Syslinux - Sep 2007 - help I need an odd feature does syslinux have it

Hello everyone

I need a very odd feature. I'm working on a project to wipe 12 
harddrives at a time. The pci cards I bought for more ide channels are 
super cheap. They use the vt6410 via chip. In linux there is support to 
use this chip as a regular ide controller. Here's the problem, these 
card have no bios code of there own on the pci. You can either load the 
chips rom file thru the computers bios or load it under your os. I know 
how to load firmware under linux for wireless cards but no luck on 
finding a way to do this for my pci card. Anyway...I tried adding the 
rom to the bios. It would have work if there was enough space left in 
the bios compressed image. I didn't see anything that could be stripped 
out to allow me the extra space...bummer. Here's the question. I'm 
already using syslinux/isolinux to boot my os is there a .c32 or 
whatever that would allow me to push the pci's firmware before executing 
my linux kernel? Is this even possible? After googling around all I 
found for help was based on fixing this through bios rom add ons. I hope 
someone has an idea. I have 10 of these cards and I'd prefer not to 
waste them. Thanks for any help anyone might have for me.

Ryan Mc.

Ryan McDowell wrote:
> Hello everyone
> 
> I need a very odd feature. I'm working on a project to wipe 12 
> harddrives at a time. The pci cards I bought for more ide channels are 
> super cheap. They use the vt6410 via chip. In linux there is support to 
> use this chip as a regular ide controller. Here's the problem, these 
> card have no bios code of there own on the pci. You can either load the 
> chips rom file thru the computers bios or load it under your os.
Which linux kernel version are you using?
Where did you find information on the "loading firmware under your os"
requirement?
> I know how to load firmware under linux for wireless cards but no luck on 
> finding a way to do this for my pci card. Anyway...I tried adding the 
> rom to the bios. It would have work if there was enough space left in 
> the bios compressed image. I didn't see anything that could be stripped
> out to allow me the extra space...bummer. Here's the question. I'm 
> already using syslinux/isolinux to boot my os is there a .c32 or 
> whatever that would allow me to push the pci's firmware before
executing
> my linux kernel? Is this even possible? After googling around all I 
> found for help was based on fixing this through bios rom add ons. I hope 
> someone has an idea. I have 10 of these cards and I'd prefer not to 
> waste them. Thanks for any help anyone might have for me.
> 
> Ryan Mc.
> 
I wonder, if it's really required to load the firmware under Linux ...
Do you have
--> Device Drivers
     --> Serial ATA (prod) and Parallel ATA (experimental) drivers
         --> VIA PATA support
compiled into your (2.6.22) kernel?

Sorry, if these are stupid questions.

Axel