FireWire bootable hard drive

[cyberpunk]

I am looking to have a demo environment on an external hard drive. I
would need the ability to switch this environment between a few
different laptops. The solution can be either USB, or firewire, with
firewire preferred. First off, is this possible, second off, what are
the requirements, both hardware and software wise? Thanks for any
info.

Jim

 

[Slash]

I am looking to have a demo environment on an external hard drive. I
would need the ability to switch this environment between a few
different laptops. The solution can be either USB, or firewire, with
firewire preferred. First off, is this possible, second off, what are
the requirements, both hardware and software wise? Thanks for any
info.

Jim

As far as I know it's not possible to boot from Firewire (on a PC at
least?) but a USB2 enclosure will work nicely provided your BIOS
allows the option to boot from USB storage devices.

-Slash

 

[Arno Wagner]

On 10 Nov 2003 21:31:48 -0800, (e-mail address removed) (cyberpunk)
scribbled:

As far as I know it's not possible to boot from Firewire (on a PC at
least?) but a USB2 enclosure will work nicely provided your BIOS
allows the option to boot from USB storage devices.

Privided the BIOS supports boot from firewire, that is also
possible. Basically whatever the bios provides boot support
for can be booted from. I don't know whether any BIOS supports
boot from firewire at the moment, but there is no technical
reason that would prevent it.

Arno

 

[Alexander Grigoriev]

Only DOS would boot.

Windows currently doesn't support booting from USB (I suspect Windows 95 in
DOS compatible mode would boot, but you don't want it).
The problem is: USBSTOR/USB stack doesn't contain special functions to
properly map simulated device to ARC device name. BIOS just doesn't give the
necessary information, to allow the OS to find out what is real boot device.
And those drivers also don't contain special functions to support paging and
hibernation files (as well as crash dump save functions).

 

[Arno Wagner]

Only DOS would boot.

Actually I was thinking Linux....

Windows currently doesn't support booting from USB (I suspect Windows 95 in
DOS compatible mode would boot, but you don't want it).

True. The OS also has to support it.

The problem is: USBSTOR/USB stack doesn't contain special functions to
properly map simulated device to ARC device name. BIOS just doesn't give the
necessary information, to allow the OS to find out what is real boot device.
And those drivers also don't contain special functions to support paging and
hibernation files (as well as crash dump save functions).

If the OS needs that, yes, then it does not work.

Arno

 

[cyberpunk]

Thanks for all the info, but I am getting 2 different scenario. One
says it will boot if the BIOS supports it, the other says it won't
boot no matter what. So which is it, and given the scenario I
described what are my options, if any. Thanks.

 

[Rod Speed]

Thanks for all the info, but I am getting 2 different scenario.
One says it will boot if the BIOS supports it, the other says
it won't boot no matter what. So which is it, and given the
scenario I described what are my options, if any. Thanks.

They're saying it wont work for what you want to do
unless the demo environment is pure DOS or linux.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Actually I was thinking Linux....

Actually, you were thinking ... Amateur.

 

[J.Clarke]

On 11 Nov 2003 10:57:07 -0800

Thanks for all the info, but I am getting 2 different scenario. One
says it will boot if the BIOS supports it, the other says it won't
boot no matter what. So which is it, and given the scenario I
described what are my options, if any. Thanks.

2 pieces are needed, the boot loader in the BIOS and the device driver
in Windows. If the pieces are in place to let the drive function as an
INT13 device then Windows 98 and earlier should be able to access it
through the BIOS. Windows NT, 2000, XP, and later are not designed to
operate in that fashion--they _must_ have a device driver installed. IF
you have the necessary device driver then you should be able to install
it and run.

So the real answer is a definite maybe. You need to go through the
documentation for your Firewire interface carefully.

 

[shockwaveriderz]

cyberpunk:
there are bioses that allow boot from usb devices and perhaps even a
firewire device...unfortunately xp does not support boot from either device
even if the bios allows it....
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwdev/bus/usb/usb-boot.mspx

shockie B)

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

eric:
true:
but as j.clark posted,

there must be a firewire int13H driver support

That is what bios- or boot support means.

 

[Eric Gisin]

Microsoft supports installing and booting on Firewire on Win 2K&XP.

All you need is a mainboard with Firewire boot suppport.

| cyberpunk:
| there are bioses that allow boot from usb devices and perhaps even a
| firewire device...unfortunately xp does not support boot from either device
| even if the bios allows it....
| http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwdev/bus/usb/usb-boot.mspx
|
| shockie B)
|
| | > Thanks for all the info, but I am getting 2 different scenario. One
| > says it will boot if the BIOS supports it, the other says it won't
| > boot no matter what. So which is it, and given the scenario I
| > described what are my options, if any. Thanks.
| >

 

[shockwaveriderz]

eric:
true:
but as j.clark posted, there must be a firewire int13H driver support in
addition to the firewire bios boot support:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techenthusiast/features/ieee1394.asp

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;244919&Product=win2000

Windows 2000 Setup always uses the "multi()" syntax in the Boot.ini file
when it is installed on a disk attached to an IEEE 1394 controller. If the
drive or partition you selected during Setup exceeds 7.8 gigabytes (GB) in
size, the IEEE 1394 controller must support and have (BIOS) INT-13
Extensions enabled.



shockie B)

 

[Eric Gisin]

You don't know what you're talking about. If you have a Firewire BIOS, you
have Int13 and extentions.


| but as j.clark posted, there must be a firewire int13H driver support in
| addition to the firewire bios boot support:
| http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techenthusiast/features/ieee1394.asp
|
|
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;244919&Product=win2000
|
| Windows 2000 Setup always uses the "multi()" syntax in the Boot.ini file
| when it is installed on a disk attached to an IEEE 1394 controller. If the
| drive or partition you selected during Setup exceeds 7.8 gigabytes (GB) in
| size, the IEEE 1394 controller must support and have (BIOS) INT-13
| Extensions enabled.
|