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Method and apparatus for booting a computer system without loading a device driver into memory

  • US 5,355,498 A
  • Filed: 08/30/1993
  • Issued: 10/11/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a computer system comprising a central processing unit (CPU), a boot device, a boot prom and a main memory, the CPU being coupled to the boot device, the boot prom and the memory, a method for booting said computer system to a root executable segment of an operating system without requiring loading of a device driver for the boot device into the main memory, said method comprising the steps of:

  • during system start up, giving to the CPU a start address of a bootstrap program residing in the boot prom;

    the CPU fetching an initial instruction of the bootstrap program from the start address and thereby beginning execution of the bootstrap program;

    the bootstrap program initializing a boot prom interface in said memory by setting a pointer in said boot prom interface to point to a device driver residing in said boot prom;

    the bootstrap program loading a boot program from said boot device into said memory using said device driver;

    the bootstrap program transferring control to said loaded boot program;

    said loaded boot program using said device driver pointed to by said pointer in said boot prom interface to load the root executable segment from said boot device into said memory, said boot program having a file subsystem reader interface for said root executable segment of said operating system to load other relocatable segments of said operating system; and

    said loaded boot program transferring control to said loaded root executable segment of said operating system, said root executable segment using said boot program to load said other relocatable segments until a root file subsystem and a root device driver is loaded.

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