May 2, 2008
Basic Input Output System or BIOS is a bus type that is almost never needed once the Linux kernel is installed. A computer bus moves information in a manner that can be compared to a transit bus moving people. The understanding of the function and purpose of the BIOS is useful however, in understanding the booting process which a computer goes through. Essentially, this is the time involved when the power switch is hit up to when Linux has full control of the hardware. Linux may only get to use BIOS again at the last moment of a shutdown.
A special program referred to as a device driver handles the functions of the BIOS in Linux. Device drivers are sets of routine that directly access the hardware. Since Linux by-passes the BIOS to go directly to the hardware, some hardware will work under DOS but will not under Linux.
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