[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[Woody Wu]

Hi, List

Is there a book or web document to help start to understand how U-Boot
works?

Thanks!


-- 
woody
I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then.

[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[Marek Vasut]

Dear Woody Wu,

> Hi, List
> 
> Is there a book or web document to help start to understand how U-Boot
> works?

There's a doc/ directory in the u-boot sourcecode.

> Thanks!

Best regards,
Marek Vasut

[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[Woody Wu]

On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 12:30:43AM +0100, Marek Vasut wrote:
> Dear Woody Wu,
> 
> > Hi, List
> > 
> > Is there a book or web document to help start to understand how U-Boot
> > works?
> 
> There's a doc/ directory in the u-boot sourcecode.
> 

Is there a guide/suggestion to the reading order of these docs? You
know, there is not a index file. Thanks.

-- 
woody
I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then.

[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[Marek Vasut]

Dear Woody Wu,

> On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 12:30:43AM +0100, Marek Vasut wrote:
> > Dear Woody Wu,
> > 
> > > Hi, List
> > > 
> > > Is there a book or web document to help start to understand how U-Boot
> > > works?
> > 
> > There's a doc/ directory in the u-boot sourcecode.
> 
> Is there a guide/suggestion to the reading order of these docs? You
> know, there is not a index file. Thanks.

The question is -- what do you want to do? If "Study u-boot code" is the answer, 
just dive in ;-)

Best regards,
Marek Vasut

[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[Woody Wu]

? 2013-1-25 PM7:35?"Marek Vasut" <marex@denx.de>???
>
> Dear Woody Wu,
>
> > On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 12:30:43AM +0100, Marek Vasut wrote:
> > > Dear Woody Wu,
> > >
> > > > Hi, List
> > > >
> > > > Is there a book or web document to help start to understand how
U-Boot
> > > > works?
> > >
> > > There's a doc/ directory in the u-boot sourcecode.
> >
> > Is there a guide/suggestion to the reading order of these docs? You
> > know, there is not a index file. Thanks.
>
> The question is -- what do you want to do? If "Study u-boot code" is the
answer,
> just dive in ;-)
>
> Best regards,
> Marek Vasut

I want to firstly get a picture to basically understand how u-boot work,
especially on an ARM9 based board. I think not everyone who want to
understand u-boot has to read the full code.  Thank.

[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear Woody Wu,

In message <CAAsE_ue4VffAioQWzHPpyOZmzoFk9E5S7jj2+2BZuiK=C5yXtA@mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
>
> I want to firstly get a picture to basically understand how u-boot work,
> especially on an ARM9 based board. I think not everyone who want to
> understand u-boot has to read the full code.  Thank.

This depends on your definition of "understanding".  On a highlevel,
you might start with reaing and digesting the manual, eventually
trying out how U-Boot works on some (real or emulated) board.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
Fascinating is a word I use for the unexpected.
	-- Spock, "The Squire of Gothos", stardate 2124.5

[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[Robert P. J. Day]

On Fri, 25 Jan 2013, Wolfgang Denk wrote:

> Dear Woody Wu,
>
> In message <CAAsE_ue4VffAioQWzHPpyOZmzoFk9E5S7jj2+2BZuiK=C5yXtA@mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
> >
> > I want to firstly get a picture to basically understand how u-boot
> > work, especially on an ARM9 based board. I think not everyone who
> > want to understand u-boot has to read the full code.  Thank.
>
> This depends on your definition of "understanding".  On a highlevel,
> you might start with reaing and digesting the manual, eventually
> trying out how U-Boot works on some (real or emulated) board.

  if i can jump in, a good way to start playing is to configure and
build for the "sandbox" architecture so you can run it on your x86
system.  for the benefit of a couple friends, i whipped together a
wiki page for that here:

http://www.crashcourse.ca/wiki/index.php/U-Boot_sandbox

  very simple but enough to get you started, and you can match up
running the commands with the underlying code.

rday

-- 

========================================================================
Robert P. J. Day                                 Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
                        http://crashcourse.ca

Twitter:                                       http://twitter.com/rpjday
LinkedIn:                               http://ca.linkedin.com/in/rpjday
========================================================================

[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[Woody Wu]

? 2013-1-26 AM5:27?"Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday@crashcourse.ca>???
>
> On Fri, 25 Jan 2013, Wolfgang Denk wrote:
>
> > Dear Woody Wu,
> >
> > In message <CAAsE_ue4VffAioQWzHPpyOZmzoFk9E5S7jj2+2BZuiK=
C5yXtA@mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
> > >
> > > I want to firstly get a picture to basically understand how u-boot
> > > work, especially on an ARM9 based board. I think not everyone who
> > > want to understand u-boot has to read the full code.  Thank.
> >
> > This depends on your definition of "understanding".  On a highlevel,
> > you might start with reaing and digesting the manual, eventually
> > trying out how U-Boot works on some (real or emulated) board.
>
>   if i can jump in, a good way to start playing is to configure and
> build for the "sandbox" architecture so you can run it on your x86
> system.  for the benefit of a couple friends, i whipped together a
> wiki page for that here:
>
> http://www.crashcourse.ca/wiki/index.php/U-Boot_sandbox
>
>   very simple but enough to get you started, and you can match up
> running the commands with the underlying code.
>
> rday

Sandbox looks amazing! Thanks share me with this info.  But i still
wondering that if u-boot doesnt have any book or document explaining how it
work and how it organized, how pepople can join its development?

>
> --
>
> ========================================================================
> Robert P. J. Day                                 Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
>                         http://crashcourse.ca
>
> Twitter:                                       http://twitter.com/rpjday
> LinkedIn:                               http://ca.linkedin.com/in/rpjday
> ========================================================================

[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[Javier Martinez Canillas]

On Sat, Jan 26, 2013 at 2:07 PM, Woody Wu <narkewoody@gmail.com> wrote:
> ? 2013-1-26 AM5:27?"Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday@crashcourse.ca>???
>>
>> On Fri, 25 Jan 2013, Wolfgang Denk wrote:
>>
>> > Dear Woody Wu,
>> >
>> > In message <CAAsE_ue4VffAioQWzHPpyOZmzoFk9E5S7jj2+2BZuiK=
> C5yXtA at mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
>> > >
>> > > I want to firstly get a picture to basically understand how u-boot
>> > > work, especially on an ARM9 based board. I think not everyone who
>> > > want to understand u-boot has to read the full code.  Thank.
>> >
>> > This depends on your definition of "understanding".  On a highlevel,
>> > you might start with reaing and digesting the manual, eventually
>> > trying out how U-Boot works on some (real or emulated) board.
>>
>>   if i can jump in, a good way to start playing is to configure and
>> build for the "sandbox" architecture so you can run it on your x86
>> system.  for the benefit of a couple friends, i whipped together a
>> wiki page for that here:
>>
>> http://www.crashcourse.ca/wiki/index.php/U-Boot_sandbox
>>
>>   very simple but enough to get you started, and you can match up
>> running the commands with the underlying code.
>>
>> rday
>
> Sandbox looks amazing! Thanks share me with this info.  But i still
> wondering that if u-boot doesnt have any book or document explaining how it
> work and how it organized, how pepople can join its development?
>

Hello Woody,

I recommend you to start with the README file since it gives you a high level
overview of U-Boot and some very good specifics too.

Since you are asking about U-Boot source code organization specifically,
you can take a look at the "Directory Hierarchy" section of the README file.

But as others stated before, you should first narrow your search to an area that
interests you. I found that "scratching your own itch" is the best way to learn.

There is no documentation that can replace the source code itself, remember
that a good documentation shouldn't say how thinks are made (for that
you have the code)
but why things were made in a certain way and the design decisions behind that.

Finally, if you think that the documentation is not enough, feel free to send
patches to improve that :-)

As Confusios said "I heard and I forget. I see and I remember. I do
and I understand"

Hope it helps,
Javier

[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear Javier Martinez Canillas,

In message <CABxcv=nAzHp-Mughq_t8eO9LnE0+9ADErLpBJhXmRNVgznKN8Q@mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
>
> There is no documentation that can replace the source code itself, remember
> that a good documentation shouldn't say how thinks are made (for that
> you have the code)
> but why things were made in a certain way and the design decisions behind that.

...and at least the most important design rules are documented on the
U-Boot web page...

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
The average woman would rather have beauty than brains,  because  the
average man can see better than he can think.

[U-Boot] Want to study U-Boot code

[Woody Wu]

My thanks for your saying, Javier.  I will be starting from reading the
README and begin search through the code.  When I get further question,
I will come back here.  Thahks again.

-woody

On Sat, Jan 26, 2013 at 03:11:29PM +0100, Javier Martinez Canillas wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 26, 2013 at 2:07 PM, Woody Wu <narkewoody@gmail.com> wrote:
> > ??? 2013-1-26 AM5:27???"Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday@crashcourse.ca>?????????
> >>
> >> On Fri, 25 Jan 2013, Wolfgang Denk wrote:
> >>
> >> > Dear Woody Wu,
> >> >
> >> > In message <CAAsE_ue4VffAioQWzHPpyOZmzoFk9E5S7jj2+2BZuiK=
> > C5yXtA at mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > I want to firstly get a picture to basically understand how u-boot
> >> > > work, especially on an ARM9 based board. I think not everyone who
> >> > > want to understand u-boot has to read the full code.  Thank.
> >> >
> >> > This depends on your definition of "understanding".  On a highlevel,
> >> > you might start with reaing and digesting the manual, eventually
> >> > trying out how U-Boot works on some (real or emulated) board.
> >>
> >>   if i can jump in, a good way to start playing is to configure and
> >> build for the "sandbox" architecture so you can run it on your x86
> >> system.  for the benefit of a couple friends, i whipped together a
> >> wiki page for that here:
> >>
> >> http://www.crashcourse.ca/wiki/index.php/U-Boot_sandbox
> >>
> >>   very simple but enough to get you started, and you can match up
> >> running the commands with the underlying code.
> >>
> >> rday
> >
> > Sandbox looks amazing! Thanks share me with this info.  But i still
> > wondering that if u-boot doesnt have any book or document explaining how it
> > work and how it organized, how pepople can join its development?
> >
> 
> Hello Woody,
> 
> I recommend you to start with the README file since it gives you a high level
> overview of U-Boot and some very good specifics too.
> 
> Since you are asking about U-Boot source code organization specifically,
> you can take a look at the "Directory Hierarchy" section of the README file.
> 
> But as others stated before, you should first narrow your search to an area that
> interests you. I found that "scratching your own itch" is the best way to learn.
> 
> There is no documentation that can replace the source code itself, remember
> that a good documentation shouldn't say how thinks are made (for that
> you have the code)
> but why things were made in a certain way and the design decisions behind that.
> 
> Finally, if you think that the documentation is not enough, feel free to send
> patches to improve that :-)
> 
> As Confusios said "I heard and I forget. I see and I remember. I do
> and I understand"
> 
> Hope it helps,
> Javier

-- 
woody
I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then.