Open Firmware Home Page (OpenFirmware.ORG)

Open Firmware is the name given to the IEEE-1275 Standard for Boot (Initialization Configuration) Firmware: Core Requirements and Practices.

Firmware is typically stored in read-only memory (ROM) and executed immediately after a computer is turned on. The most familiar version is the standard PC x86 BIOS.

Open Firmware is essentially a specification for a largely machine-independent BIOS based on ANS Forth that is capable of probing and initializing plug-in cards that have on-board IEEE-1275 compliant Fcode in their ROMs.

The Open Firmware Working Group is an ad-hoc organization that promotes Open Firmware by publishing bindings, clarifications, extensions, and working practice documents to the IEEE 1275 standard.

The IEEE-1275 Open Firmware standard was not reaffirmed by the OFWG and has been officially withdrawn by IEEE. Unfortunately, this means it is unavailable from the IEEE.

Disclaimers

The pages and information published at this web site are not officially sanctioned or published by the Open Firmware Working Group and are provided as a service of CodeGen, Inc.

Product Directories

Open Firmware Solution Providers:
- CodeGen, Inc., San Francisco, California
- Firmworks, Mountain View, California
Open Firmware Enabled Computers & Systems:
- Apple Computers, Inc. has some Open Firmware related documents at their Developer Website for some of their PowerPC Macintoshes
- Motorola, Inc. produces a variety of PowerPC-based embedded products for both VME and CompactPCI
- Sun Microsystems, Inc. produces Sparc Open Firmware compatible systems
Open Firmware Enabled Operating Systems:
- Linux/PPC: Linux for Open Firmware PowerPC machines
- NetBSD/macppc: NetBSD for Macintosh PowerPCs with Open Firmware
- NetBSD/ofppc: experimental NetBSD for Open Firmware PowerPC machines
- OpenBSD/PPC: OpenBSD for Open Firmware PowerPC machines
Open Firmware Enabled Plug-in Modules:
- Adaptec 2940UW/OF Ultra Wide SCSI
- Adaptec 3940UW/OF Wide UltraSCSI
- Most Apple PowerMac-compatible PCI cards
Open Firmware Training:
- CodeGen, Inc., San Francisco, California
- Forth, Inc., Manhattan Beach, California

To be listed in one of the above directories please send an e-mail with the URL of a web page describing your product to directory@openfirmware.org.

Open Firmware and related web sites

ANS (ANSI) Forth (courtesy Athena Programming, Inc.)
Description of Open Firmware (courtesy FirmWorks).
Forth Interest Group
Matthew Johnson's introduction to Open Firmware.
OpenBoot FAQ (courtesy SunWorld). A bit Sun-specific but still useful.
Try Writing FCode Programs by Sun Microsystems - SunSoft Press, 1994, ISBN 0-13-107236-6.
Sun Microsystems has published a lot of online books at docs.sun.com. Search for ``OpenFirmware'', ``Fcode'', and ``OpenBoot'' to find their latest documentation.

webmaster@openfirmware.org