/tree/alternative/binaries

[explit7]

Thank you @spark2k06 !