loader

QNX Newsgroups (Archives) qdn.public.qnx4
1

Does QNX4 operate hardware directly? doesn’t it need BIOS assistance?
on X86 platform, what should initialization routine do? where to find source
code?
how to write Inital Program Loader?

thanks

Richard

2

“Richard” <zengt@jinglun.com.cn> wrote in message
news:8to4bf$r17$2@inn.qnx.com…

Does QNX4 operate hardware directly?

Yes it does

doesn’t it need BIOS assistance?

QNX4 relies on the BIOS to initialise the hardware: chipset, HD, etc.

on X86 platform, what should initialization routine do?

I beleive most of the QNX4 init related stuff is done by the
program call “boot”. That program is located in .boot file.
One of the think is does is switch from real to protected mode (
or maybe I got it backward…)

where to find source code?

donno

how to write Inital Program Loader?

This information is unfortunately not made public anymore.
There was a kit made available around 2 years ago but
it was taken out of circulation. You must contact
the embedded group at QSSL to get one written, or
ask the few consultant that still have the kit.


thanks

Richard

3

Your best bet here is to contact a contractor. This part of the QNX operation
is not very well defined and takes some learning. Look at who answers your
questions, someone answering might be a good contractor that you could use. I’m
not a contractor!

John P.

Richard wrote:

Does QNX4 operate hardware directly? doesn’t it need BIOS assistance?
on X86 platform, what should initialization routine do? where to find source
code?
how to write Inital Program Loader?

thanks

Richard

4

Mario Charest <mcharest@zinformatic.com> wrote:

“Richard” <> zengt@jinglun.com.cn> > wrote in message
news:8to4bf$r17$> 2@inn.qnx.com> …
Does QNX4 operate hardware directly?

on X86 platform, what should initialization routine do?

I beleive most of the QNX4 init related stuff is done by the
program call “boot”. That program is located in .boot file.
One of the think is does is switch from real to protected mode (
or maybe I got it backward…)

Got it the right way round… BIOS runs in real mode, QNX switches
it to protected mode. This actually happens, I think, at the
start of Proc/Kernel operating, rather than in the setup.

-David