Re: Booting a modular kernel through a multiple streams file

Alexander Viro
2001-12-16T20:50:35Z

On Sun, 16 Dec 2001, Otto Wyss wrote:

> Well a simple solution would be if Linux supports the multiple streams file
> format. Assume the kernel and all necessary modules for booting (if not all
> modules) are combined into a single file. The boot loader (i.e. lilo) simply
> loads this file and starts the first stream (the kernel). It doesn't need to
> know the full multiple stream format (maybe nothing at all). The kernel of
> course needs this functionality to load the rest of the modules for a minimal
> working system.
>
> I assume it's no problem to integrate the building of this boot file into either
> the Linux compilation or better into a separate setup phase (possibly together
> with good hardware/module detection).
>
> Advantages:
> - A simple boot loader can handle it without much tweaking
> - The multiple streams file format is a standard concept usable anywhere

ITYM useless.

> - No ramdisk is necessary
> - This concept needs possibly less kernel functionality than initrd
> - No change in the current compilation process except for the additional setup phase
>
> Disadvantages:
> - Someone else has to do it, I'm not a kernel/driver developer
>
> Why did nobody else have this simple idea? I don't know, maybe the multiple
> streams file format isn't widely known in the Linux community.

Ewww....

"Forked files" crap _is_ known. And not welcome.

There is a bog-standard way to combine several files in one - cpio. Or tar.
No need to bring Apple Shit-For-Design(tm)(r) when standard tools are quite
enough.