Technical Q&A

HW 36 - 1 Machine Mode verses 2 Machine Mode in Open Firmware (15-February-99)

Q: What is meant by 1 machine mode verses 2 machine mode with respect to Open Firmware?

A: When someone talks of these modes, they are referring to whether the Open Firmware user interface is presented to the user on the target (1 machine) machine or on a host (2 machine) machine. The ability to have two choices allows the developer to chose whichever machine is needed at the time. For instance, using a host implies using a communication application and, therefore, scroll bars. The user session can then be captured in a file. This is not possible in 1 machine mode.