[U-Boot] using U-boot to lauch OS-less application

[U-Boot] using U-boot to lauch OS-less application

[Mangelschots, Jef]

Hi,
We are starting a new project targeted to the MPC5121 platform (based on ads5121e reference design).
We will be using Green Hills development environment.

We are investigating our option for boot loader.
We were wondering whether U-boot could serve this purpose.

Questions:

1)      Is it possible to have U-boot launch a standalone executable application, rather than start up an OS (e.g. Linux, VxWorks) ?

2)      If so, is this possible ? what would need to be done ?

3)      Can U-Boot be compiled with GreenHills compiler, or is it best to crosscompile with GNU ?

Thx


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[U-Boot] using U-boot to lauch OS-less application

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear "Mangelschots, Jef",

In message <30B2E08442EE5044AE9822AD2C2F714305396ADC1A@SAFEMAIL.safetran.railad.com> you wrote:
>
> 1)      Is it possible to have U-boot launch a standalone executable
> application, rather than start up an OS (e.g. Linux, VxWorks) ?

Yes, this is possible.

> 2)      If so, is this possible ? what would need to be done ?

Yes, this is possible. You just need to write a standalone
application.

> 3)      Can U-Boot be compiled with GreenHills compiler, or is it best to
> crosscompile with GNU ?

I have no idea if or how thee GH tools work, or if anybody ever tried
or even succeeded building U-Boot with them. If you want reliable
results quickly you are most probably better off with a GNU tool
chain.


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
Where would we be without rhetorical questions?

[U-Boot] using U-boot to lauch OS-less application

[Scott McNutt]

>> 3)      Can U-Boot be compiled with GreenHills compiler, or is it best to
>> crosscompile with GNU ?
> 
> I have no idea if or how thee GH tools work, or if anybody ever tried
> or even succeeded building U-Boot with them. If you want reliable
> results quickly you are most probably better off with a GNU tool
> chain.

We routinely use U-Boot to boot custom applications ... but we
always build U-Boot with the GNU tools. The applications are built
with whatever tools the particular development team requires -- we
keep 'em separate.

I've found this approach to be a much more efficient in terms of
time and effort. ;-)

Regards,
--Scott