Kalkin's specs: [link]


Definition of BIOS from:
techterms.com/definition/bios
Author: Per Christensson

BIOS

Stands for "Basic Input/Output System." Most people don't need to ever mess with the BIOS on a computer, but it can be helpful to know what it is. The BIOS is a program pre-installed on Windows-based computers (not on Macs) that the computer uses to start up. The CPU accesses the BIOS even before the operating system is loaded. The BIOS then checks all your hardware connections and locates all your devices. If everything is OK, the BIOS loads the operating system into the computer's memory and finishes the boot-up process.

Since the BIOS manages the hard drives, it can't reside on one, and since it is available before the computer boots up, it can't live in the RAM. So where can this amazing, yet elusive BIOS be found? It is actually located in the ROM (Read-Only Memory) of the computer. More specifically, it resides in an eraseable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) chip. So, as soon as you turn your computer on, the CPU accesses the EPROM and gives control to the BIOS.

The BIOS also is used after the computer has booted up. It acts as an intermediary between the CPU and the I/O (input/output) devices. Because of the BIOS, your programs and your operating system don't have to know exact details (like hardware addresses) about the I/O devices attached to your PC. When device details change, only the BIOS needs to be updated. You can make these changes by entering the BIOS when your system starts up. To access the BIOS, hold down the key as soon as your computer begins to start up.

Plug in the power cable (supplied with the computer).

Connect the computer to an external monitor using a DVI cable.
Note: There are two DVI ports. I may have to switch to the other one (only one was originally mentioned in the specification).

Plug in a USB mouse and a USB keyboard.

Let's see if we can get into the BIOS.

Press the power-on button.

It turns on, but nothing is displayed on the screen. Wait for 20 seconds.

Remove the DVI cable and insert it into the other DVI port.

Nothing is displayed.

No VGA port.

Pressing the power button again turns the computer off.

Turn the computer on again. This time, with the DVI cable inserted into the other port, text is displayed on the screen.

The displayed text changes a couple of times.

I'll use a smartphone mounted on a tripod to record a video of the displayed text.

Now I can transcribe from the video (paused at appropriate frames).

Comments within square brackets are not part of the transcription. Hyphens have been added to indicate sub-lists (the original text used indentation).



Frame 1: [very brief]



Frame 2:



Frame 3: [very brief, same as frame 1]

Frame 4:



Frame 5:


is replaced by


Frame 6:




Restart the computer. Hold the ESC key as it boots (note that I only know to do this because of the transcribed message in frame 1).

I arrive at this screen:




The option is highlighted.

Choose by pressing the down arrow and then pressing enter.

The option list is replaced with a table.

Here is a transcription of the table:



Press enter key. Return to option list.

Choose .

New list:



is selected.
Press enter. No response.
Try each item in sequence.
is selected. Press enter. System attempts to boot from CD/DVD drive.
Result:


Press the button on the computer to open the CD drive. No CD inside.


In the boot menu, these are the three general options:
1: CD/DVD Drive
2: Hard Drive
3: IBA GE Slot

No USB option, notably. Perhaps if I were to insert a bootable USB memory stick into a USB port, and reboot the machine, it would appear as an option under EFI Boot Sources. I have a vague recollection that EFI/UEFI is associated with booting from USB sticks.

I don't know what IBA GE Slot means.



Excerpt from:
www.britannica.com/technology/SATA
Contributors: William L. Hosch, Amy Tikkanen, Marco Sampaolo

SATA, in full serial advanced technology attachment, also called serial ATA , an interface for transferring data between a computer's central circuit board and storage devices. SATA was designed to replace the long-standing PATA (parallel ATA) interface.

Serial communication transfers data one bit at a time, rather than in several parallel streams. Despite the apparent advantage of the parallel model, in practice serial transmission is less susceptible to interference, allowing SATA to operate at significantly higher speeds than PATA. The serial model also allows for simpler and slimmer cabling.

[...]

PATA dates from the mid-1980s, and it was continually upgraded over subsequent decades until data-transfer rates reached an effective ceiling. Several separate industry working groups began developing SATA in 2000, ultimately consolidating the specification through the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO). The first SATA specifications were released in 2003. An iteration to support external devices, dubbed eSATA, was introduced in 2004.

Excerpt from:
www.pcguide.com/ref/cd/confATAPI-c.html
Author: Charles Kozierok

ATA Packet Interface (ATAPI) / IDE

The most common interface used in modern CD-ROM drives is the AT Attachment Packet Interface, more commonly called just ATAPI. This is a special protocol that was developed to allow devices like CD-ROM drives and tape drives to attach to regular IDE controllers normally used for hard disks.

Excerpt from:
www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/50811/sata

Serial ATA
The standard hardware interface for connecting hard drives, solid state drives (SSDs) and CD/DVD drives to the computer. Introduced in 2001, all computers for consumer use employ the SATA interface. However, for mission critical applications, servers and high-end workstations may use the SCSI serial interface instead.

eSATA and Powered eSATA
SATA drives are internal and cabled directly to the motherboard, while "eSATA" ports on the back of the computer accept external SATA drives. The "powered" version means the drive power comes from the port rather than the wall outlet.

SATA, PATA and IDE
SATA is the faster serial version of the parallel ATA (PATA) interface. Both SATA and PATA are "integrated drive electronics" (IDE) devices, which means the controller is in the drive, and only a simple circuit is required on the motherboard.

Excerpt from:
www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/index.htm
Author: Charles Kozierok

Integrated Drive Electronics / AT Attachment (IDE/ATA) Interface

The most popular interface used in modern hard disks--by far--is the one most commonly known as IDE. This interface is also known by a truly staggering variety of other names such as ATA, ATA/ATAPI, EIDE, ATA-2, Fast ATA, ATA-3, Ultra ATA, Ultra DMA and many more as well.

[...]

"IDE" is a misnomer [...] The "proper" name for the IDE interface is AT Attachment, or ATA.

Excerpt from:
superuser.com/questions/750364/what-is-this-boot-option

Q:

When I try to modify the BIOS boot sequence , I have this option:

Embedded Gb NIC1 IBA GE Slot 0638 v1300

To be honest, I have no idea what is it. Could someone highlights me, please ?

asked May 6 '14 at 14:02
user318055

A:

This is the network card in the machine.

PC hardware can boot from block devices (disks, optical media, usb drives) like you are used to, but can also boot using PXE across a network.

PXE uses DHCP to find a server it can boot from, and often uses TFTP to download the boot image.

This is a common way to boot Wyse and Citrix terminals that may have no internal storage.

answered May 6 '14 at 14:07
Paul

I'm fairly sure then that "IBA GE Slot 00C8 v1363" indicates the option to boot via ethernet network connection.



At this point, I decided to make a Centos bootable USB stick, which was complex enough to become a project by itself. [link]


Insert Centos stick in a USB port on Kalkin.

Press the power button. Hold the ESC key down as it boots.

In Startup Menu, choose Boot Menu (F9).

I see this screen:



Hm. The stick is a Toshiba stick. I'm surprised that it appears under , rather than .

is selected.
Press enter. No response.

Press the down arrow until is selected.
Press enter. "Automatic boot in 10 seconds" screen appears. The Centos splash screen is loaded (indicating Centos is booting) and, after automatic login, a Centos desktop is loaded.


Hm. Shut down the computer.

Press the power button to turn it on again. Hold the ESC key down as it boots.

In Startup Menu, choose System Information.

Press any key to go back to the Startup Menu.

Choose Boot Menu (F9).

I see:




I don't why HDS722020ALA330 RSD HUA wasn't shown the first time I was looking at the Boot Menu with the Centos stick inserted.

Choose HDS722020ALA330 RSD HUA and press enter.

Centos boots. Odd.



Shut down the computer. Remove Centos stick.

Press the power button to turn the computer on again. Hold the ESC key down as it boots.

In Startup Menu, choose Boot Menu (F9).

I see:




Choose HDS722020ALA330 RSD HUA and press enter.

Some messages, and then:


Press the power button to turn the computer off.

Hypothesis: After a boot-and-shutdown run with the Centos stick inserted, some admin information was created somewhere that a) meant that the hard disk HDS722020ALA330 RSD HUA was displayed again as an option in the Boot Menu and b) caused the command to boot from the hard disk to be redirected to booting from the Centos stick.

I'll stop there.