[U-Boot] i.MX6: mx6qsabrelite: allow use with Freescale 2.6.38 kernels

Dirk Behme
2012-03-03T06:35:21Z

Dear Wolfgang,

On 03.03.2012 00:25, Wolfgang Denk wrote:
> Dear Eric Nelson,
>
> In message<1330728909-12203-1-git-send-email-eric.nelson@boundarydevices.com> you wrote:
>> This series of patches is needed to allow main-line U-Boot to be used
>> with Freescale's Linux 2.6.38 non-DT kernel releases.
>>
>> These releases currently require at least the machine type and
>> revision atag entries and are configured to load boot scripts from
>> the ext3 filesystem.
>
> Is this really needed? I feel we should rather focus on current
> mainline kernel code and support that well instead of adding backward
> compatibility complexity for old, obsolete code.
>
> People who want to run FSL kernels should be able run FSL's version
> of U-Boot.

Hmm, yes, some days ago, when this discussion started, I was under the
same impression. But:

After thinking some days about it, I wonder if it would help to make
the transition path to mainline easier. So maybe it's not mainly a
technical issue, but more a political one ;)

Having Freescale working on these quite old and unclean U-Boot and
Kernel versions is a pain. Kernel is an other topic, but with U-Boot,
thanks to the very good work of everybody, we are in a good position
to get rid of the old Freescale U-Boot, now. And get everybody to work
with mainline and create patches against it.

So if it helps to apply some backward compatibility to make it easier
for everybody, esp. Freescale, to switch to mainline U-Boot, I think
we should try it.

Let's try to make the first step with U-Boot. Then try to make the
next, harder, step with the kernel.

Best regards

Dirk