From owner-freebsd-arm@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Feb 28 16:42:52 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-arm@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-arm@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C751616A400 for ; Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:42:52 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from imp@bsdimp.com) Received: from harmony.bsdimp.com (vc4-2-0-87.dsl.netrack.net [199.45.160.85]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8391D13C428 for ; Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:42:52 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from imp@bsdimp.com) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by harmony.bsdimp.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id l1SGadEb092713; Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:36:40 -0700 (MST) (envelope-from imp@bsdimp.com) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:36:44 -0700 (MST) Message-Id: <20070228.093644.-1975969471.imp@bsdimp.com> To: mlfbsd@ci0.org From: "M. Warner Losh" In-Reply-To: <20070228115037.GA30703@ci0.org> References: <20070228102459.GB28669@zibbi.meraka.csir.co.za> <20070228115037.GA30703@ci0.org> X-Mailer: Mew version 4.2 on Emacs 21.3 / Mule 5.0 (SAKAKI) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: Text/Plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-2.0 (harmony.bsdimp.com [127.0.0.1]); Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:36:40 -0700 (MST) Cc: freebsd-arm@freebsd.org Subject: Re: redboot based boot loader for kernels? X-BeenThere: freebsd-arm@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Porting FreeBSD to the StrongARM Processor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:42:52 -0000 In message: <20070228115037.GA30703@ci0.org> Olivier Houchard writes: : On Wed, Feb 28, 2007 at 12:24:59PM +0200, John Hay wrote: : > Hi, : > : > Does anyone have or is busy with an app that one can load in the : > redboot flash, that will load the kernel from the active partition : > of a compact flash? I know one can load the kernel in the redboot : > flash, but that makes remote upgrading more difficult. The way I : > have done with our wrap and soekris boards, is to create 2 slices : > on the CF. When upgrading, you just format and install on the : > non-active slice, change the active bit and reboot. : > : > John : : Hi John, : : The problem is, it's very difficult to do so in a generic way. RedBoot doesn't : export any facility to read from flash, so for each board, such a loader would : require an IDE driver to read from CF, etc. As far as I know, nobody is : working on it. : Would being able to update the kernel located in the onboard flash from : FreeBSD be an acceptable solution for you ? The other option is to load boot2, or its kin, from flash and have that load the kernel from CF... Warner