directions on how to build rom

[acislak]

Hi,
this is my first post First of all I would like to thank You Elmar for great work! Keep it up!

Now, do you think you could give me and other  users some advice on how to build a (custom) rom image of plop bootmanager? It's supposed to be  a replacement for original bootrom installed on my NIC's eeprom. Not a BIOS module! My asus mobo BIOS is 'unmodable' I know (at least I think so how to create a template for pci addon card rom. I've followed these instructions:
http://www.rebelshavenforum.com/sis-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=52;t=000063

But how do I get from generating this 'template' to make it usable? This is my Realtek 8139 template:
http://acislak.ovh.org/pci_RTL8139.BIN

I tried copying and pasting plpbt.bin directly to my pci addon card template using hex editor, but it didn't work? How am I supposed to go about it?

Another solution would be modding of gpxe bootrom code (It's simple to generate it via http://rom-o-matic.net/). Any thoughts, suggestions?

Any help would be much appreciated

Best regards
Arek

[Elmar]

hi,
i will make a test version for you. if it works, then will provide a small tool the generate the isa and pci rom.

but first of all you have to grab your rom from the network card and send me the file as private message

regards
elmar

[Elmar]

ok, here is a test version of the pci rom
http://download.plop.at/files/tmp/plpbt-pci.rom

please test it


regards
elmar

[acislak]

Hi,
I tested this rom succesfully with VirtualBox PCnet-FAST III NIC (Am79C973) (PCI ID 1022:2000) and Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop (NAT) (also a virtual NIC). Is it NIC specific? Doesn't seem to be. I cannot test it with a real hardware right now, cause it's a bit of a hassle (hotflashing etc.) But I think there's a good chance it'll work with other NICs as well. I'll report the results later.

Could you provide some tool to configure it? I would like to flash it with my settings.

Regards

[acislak]

One more thing.
I've noticed that the bootmanager in this rom file doesn't show any partitions available to boot!

Regards

[Elmar]

it should display all partitions of the harddisks that the bios provides. i tested it with qemu and i have seen all partitions

[Elmar]

hi,
today i wrote and released the first version to create an option rom (isa and pci) by yourself.

instructions see here http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html#plprom

regards
elmar

[Golffies]

The RHCF used to be a first class resource with regard to BIOS modding and flashing, providing lot of advices and BIOS customization tools to be downloaded. Sadly, the forum does not exist any more. Its knowledge is gone, but some of the tools are still available at the domain <lejabeach.com>, which the forum used to make its main binaries repository. For instance:

http://www.lejabeach.com/CBROM.html
http://www.lejabeach.com/Modbin6.html


Thanks to Google, it is possible to retrieve a few more direct downloads whose hyperlinks vanished:

https://www.lejabeach.com/sisubb/Practical_BIOS_Editing.pdf
https://www.lejabeach.com/sisubb/modbin62.04.03.zip
https://www.lejabeach.com/sisubb/cbrom32_198.zip
https://www.lejabeach.com/sisubb/awdbedit-1.02.zip

There might be other file of interest. Unfortunately, the folder is setup for not displaying its content: either you know (or guess) the full URL, either you stay out.

Hope this may help you to push Plop into the BIOS of your machine.

I've followed these instructions:
http://www.rebelshavenforum.com/sis-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=52;t=000063