Saving Money with Linux: Explore the BIOS
Let’s turn our attention to the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). This is firmware used to start the PC system after it is powered on.
The BIOS in modern PCs initializes and tests the system hardware components (Power-on self-test), and loads a boot loader from a mass storage device which then initializes a kernel. The BIOS stores system hardware settings such as storage device configuration, overclocking settings, advanced power management, and boot device configuration that are needed for system startup in the motherboard CMOS.