Unable to modify from U-Boot to Qi.

Werner Almesberger werner at openmoko.org
Fri Jan 16 21:10:38 CET 2009


Andy Green wrote:
> "Configuration" is just the kernel name on SD Card?

Path to kernel, file system type, and partitions.

> GTA02 use of Qi is basically
> elective but on GTA03 the packaging will already use the right name so
> that's OK.

Yup, no worry about GTA03. There we can avoid the u-boot legacy
from the start.

> The worst that can happen is booting from NAND due to wrong
> name in SD.

Or failure to boot if a bad block has introduced a shift in the
offset of the kernel partition and possibly also very subtle
trouble with the rootfs if a bad block has moved the rootfs
partition.

I think we should actually encourage to use Qi+uSD as a bundle.
Experts can still try their luck with NAND, but I think for most
users there's just too much potential pain (and mysterious bug
reports :)

> ~ - It's not there already because you can't use FAT as a rootfs, and Qi
> mounts the filesystem it got the kernel from as the rootfs.

Okay, but that's just a question of what you put into the
command line, not an architectural restriction.

> ~ - It's also less fragile from updating point of view to have the kernel
> image live inside the actual rootfs.
>
> ~ - Kernel inside rootfs allows independent updating of multiple rootfs
> on the same card as well, each with private kernel.

Yup, these are good points. Chances are that people will want to
do such things as soon as they feel them within easy reach. I'm
more concerned about the "first contact" scenario, where it's easy
to get lost if you have to do too many new things at the same time,
particularly if failure tends to be silent.

- Werner



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