Linux Boot Architecture coordination meeting

[Olivier Martin]

Thanks Grant for adding me to the list,
To introduce myself, I am part of the UEFI team at ARM Ltd. I am also the
maintainer of the ARM Packages in the Open Source implementation of UEFI
(http://www.tianocore.org/ ).

Maybe an issue this "ARM Boot Architecture" topic should solve is the
interface between the boot loader and the Linux kernel binary.

Recently, I was trying to extend our ARM UEFI boot loader to detect the type
of the Linux kernel binary:
- zImage, non-compressed Image, uImage format
- ATAG or FDT support
... to start any kernel by passing the correct parameters and jump to the
right offset.

Unfortunately, it was not as easy as it should be. In fact it does not look
to be possible right now. Defining a signature (eg: kernel binary format +
machine type) in the kernel binary would make the task easier. Some of the
formats have a signature (eg: u-boot) but not all the formats.

Actually, if we try to boot a Linux kernel with the wrong settings then the
kernel would crash or raise an error. And it is not be possible to recover
from this state without restarting the platform.
Making these information available to the boot loader (u-boot, uefi, etc)
would also make easier the migration from the legacy ATAG to the Flat Device
Tree (FDT) support.


BTW, Thursday 15:00UTC is fine for me.

Cheers,
Olivier


-----Original Message-----
From: boot-architecture-bounces at lists.linaro.org
[mailto:boot-architecture-bounces at lists.linaro.org] On Behalf Of Grant
Likely
Sent: 20 June 2011 13:29
To: octo at linaro.org; boot-architecture at lists.linaro.org; Jon Masters; Jeremy
Kerr; nicolas.pitre at linaro.org; Bobby Batacharia; David Rusling; Loïc
Minier; Roger Teague; Jason Parker; Dan Handley; Andrew Pickard; Olivier
Martin; Jean-Christophe PLAGNIOL-VILLARD
Subject: Re: Linux Boot Architecture coordination meeting

2011/6/13 Grant Likely <grant.likely at secretlab.ca>:
> I'd also like to set up a bi-weekly conference call.  I'll try to
> schedule it in the afternoon(europe)/morning(north america) to play
> nice with everyone's schedule.  Right now I'm considering scheduling
> it on Wednesdays, but I'm open to suggestions.

How does Thursday at 15:00UTC sound to everyone?

Also, the boot architecture topic is now on the agenda[1] for the
August Linaro meeting[2].

[1]https://wiki.linaro.org/Events/2011-08-LDS/Schedule
[2]https://wiki.linaro.org/Events/2011-08-LDS

g.

>
> Cheers,
> g.
>
> On Wed, Jun 8, 2011 at 2:32 PM, Grant Likely <grant.likely at secretlab.ca>
wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Following up from the decisions made at UDS last month[1], we need to
>> organize a boot architecture coordination meeting.  Currently the
>> proposal is to hold a meeting either as part of the Linaro platform
>> sprint[2] in the week on August 1-5, 2011, or in the weekend between
>> the platform sprint and the ARM Partners Meeting the week after.
>> Personally, my preference is to schedule a full day meeting on Friday,
>> Aug 5 as part of the platform sprint, but I'd like to get some
>> feedback before settling on that date.
>>
>> [1]
https://blueprints.launchpad.net/linaro/+spec/linaro-kernel-o-bootarchitectu
re
>> [2] https://wiki.linaro.org/Events/2011-08-LDS
>>
>> Right now I'm in the process of organizing the information and topics
>> which were discussed during UDS and get them out onto the Linaro wiki.
>>  Expect to see some early draft documents showing up late this week or
>> early next week.  After that, I'm going to be soliciting feedback and
>> help to make them reflect the priorities and requirements that Linux
>> vendors, users and developers have for the boot architecture.  By the
>> time the Linaro platform sprint rolls around, we should have a solid
>> set of documents covering both requirements and a draft boot
>> architecture.  At the boot architecture meeting, my goal is to first
>> come to agreement on the general approach and draft design, second to
>> make decisions about how the boot architecture fits in with existing
>> technologies like Fastboot, UEFI and U-Boot, and third to kick off
>> work on implementation and detailed design.
>>
>> In order to be successful, we need to make sure the appropriate people
>> are involved.  I've started by sending this email to the people who I
>> know are interested in the topic, but I know I've missed folks.  I'm
>> also going to cc: the boot-architecture at lists.linaro.org[3] for any
>> boot architecture traffic.  Please let me know if there is anybody
>> else that I should be inviting.  In addition to the meeting in August,
>> I'm considering a regular boot architecture conference call as part of
>> the document drafting process, so I'd like to put together a list of
>> critical stakeholders by the end of next week.
>>
>> [3] http://lists.linaro.org/mailman/listinfo/boot-architecture
>> --
>> Grant Likely, B.Sc., P.Eng.
>> Secret Lab Technologies Ltd.
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Grant Likely, B.Sc., P.Eng.
> Secret Lab Technologies Ltd.
>



-- 
Grant Likely, B.Sc., P.Eng.
Secret Lab Technologies Ltd.

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