Abstract: An alternative boot methodology that begins with legacy-free firmware allows the peaceful coexistence of legacy-free and legacy option ROMs in a system. Legacy-free firmware provides a legacy-free boot path from system power up to operating system loading. This legacy-free boot path is independent of any legacy firmware. A legacy-free boot manager boots from an ordered list of OS loaders. If a legacy boot option is available, legacy-free drivers that have already been loaded may be stopped, and a legacy boot using legacy firmware may be initiated, without having to reboot the system.

Abstract: Platform firmware capabilities may be extended during system boot by loading firmware extensions from a boot media before an operating system loader is loaded and run. The boot media may be a portion of a general purpose media such as a hard drive, a floppy disk, CD-ROM, or a DVD. A firmware extension, and the instructions and/or data to which the firmware extension enables access, represent a self-describing media module, which may be used to modularly extend platform firmware capabilities and to minimize non-volatile memory in a data processing system.