[U-Boot] U-boot multi-file format

[U-Boot] U-boot multi-file format

[Diego]

Hi all,

I'm trying to use the multi-file format mentioned in pages 12-13 of "U-Boot – Multi image booting scenarios" PDF slides.

I'd like to use FIT format, but I already have units in the field without CONFIG_FIT.

So I'd like to use the legacy U-Boot multi-file format, but I don't understand the format that should be used for the ramdisk. I already have a multi-file image that boots the kernel with the dtb, but it crashes when the ramdisk is needed (looking for an address outside of physical memory limits).

Which format should be used for the ramdisk? ext3.gz initrd? cpio.gz initramfs?

Thanks for any help!

Bests,
Diego

[U-Boot] U-boot multi-file format

[Diego]

In data domenica 19 marzo 2017 23:14:14 CEST, Diego ha scritto:
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm trying to use the multi-file format mentioned in pages 12-13 of "U-Boot
> – Multi image booting scenarios" PDF slides.
> 
> I'd like to use FIT format, but I already have units in the field without
> CONFIG_FIT.
> 
> So I'd like to use the legacy U-Boot multi-file format, but I don't
> understand the format that should be used for the ramdisk. I already have a
> multi-file image that boots the kernel with the dtb, but it crashes when
> the ramdisk is needed (looking for an address outside of physical memory
> limits).
> 
> Which format should be used for the ramdisk? ext3.gz initrd? cpio.gz
> initramfs?
> 

Hi all,

as I've found the solution, I'll reply myself in the hope it might help 
somebody in the future.

The format can be both ext3.gz initrd, or cpio.gz, as I've seen a working 
example of ext3.gz initrd here:
https://alteraforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51423&p=212064#post212064
And I've been able to make a cpio.gz initramfs by specifying an initrd_high 
address below the location of the multi-file address. Leaving the 
initrd_high=0xffffffff was causing the kernel to not find the ramdisk image, 
thus crashing.

Hope it helps,
Diego

[U-Boot] U-boot multi-file format

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear Diego,

In message <3013204.RF8YVXT0ez@localhost.localdomain> you wrote:
>
> > Which format should be used for the ramdisk? ext3.gz initrd? cpio.gz
> > initramfs?

Actually this is independent of U-Boot.

> as I've found the solution, I'll reply myself in the hope it might help 
> somebody in the future.
> 
> The format can be both ext3.gz initrd, or cpio.gz, as I've seen a working 
> example of ext3.gz initrd here:

It can be anything that is understood by the Linux kernel you are
trying to boot.  U-Boot is just the tool that puts the image into
memory - all the rest is the responsibility of Linux.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

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