Advanced BIOS Logo Reader

More then two dozens of different logo formats ... by ABR-G2
  • Original idea to cope with BIOS logos came to me in 1999. Those days were known AwardBIOS and it's logos only (Standard EPA - 136x86 pixels, AWBM - up to 640x480 pixels). They are property of Award Software Inc. (nowdays Phoenix Technologies). In 1999 I made tools to produce graphics in those closed formats (LinkIt, AwBmMake). Only with AwBmMake you could make full-screen LOGO to be placed in ASUS TX-97 motherboards. If you know what I'm talking about you'll understand me. Apparently some new formats had appeared (Phoenix Graphics - PG, SystemSoft EPA, Intel GRFX) so I swithched my ambitions to _show_ that kind of graphics. Final result - ABR tool. Acronym for AwBmReader, Advanced BIOS LOGO Reader, Anton's Borisov Reader (as you like it ;).
  • I've already programmed some encode functions, i.e. 'Export' into PG, GRFX, AWBM16/256 and AWBM16/256 (Compressed) formats which are available in personal builds. Please contact Steven Weiser to know more about this. We going to publish some assays how include custom made LOGO into BIOS (PhoenixBIOS, AMIBIOS as well as AwardBIOS) shortly. If you're quite sure that you need software we used for ourselves - no problem, just order it. I'm sure we can compile it for your operating requirements. Series of BIOS compressors, amideco+ / phnxdeco+, comprises from advanced versions of amideco / phnxdeco. Advanced 'Export' function (Composite OSB series) will be introduced in ABR2 0.2 release. Stay tuned ;)
  • What kind of LOGO you can save as .png files

    Award Software (AwardBIOS)

    Standard EPA - 136x84 pixels
    NonStandard EPA - up to 158 metachars in LOGO
    AWBM16 EPA - 16 Colors with any resolution
    AWBM256 EPA - 256 Colors with any resolution
    Phoenix Technologies (PhoenixBIOS)

    Phoenix EPA (PG) - with system and internal palette
    Phoenix FirstBIOS ICON
    Phoenix FirstBIOS Composite SCRN
    Phoenix Composite Envelope SCN (1)
    Phoenix Composite Envelope SCN (2)
    Intel (AMIBIOS, PhoenixBIOS, AwardBIOS)

    Intel EPA (GRFX) - 16 Colors with any resolution
    Intel EPA (TEXTLOGO) - looks like Award's Standard EPA
    Intel Graphics (GRFXLOGO)
    Intel Graphics (Compressed PG)
    Intel Graphics (Compressed GRFX)
    American Megatrends Inc. (AMIBIOS)

    AMI EPA (GLE) - looks like Award's Standard EPA
    AMI GFX (PCX) - 16 / 256 Colors in PCX format
    ASUS (AMIBIOS, PhoenixBIOS)

    ASUS Dynamic LOGO
    ASUS Dynamic LOGO (2)
    ASUS Dynamic LOGO (3)
    ASUS Composite 4OSB
    ASUS Composite OSB640
    ASUS Composite $OSB
    MSI (AMIBIOS)

    Composite $OSB (2)
    SystemSoft / Insyde (SystemSoftBIOS, InsydeBIOS)

    SystemSoft EPA - 16 Colors
    SystemSoft EPA (PCX) - 16 Colors in PCX format
    SystemSoft EPA (2) - 16 Colors
    Trigem Computers (AMIBIOS)

    TriGem EPA (TM) - 16 Colors
    Lippert GMBH (AwardBIOS)

    AWBM16 EPA (Compressed) - 16 Colors in compressed AWBM format
    AWBM256 EPA (Compressed) - 256 Colors in compressed AWBM format
    Dell Computer Inc. (DellBIOS)

    DELL NVRAM LOGO (Compressed) - 256 Colors
    DELL LOGO (2) - 16 Colors
    Other LOGOs - (AwardBIOS, AMIBIOS)

    QDI EPA (BMP) - 256 Colors in BMP format
    BioStar EPA (PCX) - 256 Colors in PCX format
    JPEG (plain JFIF)
    PCX (4-bit, RLE)
    PCX (8-bit, RLE)
    BMP (plain 4-bit / 8-bit, Indexed)
  • Verbose[x] key intended to Switch On / Off verbosity.
How to run X11 (Linux) and Win32 (NT) versions
  • Linux users should run "ldd" command to make sure ABR2 will run on your system like this: 
    bash-2.05b$ ldd abr2
    libjpeg.so.62 => /usr/lib/libjpeg.so.62 (0x40022000)
    libpng.so.3 => /usr/lib/libpng.so.3 (0x4003f000)
    libz.so.1 => /usr/lib/libz.so.1 (0x4006f000)
    libXext.so.6 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libXext.so.6 (0x40080000)
    libX11.so.6 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libX11.so.6 (0x4008f000)
    libm.so.6 => /lib/libm.so.6 (0x40157000)
    libc.so.6 => /lib/libc.so.6 (0x40230000)
    libdl.so.2 => /lib/libdl.so.2 (0x4035f000)
    /lib/ld-linux.so.2 => /lib/ld-linux.so.2 (0x40000000)
  • Windows NT users should run "depends" package to make sure ABR2 will run on your system too. Libraries ought to be present in your system: 
            ADVAPI32.DLL
        COMCTL32.DLL
        GDI32.DLL
        KERNEL32.DLL
        MSVCRT.DLL
        NTDLL.DLL
        OLE32.DLL
        RPCRT4.DLL
        SHELL32.DLL
        SHLWAPI.DLL
        USER32.DLL
        WS2_32.DLL
        WS2HELP.DLL
        WSOCK32.DLL
How Does It work
  • When you first open LOGO file ABR-G2 identifies it and visualize it. Visualized LOGO

  • Information Tab is checked with red marking cross. Info Tab

  • Main Image is checked here with red marking cross either. Image Tab

  • More verbose messages: Extras -> Verbose (check box). More verbose messages

  • How to convert into new LOGO format - open any file which is supported by ABR-G2 and choose desired format. Converting into new LOGO format

How to recompress original BIOS with custom LOGO
What's new in upcoming 0.2 release
  • Drag-n-Drop support
  • 'Export' into some dynamic LOGO formats
  • 'User settings' and .ini file
Maintainers
Software design:
Anton Borisov, anton.borisov{}gmail.com
Communications, testing:
Steven Weiser, borg_no.one{}gmx.net