[U-Boot] RFC: auto-generate ARM mach-types.h file from ARM machine database

[Wolfgang Denk <wd@denx.de>]

Dear Michael Schwingen,

In message <20110505214836.GA5313@discworld.dascon.de> you wrote:
> 
> to conclude the discussion in the thread "Re: [U-Boot] Update and Cut down
> mach types", I tried a short patch that demonstrates how to automatically
> generate the mach-types.h file from a database dump (from
> http://www.arm.linux.org.uk/developer/machines/?action=new).
> 
> This has multiple advantages:
>  - pulling in new machine types is easier (drop in a new downloaded database
>    dump), and produces a much smaller diff.
>  - adding new machines is decoupled from the time they appear in Linux.
>  - boards that are not in mainline Linux will not be break due to removal of
>    their mach types from the Linux headers.
> 
> The AWK and Makefile fragment script is taken verbatim from Linux 2.6.38.3. 
> I think the AWK script is simple enough that it will not require big
> maintenance efforts (unless the machine database format changes).
> 
> The patch is edited down - I removed the diff for the deletion of the old
> mach-types.h file, and shortened the new mach-types file to a few entries
> just to show the concept - otherwise, the patch would be much too big for
> the list.
> 
> Is this an acceptable solution? Should I go on and produce a full-fledged
> patch?

I agree with the comments alreay made by Mike Frysinger.

In addition, I would like to point out that I consider it mandatory
thatthe normal build process does NOT involve any network download.
Instead, it must be run completely based on files checked into the git
repository only.

That means, that the "update-mach-types" target Mike mentions is
something that the ARM maintainer can use to update the in-tree copy
of the mach-types.h file, which then gets commited into the git
repository.  Also users can run this if they want to use the latest
version, but it MUST NOT be used for a regular build.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

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