[U-Boot-Users] Passing MACs to Linux

[Jerry Van Baren <gerald.vanbaren@ge.com>]

Russell McGuire wrote:
> Guys,
> 
> I am sure this has been brought up a number of times, so forgive me in 
> advance.
> 
> I did notice however, not sure which version, but between 1.3.1 and 
> 1.3.3 U-boot That my MAC for my Ethernet device was no longer being
> passed into linux, or perhaps over written by the blob.
> 
> So for a quick status check.
> 
> What is the current operation / priority of how MACs are passed into 
> Linux 2.6.24+ vs the U-boot 1.3.3+ environment string?

Check what your .dts source looks like vs. an example .dts of the same 
processor (and, preferably a similar/same board) from the linux source 
tree.  As you noticed, things have been improving in the 2.6.2x and 
1.3.x timeframes, but .dts improvements are necessary to support the 
code improvements.

I would especially look at your .dts and see if it has a /aliases node 
with properties that point to your CPU, serial, ethernet, (and other?) 
properties.  The newer fixup functions look up the generic name in 
/aliases and use that to find the "real" property to fix up rather than 
having lots of hardcoded board/cpu specific #defines compiled into 
u-boot to fix up the "real" property directly.

"All problems in computer science can be solved by another level of 
indirection." - Butler Lampson

HTH,
gvb