I’m trying to embed an option ROM (See: CH375_2.5K_v15_Ctrl.zip) into the BIOS (See: P386-AM3.zip) of a 386SX-based (actually an Ali M6117 SoC) laptop using AMIBCP Ver.7.00.B12 (Find it on the Vogons forums). However it is not loading no matter what module ID I use (and that’s if the BIOS still boots when the module is inserted - sometimes the first 50-100-ish bytes become a block of 0xFF instead of anything bootable).
I’ve tried having the module be un/compressed, various ‘user-defined’ module IDs, various other module IDs like ‘Virus’ (boot sector virus detection?), ‘Setup Client’, ‘ROM-ID’, etc. Also, I tried ‘PCI AddOn ROM’ which I’ve tried with random VID:DID combos that didn’t load the module, and with a VID:DID of 0:0 which caused the BIOS to not boot at all.
One thing I haven’t tried yet is patching out the card-present requirement for PCI option ROMs to load and simply using the ‘PCI AddOn ROM’ module ID. I haven’t tried it yet because I don’t know how to do it. If someone can point me to a guide on how to do it, that would be great (or if someone wants to do it for me, all the BIOS modules are extracted into p386-bios.zip and the whole BIOS is in P386-AM3.zip).
P386-AM3.zip (58.1 KB)
CH375_2.5K_v15_Ctrl.zip (1.7 KB)
p386-bios.zip (52.5 KB)
Edit by Fernando: Thread title shortened and customized
@wishindo
Are you sure, that your attached 64KB sized file named P386-AM3.rom contains the complete BIOS information? I have never seen such small sized BIOS file and don’t know how to get any Option ROM module inserted. Which tool (except any hex editor) did you use?
I have tried to open it by using the old non-UEFI AMI MMTool 3.26, but got a failure.
Maybe someone among our BIOS modding Gurus can help you - good luck!
P.S.:
I have shortened your chosen thread title and labeled it as a “Problem” report to clarify, that you neither offer a Guide nor expect to get an already modded BIOS.
If you do not agree with the new title, you can change it at any time by simply re-editing the start post.
“Are you sure, that your attached 64KB sized file named P386-AM3.rom contains the complete BIOS information? I have never seen such small sized BIOS file…”
The BIOS EEPROM is a 64KB part, although most of the modules I extracted were stored compressed in the BIOS.
“…and don’t know how to get any Option ROM module inserted. Which tool (except any hex editor) did you use?
I have tried to open it by using the old non-UEFI AMI MMTool 3.26, but got a failure.”
As I said, AMIBCP Ver.7.00.B12 procured from a Vogons forum thread. It has a sub-menu for module management and is what I used to extract the modules in p386-bios.zip. Is it okay to post a link to the thread?
@wishindo
Since you haven’t attached the original BIOS of your in-use Ali M6117 SoC laptop, I cannot help you.
If you are searching for a Guide about how to insert a natively not present Option ROM module into a non-UEFI AMI BIOS, you can find it >here<.
Good luck!
Attached to this post is the stock BIOS of the machine, prior to any customization with AMI BCP.
Attached to the OP, P386-AM3.zip is the BIOS after my custom config.
Also attached to OP, P386-BIOS.zip contains all the modules extracted from the BIOS in p386-am3. I’ll admit I could’ve been better with naming.
I’d post a link to the AMI BCP I used, but I’m not sure if its legal status, and whether a link here would get this forum into hot water…
Pocket386 Stock BIOS.BIN.zip (58.1 KB)
@wishindo
Obviously nobody among our BIOS modding Gurus was able to help you.
Until now I don’t even know the reason for your request. Why do you want to insert an ISA Option ROM into the extremely old “BIOS” named Pocket386 Stock BIOS.BIN? What do you want to get?
The Pocket 386 on its own only has its CF card as a valid boot device, so one either needs to setup the CF card on another machine or use the ISA expansion board plus floppy controller plus floppy drive (a real one or Gotek emulator) setup the CF on the P386 itself.
Alternatively, if I or someone else can successfully insert that module, one will be able to boot from the integrated USB storage controller (a CH375) which is much more convenient than a whole floppy disk setup and easier than setting up a VM on a modern machine.
Regarding linking the old version of AMI BCP, is the reason that it’s not been addressed as being allowed or not is you not being sure of its status yourself?
@wishindo
Any attachment or link to a tool, which has not been designed by its manufacturer for the public, is not allowed here.