minibios

Minibios is a term used to describe compact firmware components that implement the basic BIOS interface in a small, resource-constrained context. It refers to a class of lightweight BIOS implementations designed for embedded systems, microcontrollers, and hobbyist platforms where a full PC BIOS or UEFI would be too large or complex. Minibios is not a single standardized product; rather, it encompasses a range of approaches that provide essential low-level services with a minimal footprint.

Typical purposes and design goals include initializing a computer or device hardware enough to start a higher-level software stack, offering basic input/output operations, handling simple interrupt vectors, and delivering a predictable boot sequence. Minibios implementations are often written in low-level languages such as assembly or C, emphasizing small code size, deterministic timing, and easy porting to different hardware platforms. They may provide a minimal set of BIOS services, such as basic disk or memory access, serial console support, and a simple bootloader interface.

Minibios is commonly used in embedded devices, single-board computers, retrocomputing projects, and educational kits where developers need a straightforward, observable boot process without the complexity of traditional BIOS or UEFI firmware. Because of their narrow scope, minibios typically offer limited hardware abstraction and interoperability compared with full-featured BIOS environments. The term can also describe hobbyist or research efforts to create minimal firmware layers that can serve as a foundation for custom hardware initialization.

See also: BIOS, UEFI, bootloader, firmware, embedded systems.