Subject: Re: Q: Compaq, *BSD and 'Linux-only' AlphaBIOS (fwd)
To: None <port-alpha@netbsd.org,>
From: Greg A. Woods <woods@most.weird.com>
List: port-alpha
Date: 12/05/1999 01:29:15
[ On Saturday, December 4, 1999 at 20:41:01 (-0800), Jason Thorpe wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: Q: Compaq, *BSD and 'Linux-only' AlphaBIOS (fwd) 
>
> Ah!  But it's not microcode!  :-)
> 
> It's written in the same instructions that you and I as appliation
> and kernel developers write code in, plus a few that can only be
> executed while in the PAL mode (PAL == Privileged Architecture Library;
> it runs in a separate privilege level even higher than kernel privilege).

Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou!  I've been brain-stuck on the thought that
"PAL" had something to do with programmable array logic!  Silly me!  ;-)

-- 
							Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098      VE3TCP      <gwoods@acm.org>      <robohack!woods>
Planix, Inc. <woods@planix.com>; Secrets of the Weird <woods@weird.com>