RedBootTools

Revision 4 as of 2009-06-18 20:39:35

Clear message

Summary

We currently ave limited tools to help manage and maintain RedBoot in Ubuntu, which is a common bootloader on ARM devices.

Release Note

Ubuntu now includes tools for managing RedBoot on the ARM architecture.

Rationale

Being able to update Redboot to add significant new functionality, or tocorrect serious bugs is desirable.

Design

  • Creation and inclusion of utilites to do the following:
    • Inclusion of a script to install Redboot to flash or equivelent
    • Addition to the fconfig command to initialize Redboot's FIS tables
    • These scripts need to be integrated into debian-cd so arch specific hacks can be dropped
    • In addition, usb-creator should use these scripts to convert from ISO to IMG assuming ISO is desirable for armel

Test/Demo Plan

Unresolved issues

BOF Notes

Redboot Scripting

* Currently have scripts that change and edit config * http://people.ubuntu.com/~ogra/arm/babbage/redboot-install has a prototype for

  • a redboot installer script

* Script to flash redboot in package flash-kernel * During installation ubiquity and debian-installer set up /etc/kernel-img.conf to call the flash-kernel script as a postinst hook

* Redboot Linux tools (allow manipulation of Redboot from Linux), currently in the redboot-tools package in the ubuntu archive

  • fconfig
    • No init command to initialize redboot
  • fis

* Need to patch the fconfig script to do what is needed * A redbooot-install script similar to the above prototype script will be added to the redboot-tools package

  • the script needs to create a raw wrapper partition to protect the space from being overwritten unintentional by partitioning tools
  • the redboot-tools scripts need to be used to create the cd images in debian-cd, so arch specific hacks in debian-cd can be dropped
  • usb-creator should use the redboot-tools to convert from iso format (if it is actually desired to have .iso images for armel devices)

ACTION

  • ogra to finish redboot-install (make it also usable from x86 so users can create bootable devices in a cross platform way
  • dyfet to take a look at the missing bits to get an "fconfig init" command that sets up an initial redboot configuration without needing a binary blob
  • in case it is decided to use iso images for armel, ogra will discuss the needed changes to usb-creator with evand


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