using /dev/nvram to alter cmos settings

[brent harding]

How can I effectively use /dev/nvram to toggle certain cmos settings? What
if I just cat /dev/nvram > /etc/cmos.conf or something, edit it in pico,
and then do the reverse, cat /etc/cmos.conf > /dev/nvram? I heard somewhere
that using this would allow changing of the cmos settings without needing
to actually go to that screen that you normally do it in. Does this work
good? If not, how can I get the cmos setup to speak using either a dectalk
express or a double talk pc internal. I need to change some power settings
on my laptop so it doesn't enter standby when I'm reading webpages, or shut
the hard drive down when I'm downloading files, I disabled all the power
stuff in windows and it still seems to do it, so it must be controlled in
the advanced power management settings in cmos. I'm thinking of putting
debian on it soon and hate the problem when it goes to sleep when I'm
reading a site no matter what I do. It's probably not good for my
decexpress either, to have computer power just suddenly shut down in the
middle of speech. I guess the bios monitors for keyboard or mouse activity
which when I'm listening isn't present. If I press buttons though, my
screen reader, window-eyes interrupts so I have to start over anyway, I
usually use read to end and such automatic functions.