[U-Boot-Users] RFC: New U-boot image format

Wolfgang Denk
2007-12-18T16:12:50Z

In message <4767E487.8020103@freescale.com> you wrote:
>
> I have a request for a new feature. I think we need image-format plug-ins.
> That is, we need a way for a plug-in to register itself with the main format
> processing code. When the processing code sees a blob that it doesn't
> understand, it calls the plug-in to handle it.

This sounds like a good idea as it allows the code to deal with new or
customized image formats.

> I would need from the multi-image format is:
>
> 1) A way to package my blob.

OK.

> 2) A way to pass the address of the blob to the QE code
>
> For option #2, setting an environment variable would be the easiest. To do

NAK. Using an envuironment variable is definitely not a good idea,
and probably not sufficient. Assume the situation where you have
"autostart" set to "yes" and use DHCP to download and start the
image, or where you use "tftp" followed by a "bootm" command to do
the same. In both cases there is no direct "hook" to do what you ask
for - ther eis no sane place where the envrionment variable would be
set (in the network code?) nor where it would be taken into account.

Your initial comment about image-specific plugins (that could be
specified for and run with specific commands like iminfo or bootm)
makes much more sense to me.

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
Contrary to popular belief, thinking does not cause brain damage.