[HN Gopher] Boot legacy PCs from NVMe storage
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       Boot legacy PCs from NVMe storage
        
       Author : wmlive
       Score  : 37 points
       Date   : 2023-10-31 11:07 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (github.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
        
       | wmlive wrote:
       | >>This project allows old x86 computers using a classic BIOS to
       | boot from modern NVMe storage attached via PCI(e). It's a heavily
       | modified version of iPXE (which usually allows for booting from
       | the network), but instead of the network, this code uses a port
       | of the SeaBIOS NVMe implementation to talk to a local NVMe
       | drive.<<
        
       | icu wrote:
       | You can do this with Linux easily as long as your bios allows you
       | to boot from USB. Just put /boot on the USB and everything else
       | on the NVMe (via PCI Express to NVMe card). This trick has
       | allowed me to save several old PCs and use them as home servers
       | and for my home lab.
        
       | dmw_ng wrote:
       | More interested in how the PCIe breakout board being used works..
       | is there some kind of bridge to a mini PCI slot?
        
         | rzzzt wrote:
         | The "classic" ones have a small adapter inside the computer
         | case (this can be ExpressCard, a mini PCIe or an M.2 plug).
         | They'll use either HDMI or USB 3 connectors and cabling as
         | these can maintain reasonable signal integrity; this plugs in
         | to the regular sized PCIe slot on the outside. There's also a
         | barrel jack and/or a PCIe PSU connector on them for power.
         | 
         | I don't think there's any smartness hiding inside of these, the
         | connector and number of conductors will limit you to a x2 or x4
         | connection anyways.
        
       | RulerOf wrote:
       | This is a really interesting approach, as embedding into an
       | option ROM means you could potentially flash it into a modded
       | BIOS.
       | 
       | My preferred method to boot NVMe on a legacy system though is to
       | boot tianocore UEFI with an NVME module in it[1]. This is a UEFI
       | firmware that you can chainload from a legacy bios. Extremely
       | good compatibility this way, and a great option for any system
       | with an unused usb header.
       | 
       | 1: https://winraid.level1techs.com/t/guide-nvme-boot-for-
       | system...
        
         | undersuit wrote:
         | I knew that you could boot an "EFI bios" from experience with
         | rEFIt from my time as a Mac Admin, so when I got my rEFInd USB
         | drive working with a NVME drive on a pci-e adapter I was
         | ecstatic until a month later when the USB drive failed and I
         | forgot everything I had done.
         | 
         | Make backups of that USB drive or yeah it would be super cool
         | if you could leverage the bios chip on a motherboard.
        
       | userbinator wrote:
       | Looks like an interesting project, but upon seeing that
       | screenshot and this...
       | 
       |  _It 's a heavily modified version of iPXE (which usually allows
       | for booting from the network), but instead of the network, this
       | code uses a port of the SeaBIOS NVMe implementation to talk to a
       | local NVMe drive._
       | 
       | I can't help but feel like that's a very roundabout way of doing
       | it (especially the fact that it seems to be manual?); after all,
       | the BIOS Boot Specification exists and it's what lets PCs boot
       | from things like SCSI and other block devices.
        
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       (page generated 2023-11-01 23:00 UTC)