Real mode BIOS call in x86_64 Linux environment

I have an application which gets Video controller information using
VESA BIOS routines. It makes use of LRMI library for making real mode
BIOS call in x86_32 bit Linux machine.

Now, I need to port this application for x64 Linux. But, LRMI is
limited only to x86_32 enviornment. Is there any other equivalent
libarary for x64 porting ?

Thanks in advance,

Arun

smsabu2002@yahoo.com writes:
> I have an application which gets Video controller information using
> VESA BIOS routines. It makes use of LRMI library for making real mode
> BIOS call in x86_32 bit Linux machine.
>
> Now, I need to port this application for x64 Linux. But, LRMI is
> limited only to x86_32 enviornment. Is there any other equivalent
> libarary for x64 porting ?

The x86_64 'long mode' ('64bit') does not support 8086-emulation
(vm86).

On May 6, 9:25*am, smsabu2...@yahoo.com wrote:

> I have an application which gets Video controller information using
> VESA BIOS routines. It makes use of LRMI library for making real mode
> BIOS call in x86_32 bit Linux machine.
>
> Now, I need to port this application for x64 Linux. But, LRMI is
> limited only to x86_32 enviornment. Is there any other equivalent
> libarary for x64 porting ?

Could you be a bit more specific about what information you need and
what you need it for? It seems odd that a Linux application would want
this kind of information. Is this hardware auditing? Or are you trying
to control the video hardware directly?

DS

On May 6, 5:51*pm, David Schwartz <dav...@webmaster.com> wrote:
> On May 6, 9:25*am, smsabu2...@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> > I have an application which gets Video controller information using
> > VESA BIOS routines. It makes use of LRMI library for making real mode
> > BIOS call in x86_32 bit Linux machine.
>
> > Now, I need to port this application for x64 Linux. But, LRMI is
> > limited only to x86_32 enviornment. Is there any other equivalent
> > libarary for x64 porting ?
>
> Could you be a bit more specific about what information you need and
> what you need it for? It seems odd that a Linux application would want
> this kind of information. Is this hardware auditing? Or are you trying
> to control the video hardware directly?
>
> DS

The requirement is to collect video controller information using Video
BIOS VBE3 in x86_64 Linux OS. The Bios Interrupt routine 0x10 is meant
for Video system. Right now, my application uses LRMI library to make
BIOS routine call 0x10.
But this 32 bit application is failing in x86_64 while making call to
BIOS routine.

Hence, I have started porting the application to x86_64 machine. But,
I am struck up with finding LRMI equivalent in x86_64 platform.
Could you please help me.

Thanks a lot.

Arun

On May 6, 8:23*pm, smsabu2...@yahoo.com wrote:

> The requirement is to collect video controller information using Video
> BIOS VBE3 in x86_64 Linux OS.

I think this is quite close to impossible. Whatever your outer problem
is, there's almost certainly a better way to solve it. You should do
whatever you can to get the requirement fixed.

DS

David Schwartz <davids@webmaster.com> writes:
> On May 6, 8:23*pm, smsabu2...@yahoo.com wrote:
>> The requirement is to collect video controller information using Video
>> BIOS VBE3 in x86_64 Linux OS.
>
> I think this is quite close to impossible.

It is certainly 'possible', eg by disassembling the BIOS, determining
where it gets the information from and reimplementing the same
functionality without resorting to 'real-mode' softints.

smsabu2002@yahoo.com wrote:

> The requirement is to collect video controller information using Video
> BIOS VBE3 in x86_64 Linux OS. The Bios Interrupt routine 0x10 is meant
> for Video system. Right now, my application uses LRMI library to make
> BIOS routine call 0x10.

In the Phoenix bios "Video Service" are stored in system ram in segment
0x40. From 0x49 to 0x100 is the information I think you are wanting.

If so then google "Phoenix bios Technical Reference"

> But this 32 bit application is failing in x86_64 while making call to
> BIOS routine.
>
> Hence, I have started porting the application to x86_64 machine. But,
> I am struck up with finding LRMI equivalent in x86_64 platform.
> Could you please help me.
>
> Thanks a lot.
>
> Arun

HTH.
--
Best Regards:
Baron.

smsabu2002@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>I have an application which gets Video controller information using
>VESA BIOS routines. It makes use of LRMI library for making real mode
>BIOS call in x86_32 bit Linux machine.
>
>Now, I need to port this application for x64 Linux. But, LRMI is
>limited only to x86_32 enviornment. Is there any other equivalent
>libarary for x64 porting ?

XFree86 and X.Org solve this problem by including an x86 emulator, based on
dosemu. And yes, they actually execute VESA BIOS entry points on non-x86
processors using exactly this method.
--
Tim Roberts, timr@probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

On Tue, 06 May 2008 21:02:18 -0700, David Schwartz rearranged some
electrons to say:

> On May 6, 8:23Â*pm, smsabu2...@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>> The requirement is to collect video controller information using Video
>> BIOS VBE3 in x86_64 Linux OS.
>
> I think this is quite close to impossible. Whatever your outer problem
> is, there's almost certainly a better way to solve it. You should do
> whatever you can to get the requirement fixed.
>
> DS

Sounds like a homework problem to me.

david wrote:

> On Tue, 06 May 2008 21:02:18 -0700, David Schwartz rearranged some
> electrons to say:
>
>> On May 6, 8:23Â*pm, smsabu2...@yahoo.com wrote:
>>
>>> The requirement is to collect video controller information using Video
>>> BIOS VBE3 in x86_64 Linux OS.
>>
>> I think this is quite close to impossible. Whatever your outer problem
>> is, there's almost certainly a better way to solve it. You should do
>> whatever you can to get the requirement fixed.
>
> Sounds like a homework problem to me.

Considering that it was crossposted to three groups using Google Groups as a
newsreader, that the OP's intent is to simply read out low level video
hardware data, and that the OP uses a Yahoo throwaway e-mail address as the
poster's identity, the odds to that are indeed very big. ;-)

--
*Aragorn*
(registered GNU/Linux user #223157)