LinuxBIOS with built in X server boots in eight seconds

[zekrahminator]

Recently, it seems like everyone is trying to make their computers boot as fast as possible. For a while, it looked like a flash-based drive would be the best way to do this, considering the 30-second boot time everyone with a Gigabyte iRam card claims to have. However, it seems like Linux is the best way to go for booting AQAP (As Quick As Possible). Since AMD released the BIOS for the Gigabyte M57SLI-S4, Linux lovers everywhere have tried to see how fast they can boot it. Somehow, a user has managed to fit a copy of Linux, a kernel, X server (with Matchbox window manager), and a program or two into the tiny 2Mb BIOS. The result? An incredible 8 second boot time.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Bastieeeh]

Booting into DOS will be faster => so why should I care about Linux then? ;-)

 

[Deleted member 3]

What exactly is keeping you from replacing the BIOS chip with an 8 Mbit version? Would create some extra space for the OS.

 

[Deleted member 3]

Booting into DOS will be faster => so why should I care about Linux then? ;-)

2 mbit = 256K
The BIOS itself is in that and the OS. There is no space for DOS, perhaps a rewritten (ie downsized) freedos could work.

 

[WarEagleAU]

That is an amazing time to boot! I mean, as soon as you turn on the pc in a blink of an eye or 3 its booted into the OS. I love that.

 

[Fragman]

Booting into DOS will be faster => so why should I care about Linux then? ;-)

They a booting into x server thats like windows GUI so its not into a console like DOS

 

[TheButcherNL]

30 seconds with a flashdrive??? Bit slow, I think.

When I dont use my RAID controller XP boots in 20 seconds here.

But 8 seconds would be nice though.

cya

 

[ktr]

30 seconds with a flashdrive??? Bit slow, I think.

When I dont use my RAID controller XP boots in 20 seconds here.

But 8 seconds would be nice though.

cya

to the moment you turn on you computer and the time all the average apps of window load with-in 30sec....that damn fast, it takes the average user 1-2 mins on a regular hdd.

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

to the moment you turn on you computer and the time all the average apps of window load with-in 30sec....that damn fast, it takes the average user 1-2 mins on a regular hdd.

My macbook pro boots in 30 seconds.. and yes, I've *timed* it.

Tho, 99% of pc's get crowded with startup apps, spyware, ETC.

I'm not completely impressed by a nice boot time, unless that speed remains throughout operation and multitasking.

THEN is it a true example of speed.

 

[ktr]

My macbook pro boots in 30 seconds.. and yes, I've *timed* it.

Tho, 99% of pc's get crowded with startup apps, spyware, ETC.

I'm not completely impressed by a nice boot time, unless that speed remains throughout operation and multitasking.

THEN is it a true example of speed.

i have used nlite and made a striped down version of XP w/o and service packs which takes around 30-40 mb of ram, it can load up withing 20 seconds on my machine...from comp off, to windows... the actual load is around 5-8 seconds. The the problem is that dont suspect much from it, it lack plenty of services to major things.

 

[Steevo]

They do seem to be talking about a power switch till ready to start using.



Our server takes longer to initialize the RAID 5 array than to boot. But at 3.8Ghz and a clean system? About 12 seconds after the array comes online it's ready.