Configuring settings of a computer system to be compatible with an operating system

• US 20050198484A1
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Cepulis, Darren J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

During a power-on sequence of a computer system, it is detected whether the computer system is connected over a first type of connection to a terminal. In response to detecting that the computer system is connected over the first type of connection to the terminal, settings of the computer system are configured to be compatible with a first type of operating system.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a computer system, comprising:

performing a power-on sequence;

during the power-on sequence, detecting whether the computer system is connected over a first type of connection to a terminal; and

in response to detecting that the computer system is connected over the first type of connection to the terminal, configuring settings of the computer system to be compatible with a first type of operating system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting whether the computer system is connected to the terminal over the first type of connection comprises detecting whether the computer system is connected over a serial link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting whether the computer system is connected to the terminal over the first type of connection comprises detecting whether the computer system is connected over a link to a VT100 terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the settings comprises configuring one or more of the following settings:

multiprocessor specification table mode, hot-plug resource usage, and memory configuration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the settings comprises configuring the settings to be compatible with a Linux operating system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the settings comprises configuring the settings to be compatible with a Unix operating system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the settings comprises configuring the settings to be compatible with a WINDOWS®

operating system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to detecting that the computer system is not connected over the first type of connection to the terminal, configuring the settings of the computer system to be compatible with a second, different type of operating system.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

loading the first type of operating system if the settings of the computer system are configured to be compatible with the first type of operating system; and

loading the second type of operating system if the settings are configured to be compatible with the second type of operating system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading the first type of operating system in the computer system.

11. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

an interface to be connected over a first type of connection to a terminal; and

a power-on routine executable on the processor to;

detect whether the interface is connected over the first type of connection to the terminal, and

in response to detecting that the interface is connected over the first type of connection to the terminal, configure settings in the computer system to be compatible with a first type of operating system.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the interface comprises a serial interface.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the interface is adapted to be connected over a link to a VT100 terminal.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the power-on routine comprises a basic input/output system (BIOS) routine.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the power-on routine is executable on the processor to configure settings of the computer system to be compatible with a second type of operating system in response to detecting that the interface is not connected over the first type of connection to the terminal.

16. An article comprising at least one storage medium containing instructions that when executed cause a computer system to:

detect whether the computer system is connected to a terminal over a first type of connection; and

in response to detecting that the computer system is connected to the terminal over the first type of connection, configure settings of the computer system to be compatible with a first type of operating system.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computer system to invoke a power-on routine to perform the detecting and configuring.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein invoking the power-on routine comprises invoking a basic input/output system (BIOS) routine.

19. The article of claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computer system to configure settings of the computer system to be compatible with a second, different type of operating system in response to detecting that the computer system is not connected to the terminal over the first type of connection.

20. A computer system comprising:

means for performing a power-on sequence;

means for detecting, during the power-on sequence, whether the computer system is connected over a first type of connection to a terminal; and

means for configuring settings of the computer system to be compatible with a first type of operating system in response to detecting that the computer system is connected over the first type of connection to the terminal,

the configuring means for configuring settings of the computer settings to be compatible with a second type of operating system in response to detecting that the computer system is not connected over the first type of connection to the terminal.