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https://github.com/86Box/bios-tools.git
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104 lines
5.5 KiB
Markdown
104 lines
5.5 KiB
Markdown
86Box BIOS Tools
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A toolkit for extracting and analyzing x86 BIOS ROM images (mostly) within the context of the 86Box project.
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## Test drive
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**86Bot** on the [86Box Discord](https://86box.net/#social) has a BIOS analysis feature which uses BIOS Tools behind the scenes. Go to the `#bot-spam` channel and use the `!bios` command with an attached file or an URL. Other commands which work the same way and also leverage these tools are `!acpi` for extracting and decompiling ACPI tables, and `!epa` for extracting logo images.
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## System requirements
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* **Linux**. Unfortunately, we rely on tools which contain non-portable code and generate filenames that are invalid for Windows, as well as GNU-specific extensions to shell commands. For Windows users, WSL potentially works.
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* **Python 3.5** or newer.
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* **Standard gcc toolchain** for building the essential `bios_extract` tool.
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* **7-Zip** command line utility installed as `7z`.
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## Installation
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1. Clone this repository.
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2. Build the `bios_extract` tool:
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```
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cd bios_extract
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make
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cd ..
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```
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3. Download the `UEFIExtract` tool from its [GitHub repository](https://github.com/LongSoft/UEFITool/releases) and place its executable on the repository's root directory. Prebuilt versions are only available for `x86_64`, but this tool is optional, and only required for UEFI extraction.
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4. Optionally install a dependency required for BIOS logo extraction:
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```
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pip install -r requirements.txt
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```
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## Usage
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1. Create a destination directory, which will be called `roms` here.
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2. Create a `1` directory within `roms`.
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3. Place BIOS ROM images, archives, disk images, flasher executables and what have you in the `1` directory. Subdirectories will also be checked. **These files will be deleted during the extraction process.**
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4. Run the extractor, pointing it to the directory created in step 1:
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```
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python3 -m biostools -x roms
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```
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5. The extracted file structure will be located in `roms/0`. Individual files are extracted to directories named after the original file's name followed by `:`.
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6. Run the analyzer, pointing it to the `0` directory and redirecting its output to a `bioslist.csv` file:
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```
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python3 -m biostools -a roms/0 | tee bioslist.csv
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```
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7. Import the resulting `bioslist.csv` file to Excel, or do whatever else you want to do with it. Other output formats can be selected through arguments to `-a`; run `python3 -m biostools` to see a full list of supported arguments.
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## Extraction notes
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* Many common file types known not to be useful, such as images, PDFs, Office documents and hardware information tool reports, are automatically discarded.
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* Interleaved ROMs are merged through a heuristic filename and string detection, which may lead to incorrect merging if the chunks to different interleaved ROMs are present in the same directory.
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* The FAT filesystem extractor relies on assumptions which may not hold true for all disk images.
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* EPA (Award) and PCX (AMI) images are automatically converted to PNG if the aforementioned optional dependency is installed.
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* Some Intel motherboard BIOSes (particularly from the AMIBIOS 6 era) will not be extracted properly due to a different address line inversion mechanism. This is a known issue with the Intel update format concatenator which may eventually be solved.
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* Extraction of the following BIOS distribution formats is **not implemented** due to the use of unknown compression methods:
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* Evergreen `.ETI` (an ugly hack exists)
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* IBM Sydex floppy self-extractor (it looks like CopyQM RLE but isn't)
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* ICL `.LDB`
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## Analysis notes
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### AMI
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* **Pre-Color** (1990 and older) BIOSes have a dynamically-generated string that is not easily extractable; the analyzer will attempt to reconstruct it around the limited data contained in the ROM in a best-effort basis.
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* The string on **UEFI** is a hidden string located within the AMIBIOS 8-based Compatibility Support Module (CSM). A missing string may indicate a lack of CSM.
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### Award
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* The core version can be followed by `(Phoenix)` on BIOSes which identify as **Phoenix AwardBIOS**, or `(Workstation)` on ones which identify as **Award WorkstationBIOS**.
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* OEM modifications which interfere with detection: **Sukjung** (string)
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### IBM
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* The FRU codes contained in PC or PS/2 ROMs are interpreted as the string.
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### Phoenix
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* Identification is **not perfect**, as the location of identification data varies from version to version, and a lot of OEMs mess with it.
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* Phoenix has no concept of a string. Any date or time found in the BIOS is interpreted as the string.
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## Add-on reference
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Depending on the contents of each BIOS, the following tags may be displayed on the analyzer output's "Add-ons" column:
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* **ACPI**: Appears to contain an ACPI table. Does not necessarily indicate ACPI actually works.
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* **Adaptec**: Adaptec ISA or PCI SCSI option ROM.
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* **NCR3/4**: NCR PCI SCSI option ROM with SDMS version 3 or 4 (respectively).
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* **PXE**: PXE-compliant network boot ROM, usually associated with on-board Ethernet.
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* **RPL**: Novell NetWare RPL-compliant network boot ROM, usually associated with on-board Ethernet.
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* **SLI**: NVIDIA SLI license for non-nForce motherboards.
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* **UEFI**: The BIOS core is UEFI-compliant. Does not necessarily indicate UEFI support is available.
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* **VGA**: Video BIOS, usually associated with on-board video.
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### BIOS-specific add-ons
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* AMIBIOS (Color through 7) setup types: **Color**, **EasySetup**, **HiFlex**, **NewSetup**, **SimpleSetup**, **WinBIOS**.
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* Award: **PhoenixNet** indicates the presence of PhoenixNet features, even if those were disabled by the OEM. **UEFI** indicates Gigabyte Hybrid EFI.
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