Re: [PATCH 15/34] image: Add a new type for extlinux

[Tom Rini <trini@konsulko.com>]

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On Fri, Oct 18, 2024 at 11:20:45AM -0600, Simon Glass wrote:
> Hi Tom,
> 
> On Fri, 18 Oct 2024 at 09:17, Tom Rini <trini@konsulko.com> wrote:
> >
> > On Fri, Oct 18, 2024 at 08:57:02AM -0600, Simon Glass wrote:
> > > Hi Tom,
> > >
> > > On Thu, 17 Oct 2024 at 21:14, Tom Rini <trini@konsulko.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > On Thu, Oct 17, 2024 at 05:23:54PM -0600, Simon Glass wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Add an image type for the extlinux.cfg file, which U-Boot supports
> > > > > reading.
> > > > >
> > > > > Signed-off-by: Simon Glass <sjg@chromium.org>
> > > > > ---
> > > > >
> > > > >  boot/image.c    | 1 +
> > > > >  include/image.h | 1 +
> > > > >  2 files changed, 2 insertions(+)
> > > > >
> > > > > diff --git a/boot/image.c b/boot/image.c
> > > > > index abac254e026..cf16fb7fbf7 100644
> > > > > --- a/boot/image.c
> > > > > +++ b/boot/image.c
> > > > > @@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ static const table_entry_t uimage_type[] = {
> > > > >       {       IH_TYPE_FDT_LEGACY, "fdt_legacy", "legacy Image with Flat Device Tree ", },
> > > > >       {       IH_TYPE_RENESAS_SPKG, "spkgimage", "Renesas SPKG Image" },
> > > > >       {       IH_TYPE_STARFIVE_SPL, "sfspl", "StarFive SPL Image" },
> > > > > +     {       IH_TYPE_EXTLINUX_CFG, "extlinux_cfg", "Extlinux configuration" },
> > > > >       {       -1,                 "",           "",                   },
> > > > >  };
> > > >
> > > > This whole part of the series feels like we're abusing IH_TYPE_ far past
> > > > what it's used for. Especially the command line string one. It seems
> > > > like the main use is to be able to later on print something human
> > > > friendly. Please try and figure out some other way to do that. Thanks.
> > >
> > > Yes I had the same thought, particularly with cmdline, as you say.
> > >
> > > The obvious alternative is to just have a string which communicates
> > > the type. Then I can use IH_TYPE_INVALID, perhaps, with an extra
> > > string indicating what it really is.
> > >
> > > But one advantage of the approach in this patch is that, for bootmeths
> > > which include a cmdline, it can be identified and added as a file.
> > > That includes zimage and ChromiumOS, but not EFI. It will allow me to
> > > get rid of the cmdline in struct bootflow, perhaps.
> >
> > Yeah, this all sounds like IH_TYPE is the wrong direction to expand.
> > Where you're grabbing these things from is where you might get a hint as
> > to what these things are and that's where to take the store the
> > knowledge for later.
> 
> They are grabbed from several places:
> - extlinux comes from disk, with the extlinux bootmeth, but can also
> come from 'include' files within that scripts, also pxe
> - EFI apps from from disk with the EFI bootmeth
> - kernel, ramdisk and fdt some from most bootmeths
> - cmdline comes from extlinux (with zImage only) and ChromeOS,
> probably Android but I haven't looked
> - logo comes just from script so far, but I suppose UKI and FIT will
> have it eventually
> 
> Can you be more specific with your suggestion? I am not seeing an
> alternative right now.

I'm just saying that this is not what IH_TYPE is. As you said maybe you
can store this string information elsewhere? And I'm suggesting that
perhaps when you load a thing you'll then also know what the thing is.

-- 
Tom

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