Re: Support for serial console on legacy free machines

[Khalid Aziz]

Rik van Riel wrote:
> 
> On Thu, 26 Jul 2001, Khalid Aziz wrote:
> 
> > serial console. The bummer is this table was designed by Microsoft and
> > Microsoft owns the copyright on it. Microsoft primarily designed this
> 
> Microsoft owns the copyright on that particular document.
> 
> If I were to give you an mp3 with descriptions of what
> various bits to poke at you'd be free to do whatever you
> want with that info ;)
> 
> In fact, I suspect you're already free to do whatever
> you want with the info contained in the document...
> 

You are possibly right. It would be better to use SPCR as opposed to
another equivalent table since every vendor is extremely likely to
include SPCR in their ACPI implementation in the firmware since
Microsoft would require it, which may not be the case with another
table. If everyone feels there is no problem with using SPCR as it is,
then I can release the code I have already done to support it. One thing
I should point out is since Microsoft owns the definition for SPCR (same
applies to DBGP which defines a Debug serial port), they can easily
change the defitnition of the table and Linux will have to play catch
up, although that situation would be nothing new. 

Here is an excerpt from the disclaimer in the table description document
for anyone interested:

"Disclaimer: The information contained in this document represents the
current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of  the
date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market
conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on  the part
of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any
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Khalid Aziz                              Linux Systems Operation R&D
[phone]                                        Hewlett-Packard
[e-mail]                                    Fort Collins, CO