[U-Boot-Users] bootloader MAC

[NZG <ngustavson@emacinc.com>]

On Thursday 08 June 2006 5:58 pm, Rune Torgersen wrote:
> On PPC we have the MAC proframmed in FLASH as a u-boot evironment variable.
> THis is in turn passed to the kernel on th ebd_T struct, and the *Linux*
> driver initializes the MAC on the ethernety interface when the ethernet
> driver is initialized.
>
> Do the same. Pass the MAC to the kernel and let the driver init set the MAC
> to the hardware
Why is this a superior approach?

The method you've outlined assumes that the OS will make a special provision 
to grab the MAC from the bootloader, you can modify Linux for this certainly, 
but what if the board isn't running Linux?
Also note, that it's still the bootloader that's setting the flash, just in a 
much more complex way.

Since typically it's loaded directly by the hardware, most OS's expect it to 
be there.
Why not just have the bootloader put it there directly? 

thx,
NZG