Bootstrap question

[wase4711]

What does your "bootstrap" version indidcate?

Thanks!

 

[tnsprin]

What does your "bootstrap" version indidcate?

Thanks!

Bootstraps are some of the code that enables your machine to start loading the rest of the code off the disk. In the past often very small amounts of code. The IBM 360 and later mainframes (IPL'd) 24 bytes (starting address(psw), and two io (ccw) commands), which then read a bootstrap program which then did the rest. These days the Bootstrap program is usally larger and not on the disk. Subtle changes are made to these boostrap programs over time, usually because of hardware changes, and very rarely because of bugs found.

 

[wase4711]

so the version number of your bootstrap never changes when firmware or software updates occur?

 

[tnsprin]

so the version number of your bootstrap never changes when firmware or software updates occur?

Generally its safer to not be able to update the bootstrap. But I have heard of some devices that have put it in firmware such as eeprom, and so could be updated. Not sure how dish implemented their's.

 

[Smith P.]

Yes, Dish has been update bootstraps on rare occasions.