[PATCH 0/3] Add support for ubi environment to auto create volumes

[PATCH 0/3] Add support for ubi environment to auto create volumes

[Weijie Gao]

This patch series expose more ubi helpers to allow the ubi environment to
create ubi env volumes if not exist.

Weijie Gao (3):
  cmd: ubi: expose more APIs to public
  cmd: ubi: allow creating volume with all free spaces in ubi_create_vol
  env: ubi: add support to create environment volume if it does not
    exist

 cmd/ubi.c           | 16 ++++++++++------
 env/Kconfig         |  6 ++++++
 env/ubi.c           | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
 include/ubi_uboot.h |  5 +++++
 4 files changed, 41 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

-- 
2.45.2

[PATCH 1/3] cmd: ubi: expose more APIs to public

[Weijie Gao]

Export ubi_detach/ubi_create_vol/ubi_find_volume/ubi_remove_vol to
public for better ubi manipulation used by other modules.

Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com>
---
 cmd/ubi.c           | 10 +++++-----
 include/ubi_uboot.h |  5 +++++
 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/cmd/ubi.c b/cmd/ubi.c
index 93de6f3aea2..e7fd7165457 100644
--- a/cmd/ubi.c
+++ b/cmd/ubi.c
@@ -213,8 +213,8 @@ bad:
 	return err;
 }
 
-static int ubi_create_vol(char *volume, int64_t size, int dynamic, int vol_id,
-			  bool skipcheck)
+int ubi_create_vol(char *volume, int64_t size, int dynamic, int vol_id,
+		   bool skipcheck)
 {
 	struct ubi_mkvol_req req;
 	int err;
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ static int ubi_create_vol(char *volume, int64_t size, int dynamic, int vol_id,
 	return ubi_create_volume(ubi, &req);
 }
 
-static struct ubi_volume *ubi_find_volume(char *volume)
+struct ubi_volume *ubi_find_volume(char *volume)
 {
 	struct ubi_volume *vol;
 	int i;
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ static struct ubi_volume *ubi_find_volume(char *volume)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static int ubi_remove_vol(char *volume)
+int ubi_remove_vol(char *volume)
 {
 	int err, reserved_pebs, i;
 	struct ubi_volume *vol;
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ static int ubi_set_skip_check(char *volume, bool skip_check)
 	return ubi_change_vtbl_record(ubi, vol->vol_id, &vtbl_rec);
 }
 
-static int ubi_detach(void)
+int ubi_detach(void)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_CMD_UBIFS
 	/*
diff --git a/include/ubi_uboot.h b/include/ubi_uboot.h
index ea0db69c72a..36b5b69dbfd 100644
--- a/include/ubi_uboot.h
+++ b/include/ubi_uboot.h
@@ -47,9 +47,14 @@
 extern int ubi_mtd_param_parse(const char *val, struct kernel_param *kp);
 extern int ubi_init(void);
 extern void ubi_exit(void);
+extern int ubi_detach(void);
 extern int ubi_part(char *part_name, const char *vid_header_offset);
 extern int ubi_volume_write(char *volume, void *buf, loff_t offset, size_t size);
 extern int ubi_volume_read(char *volume, char *buf, loff_t offset, size_t size);
+extern int ubi_create_vol(char *volume, int64_t size, int dynamic, int vol_id,
+			  bool skipcheck);
+extern struct ubi_volume *ubi_find_volume(char *volume);
+extern int ubi_remove_vol(char *volume);
 
 extern struct ubi_device *ubi_devices[];
 int cmd_ubifs_mount(char *vol_name);
-- 
2.45.2

[PATCH 2/3] cmd: ubi: allow creating volume with all free spaces in ubi_create_vol

[Weijie Gao]

Although the ubi command itself supports creating volume with all
free spaces, the api ubi_create_vol() does not.

Since negative size in invalid, this patch replaces negative size
with all free space size in ubi_create_vol().

Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com>
---
 cmd/ubi.c | 6 +++++-
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/cmd/ubi.c b/cmd/ubi.c
index e7fd7165457..3a1d47d1942 100644
--- a/cmd/ubi.c
+++ b/cmd/ubi.c
@@ -226,7 +226,11 @@ int ubi_create_vol(char *volume, int64_t size, int dynamic, int vol_id,
 
 	req.vol_id = vol_id;
 	req.alignment = 1;
-	req.bytes = size;
+
+	if (size < 0)
+		req.bytes = ubi->avail_pebs * ubi->leb_size;
+	else
+		req.bytes = size;
 
 	strcpy(req.name, volume);
 	req.name_len = strlen(volume);
-- 
2.45.2

[PATCH 3/3] env: ubi: add support to create environment volume if it does not exist

[Weijie Gao]

Add an option to allow environment volume being auto created if not
exist.

Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com>
---
 env/Kconfig |  6 ++++++
 env/ubi.c   | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 26 insertions(+)

diff --git a/env/Kconfig b/env/Kconfig
index 7abd82ab6f3..cec1bf0bb11 100644
--- a/env/Kconfig
+++ b/env/Kconfig
@@ -716,6 +716,12 @@ config ENV_UBI_VOLUME_REDUND
 	help
 	  Name of the redundant volume that you want to store the environment in.
 
+config ENV_UBI_VOLUME_CREATE
+	bool "Create UBI volume if not exist"
+	depends on ENV_IS_IN_UBI
+	help
+	  Create the UBI volume if it does not exist.
+
 config ENV_UBI_VID_OFFSET
 	int "ubi environment VID offset"
 	depends on ENV_IS_IN_UBI
diff --git a/env/ubi.c b/env/ubi.c
index e9865b45ebc..bbd86adf176 100644
--- a/env/ubi.c
+++ b/env/ubi.c
@@ -103,6 +103,18 @@ static int env_ubi_save(void)
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_ENV_REDUNDANT */
 
+int __weak env_ubi_volume_create(const char *volume)
+{
+	struct ubi_volume *vol;
+
+	vol = ubi_find_volume((char *)volume);
+	if (vol)
+		return 0;
+
+	return ubi_create_vol((char *)volume, CONFIG_ENV_SIZE, true,
+			      UBI_VOL_NUM_AUTO, false);
+}
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_ENV_REDUNDANT
 static int env_ubi_load(void)
 {
@@ -132,6 +144,11 @@ static int env_ubi_load(void)
 		return -EIO;
 	}
 
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME_CREATE)) {
+		env_ubi_volume_create(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME);
+		env_ubi_volume_create(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME_REDUND);
+	}
+
 	read1_fail = ubi_volume_read(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME, (void *)tmp_env1, 0,
 				     CONFIG_ENV_SIZE);
 	if (read1_fail)
@@ -169,6 +186,9 @@ static int env_ubi_load(void)
 		return -EIO;
 	}
 
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME_CREATE))
+		env_ubi_volume_create(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME);
+
 	if (ubi_volume_read(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME, buf, 0, CONFIG_ENV_SIZE)) {
 		printf("\n** Unable to read env from %s:%s **\n",
 		       CONFIG_ENV_UBI_PART, CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME);
-- 
2.45.2

Re: [PATCH 1/3] cmd: ubi: expose more APIs to public

[Simon Glass]

Hi Weijie,

On 2026-04-17T02:35:14, Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com> wrote:
> cmd: ubi: expose more APIs to public
>
> Export ubi_detach/ubi_create_vol/ubi_find_volume/ubi_remove_vol to
> public for better ubi manipulation used by other modules.
>
> Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com>
>
> cmd/ubi.c           | 10 +++++-----
>  include/ubi_uboot.h |  5 +++++
>  2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

> diff --git a/include/ubi_uboot.h b/include/ubi_uboot.h
> @@ -47,9 +47,14 @@
> +extern int ubi_create_vol(char *volume, int64_t size, int dynamic, int vol_id,
> +                       bool skipcheck);
> +extern struct ubi_volume *ubi_find_volume(char *volume);
> +extern int ubi_remove_vol(char *volume);

The volume parameter should be const char * since these functions do
not modify the string. In patch 3/3, env_ubi_volume_create() receives
a const char * and has to cast away const when calling these
functions. Please can you fix the signatures in both cmd/ubi.c and
ubi_uboot.h to take const char *volume.

Regards,
Simon

Re: [PATCH 2/3] cmd: ubi: allow creating volume with all free spaces in ubi_create_vol

[Simon Glass]

Hi Weijie,

On 2026-04-17T02:35:14, Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com> wrote:
> cmd: ubi: allow creating volume with all free spaces in ubi_create_vol
>
> Although the ubi command itself supports creating volume with all
> free spaces, the api ubi_create_vol() does not.
>
> Since negative size in invalid, this patch replaces negative size

is invalid

> with all free space size in ubi_create_vol().
>
> Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com>
>
> cmd/ubi.c | 6 +++++-
>  1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

> diff --git a/cmd/ubi.c b/cmd/ubi.c
> @@ -226,7 +226,11 @@ int ubi_create_vol(char *volume, int64_t size, int dynamic, int vol_id,
> +     if (size < 0)
> +             req.bytes = ubi->avail_pebs * ubi->leb_size;
> +     else
> +             req.bytes = size;

When size is negative, the printf() below still prints the original
negative size rather than the computed req.bytes

Regards,
Simon

Re: [PATCH 3/3] env: ubi: add support to create environment volume if it does not exist

[Simon Glass]

Hi Weijie,

On 2026-04-17T02:35:14, Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com> wrote:
> env: ubi: add support to create environment volume if it does not exist
>
> Add an option to allow environment volume being auto created if not
> exist.
>
> Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com>
>
> env/Kconfig |  6 ++++++
>  env/ubi.c   | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
>  2 files changed, 26 insertions(+)

Could you beef up the Kconfig help text for ENV_UBI_VOLUME_CREATE -
e.g. mention when users might want to enable this, such as on first
boot of a fresh device where the UBI partition exists but no volumes
have been created yet.

> diff --git a/env/ubi.c b/env/ubi.c
> @@ -105,6 +105,18 @@ static int env_ubi_save(void)
> +int __weak env_ubi_volume_create(const char *volume)
> +{
> +     struct ubi_volume *vol;
> +
> +     vol = ubi_find_volume((char *)volume);

Does this function need to be weak?

ubi_find_volume() prints "Volume %s not found!" when the volume does
not exist. Since the whole point of this function is to handle missing
volumes, this message will appear every time auto-creation is used.
Please can you either add a quiet variant of ubi_find_volume(), or
suppress the message here?

> diff --git a/env/ubi.c b/env/ubi.c
> @@ -134,6 +146,11 @@ static int env_ubi_load(void)
> +     if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME_CREATE)) {
> +             env_ubi_volume_create(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME);
> +             env_ubi_volume_create(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME_REDUND);
> +     }

The return value from env_ubi_volume_create() is not checked. If
volume creation fails (e.g. no space left), the subsequent
ubi_volume_read() will also fail, but the error message will not
indicate the underlying problem. Please can you check the return value
and print an appropriate message if creation fails?

Regards,
Simon

Re: [PATCH 1/3] cmd: ubi: expose more APIs to public

[Weijie Gao]

On Sat, 2026-04-18 at 12:47 +1200, Simon Glass wrote:
> Hi Weijie,
> 
> On 2026-04-17T02:35:14, Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com> wrote:
> > cmd: ubi: expose more APIs to public
> > 
> > Export ubi_detach/ubi_create_vol/ubi_find_volume/ubi_remove_vol to
> > public for better ubi manipulation used by other modules.
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com>
> > 
> > cmd/ubi.c           | 10 +++++-----
> >  include/ubi_uboot.h |  5 +++++
> >  2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
> > diff --git a/include/ubi_uboot.h b/include/ubi_uboot.h
> > @@ -47,9 +47,14 @@
> > +extern int ubi_create_vol(char *volume, int64_t size, int dynamic,
> > int vol_id,
> > +                       bool skipcheck);
> > +extern struct ubi_volume *ubi_find_volume(char *volume);
> > +extern int ubi_remove_vol(char *volume);
> 
> The volume parameter should be const char * since these functions do
> not modify the string. In patch 3/3, env_ubi_volume_create() receives
> a const char * and has to cast away const when calling these
> functions. Please can you fix the signatures in both cmd/ubi.c and
> ubi_uboot.h to take const char *volume.

OK. We need another patch to change all existing functions with char *
to const char *.

> 
> Regards,
> Simon

Re: [PATCH 2/3] cmd: ubi: allow creating volume with all free spaces in ubi_create_vol

[Weijie Gao]

On Sat, 2026-04-18 at 12:47 +1200, Simon Glass wrote:
> Hi Weijie,
> 
> On 2026-04-17T02:35:14, Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com> wrote:
> > cmd: ubi: allow creating volume with all free spaces in
> > ubi_create_vol
> > 
> > Although the ubi command itself supports creating volume with all
> > free spaces, the api ubi_create_vol() does not.
> > 
> > Since negative size in invalid, this patch replaces negative size
> 
> is invalid
> 
> > with all free space size in ubi_create_vol().
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com>
> > 
> > cmd/ubi.c | 6 +++++-
> >  1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> > diff --git a/cmd/ubi.c b/cmd/ubi.c
> > @@ -226,7 +226,11 @@ int ubi_create_vol(char *volume, int64_t size,
> > int dynamic, int vol_id,
> > +     if (size < 0)
> > +             req.bytes = ubi->avail_pebs * ubi->leb_size;
> > +     else
> > +             req.bytes = size;
> 
> When size is negative, the printf() below still prints the original
> negative size rather than the computed req.bytes

OK. As you mentioned in patch 3/3, I think maybe we can move these
printf logs to the command's main function to avoid logs being printed
every time these API functions are called.

> 
> Regards,
> Simon

Re: [PATCH 3/3] env: ubi: add support to create environment volume if it does not exist

[Weijie Gao]

On Sat, 2026-04-18 at 12:47 +1200, Simon Glass wrote:
> Hi Weijie,
> 
> On 2026-04-17T02:35:14, Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com> wrote:
> > env: ubi: add support to create environment volume if it does not
> > exist
> > 
> > Add an option to allow environment volume being auto created if not
> > exist.
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com>
> > 
> > env/Kconfig |  6 ++++++
> >  env/ubi.c   | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
> >  2 files changed, 26 insertions(+)
> 
> Could you beef up the Kconfig help text for ENV_UBI_VOLUME_CREATE -
> e.g. mention when users might want to enable this, such as on first
> boot of a fresh device where the UBI partition exists but no volumes
> have been created yet.

OK.

> 
> > diff --git a/env/ubi.c b/env/ubi.c
> > @@ -105,6 +105,18 @@ static int env_ubi_save(void)
> > +int __weak env_ubi_volume_create(const char *volume)
> > +{
> > +     struct ubi_volume *vol;
> > +
> > +     vol = ubi_find_volume((char *)volume);
> 
> Does this function need to be weak?

Is unnecessary at all. I added in my early test.

> 
> ubi_find_volume() prints "Volume %s not found!" when the volume does
> not exist. Since the whole point of this function is to handle
> missing
> volumes, this message will appear every time auto-creation is used.
> Please can you either add a quiet variant of ubi_find_volume(), or
> suppress the message here?

As I replied in 2/3, I'll move these messages into the main command
function.

> 
> > diff --git a/env/ubi.c b/env/ubi.c
> > @@ -134,6 +146,11 @@ static int env_ubi_load(void)
> > +     if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME_CREATE)) {
> > +             env_ubi_volume_create(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME);
> > +             env_ubi_volume_create(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME_REDUND);
> > +     }
> 
> The return value from env_ubi_volume_create() is not checked. If
> volume creation fails (e.g. no space left), the subsequent
> ubi_volume_read() will also fail, but the error message will not
> indicate the underlying problem. Please can you check the return
> value
> and print an appropriate message if creation fails?

OK.

> 
> Regards,
> Simon

Re: [PATCH 1/3] cmd: ubi: expose more APIs to public

[Simon Glass]

Hi Weijie,

On Mon, 20 Apr 2026 at 19:19, Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com> wrote:
>
> On Sat, 2026-04-18 at 12:47 +1200, Simon Glass wrote:
> > Hi Weijie,
> >
> > On 2026-04-17T02:35:14, Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com> wrote:
> > > cmd: ubi: expose more APIs to public
> > >
> > > Export ubi_detach/ubi_create_vol/ubi_find_volume/ubi_remove_vol to
> > > public for better ubi manipulation used by other modules.
> > >
> > > Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com>
> > >
> > > cmd/ubi.c           | 10 +++++-----
> > >  include/ubi_uboot.h |  5 +++++
> > >  2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
> > > diff --git a/include/ubi_uboot.h b/include/ubi_uboot.h
> > > @@ -47,9 +47,14 @@
> > > +extern int ubi_create_vol(char *volume, int64_t size, int dynamic,
> > > int vol_id,
> > > +                       bool skipcheck);
> > > +extern struct ubi_volume *ubi_find_volume(char *volume);
> > > +extern int ubi_remove_vol(char *volume);
> >
> > The volume parameter should be const char * since these functions do
> > not modify the string. In patch 3/3, env_ubi_volume_create() receives
> > a const char * and has to cast away const when calling these
> > functions. Please can you fix the signatures in both cmd/ubi.c and
> > ubi_uboot.h to take const char *volume.
>
> OK. We need another patch to change all existing functions with char *
> to const char *.

Yes that sounds like a good idea.

Regards,
Simon

Re: [PATCH 2/3] cmd: ubi: allow creating volume with all free spaces in ubi_create_vol

[Simon Glass]

Hi Weijie,

On Mon, 20 Apr 2026 at 19:25, Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com> wrote:
>
> On Sat, 2026-04-18 at 12:47 +1200, Simon Glass wrote:
> > Hi Weijie,
> >
> > On 2026-04-17T02:35:14, Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com> wrote:
> > > cmd: ubi: allow creating volume with all free spaces in
> > > ubi_create_vol
> > >
> > > Although the ubi command itself supports creating volume with all
> > > free spaces, the api ubi_create_vol() does not.
> > >
> > > Since negative size in invalid, this patch replaces negative size
> >
> > is invalid
> >
> > > with all free space size in ubi_create_vol().
> > >
> > > Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao@mediatek.com>
> > >
> > > cmd/ubi.c | 6 +++++-
> > >  1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> > > diff --git a/cmd/ubi.c b/cmd/ubi.c
> > > @@ -226,7 +226,11 @@ int ubi_create_vol(char *volume, int64_t size,
> > > int dynamic, int vol_id,
> > > +     if (size < 0)
> > > +             req.bytes = ubi->avail_pebs * ubi->leb_size;
> > > +     else
> > > +             req.bytes = size;
> >
> > When size is negative, the printf() below still prints the original
> > negative size rather than the computed req.bytes
>
> OK. As you mentioned in patch 3/3, I think maybe we can move these
> printf logs to the command's main function to avoid logs being printed
> every time these API functions are called.

Yes, good idea.

Regards,
Simon