[U-Boot-Users] builtin OF tree dtb gone

[Jerry Van Baren <gerald.vanbaren@comcast.net>]

Joakim Tjernlund wrote:
> While trying out the latest u-boot from my board I noticed that
> support for using a prebuilt OF tree compiled int u-boot is gone.
> The oftree_dtb symbol is gone and I can't find a replacement.
> 
> Why was it removed and is there a replacement?
> 
> If there isn't a replacement I request that
> one is added.
> 
>  Jocke

I'm not the authority on this, but I believe the intent is that you 
compile the blob outside of u-boot and then you can load it into RAM via 
tftp or burn it into flash if you want it permanently on the board. 
Other than having to download and burn two things (u-boot and the dtb 
blob) rather than one, having it burn into flash separately is no 
different from compiling it into the u-boot image and is aesthetically 
much cleaner and more flexible.

The New Improved[tm] bootm command takes address of the OF blob as the 
third parameter (help bootm).

IIRC, Wolfgang was not wild about building the blob into u-boot, it 
really isn't a u-boot "thing."

I am looking into/working on a flattened device tree command that would 
allow you to manipulate a OF blob in flash or RAM like the current env 
variables.  I have a dream of integrating it with the env storage, but 
all this takes time.  (I volunteer for too much - my ego writes checks 
that my brain cannot cash. ;-)

Best regards,
gvb