mirror of
https://github.com/86Box/bios-tools.git
synced 2026-02-22 01:25:34 -07:00
121 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
121 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
86Box BIOS Tools
|
|
================
|
|
A toolkit for extracting and analyzing x86 BIOS ROM images (mostly) within the context of the 86Box project.
|
|
|
|
## Test drive
|
|
|
|
**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.
|
|
|
|
## Quick usage through Docker
|
|
|
|
1. Build the Docker image from this repository:
|
|
|
|
```sudo docker build -t biostools "https://github.com/86Box/bios-tools.git#main"```
|
|
|
|
2. Create a destination directory, which will be called `roms` here.
|
|
3. Create a `1` directory within `roms`.
|
|
4. 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.**
|
|
5. Run the container, binding `/bios` to the directory created in step 2:
|
|
|
|
```sudo docker run --rm -v /path/to/roms:/bios biostools | tee bioslist.csv```
|
|
|
|
6. 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 the container (after `biostools`); run `sudo docker run --rm biostools` to see a full list of supported arguments.
|
|
|
|
## Manual usage
|
|
|
|
### System requirements
|
|
|
|
* **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. WSL should work for Windows users.
|
|
* **Python 3.5** or newer.
|
|
* **Standard gcc toolchain** for building the essential `bios_extract` tool.
|
|
* **7-Zip** command line utility installed as `7z`.
|
|
* **QEMU** (`qemu-system-i386`) for optionally extracting files which need to be executed.
|
|
|
|
### Installation
|
|
|
|
1. Clone this repository.
|
|
2. Build the `bios_extract` and `deark` tools:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
cd /path/to/bios-tools
|
|
make
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
4. Optionally install a dependency required for BIOS logo extraction:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
pip install -r requirements.txt
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### Usage
|
|
|
|
1. Create a destination directory, which will be called `roms` here.
|
|
2. Create a `1` directory within `roms`.
|
|
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.**
|
|
4. Run the extractor, pointing it to the directory created in step 1:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
python3 -m biostools -x roms
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
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 `:`.
|
|
6. Run the analyzer, pointing it to the `0` directory and redirecting its output to a `bioslist.csv` file:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
python3 -m biostools -a roms/0 | tee bioslist.csv
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
## Extraction notes
|
|
|
|
* Many common file types known not to be useful, such as images, PDFs, Office documents and hardware information tool reports, are automatically discarded.
|
|
* 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.
|
|
* The FAT filesystem extractor relies on assumptions which may not hold true for all disk images.
|
|
* EPA (Award), PCX (AMI) and other image formats are automatically converted to PNG if the aforementioned optional dependency is installed.
|
|
* Extraction of the following BIOS distribution formats is **not implemented** due to the use of unknown compression methods:
|
|
* ICL `.LDB`
|
|
|
|
## Analysis notes
|
|
|
|
### AMI
|
|
|
|
* The string on **UEFI** is a hidden string located within the AMIBIOS 8-based Compatibility Support Module (CSM). A missing string may indicate a missing CSM.
|
|
|
|
### Award
|
|
|
|
* The core version can be followed by `(Phoenix)` on BIOSes which identify as **Phoenix AwardBIOS**, or `(Workstation)` on ones which identify as **Award WorkstationBIOS**.
|
|
* OEM modifications which may interfere with detection: **Sukjung** (string)
|
|
|
|
### IBM
|
|
|
|
* The FRU codes contained in PC or PS/2 ROMs are interpreted as the string.
|
|
|
|
### Phoenix
|
|
|
|
* Phoenix has no concept of a string. The BCPSYS build information is extracted as one.
|
|
* OEM modifications which may interfere with detection: **DEC** (sign-on), potentially others where the version information was modified.
|
|
|
|
### SystemSoft
|
|
|
|
* Insyde-compressed modules (identified by magic bytes `FF 88`) cannot be decompressed, limiting the analyzer's ability to identify Insyde-branded SystemSoft BIOSes.
|
|
|
|
## Add-on reference
|
|
|
|
Depending on the contents of each BIOS, the following tags may be displayed on the analyzer output's "Add-ons" column:
|
|
|
|
* **ACPI**: Appears to contain an ACPI table. Does not necessarily indicate ACPI actually works.
|
|
* **Adaptec**: Adaptec ISA or PCI SCSI option ROM.
|
|
* **NCR3/4**: NCR/Symbios PCI SCSI option ROM with SDMS version 3 or 4 (respectively).
|
|
* **PXE**: PXE-compliant network boot ROM, usually associated with on-board Ethernet.
|
|
* **RPL**: Novell NetWare RPL-compliant network boot ROM, usually associated with on-board Ethernet.
|
|
* **SLI**: NVIDIA SLI license for non-nForce motherboards.
|
|
* **UEFI**: The BIOS core is UEFI-compliant. Does not necessarily indicate UEFI support is available.
|
|
* **VGA**: Video BIOS, usually associated with on-board video.
|
|
|
|
### BIOS-specific add-ons
|
|
|
|
* AMIBIOS (Color through 7) setup types: **Color**, **EasySetup**, **HiFlex**, **IntelSetup**, **NewSetup**, **SimpleSetup**, **WinBIOS**.
|
|
* Award: **PhoenixNet** indicates the presence of PhoenixNet features, even if those were disabled by the OEM. **UEFI** indicates Gigabyte Hybrid EFI.
|