cmos(HW) 19 June 1992 cmos(HW) Name cmos - display and set the configuration data base Syntax cmos [ address [ value ] ] Description The cmos command displays and/or sets the values in the CMOS configura- tion database. This battery-powered database stores configuration infor- mation about the computer that is used at power up to define the system hardware configuration and to direct boot procedures. The database is 64 bytes long and is reserved for system operation. Refer to your hardware manual for more information. The cmos command is typically used to alter the current hardware configu- ration when new devices are added to the system. When only address is given, the command displays the value at that address. If both address and a value are given, the command assigns the value to that address. If no arguments are given, the command displays the entire contents of the data base. The CMOS configuration database may also be examined and modified by reading from and writing to /dev/cmos file. Because successful system operation depends on correct configuration information, the database should be modified by experienced system administrators only. The computer manufacturer's diagnostic diskette should be run before set- ting the CMOS database. Files /etc/cmos /dev/cmos