[PATCH 0/2][concept RFC] x86: BIOS-save kernel log to disk upon panic

[H. Peter Anvin]

On 01/27/2011 07:47 AM, Eric W. Biederman wrote:
>>
>> Yes - but at least a long time ago there used to be modi of reboot when the BIOS did
>> not do this. Whether that's possible at all with modern BIOSen is a
>> big question ...
>
> As I recall that was how you went from 32bit mode to 16bit real mode.
> The issue is that mode never reset the hardware it simply changed the
> cpu mode.
>

Quite correct.  It doesn't just bypass the memory wipe, it bypasses the 
entire POST.

	-hpa