[U-Boot-Users] Re: [PATCH] ARTOS boot support for u-boot

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear Pantelis,

in message <3E9EBB5B.4030609 at intracom.gr> you wrote:
> 
> >>o Two level access password support.
> >>
> >
> >What do you mean with "two level"?
> >
> By two level I mean that when something is deployed normally there are 
> two access
> levels. One level is the user level, which is allowed to view settings 
> and alter
> very few parameters. The other level is the administrator level in which 
> it is
> permitted to do (almost) anything.

I cannot see a way to implement this  without  dramatically  changing
the  functionality and code of U-Boot. You cannot easily restrict the
user from - for example - overwriting certain  environment  variables
without castrating him from the power of defining his own settings.

I feel when you need such a level of authentification then the  boot
loader is not the right environment for your task - use an OS.

> >>o Different boot-modes.
> >>
> >
> >Please explain. There already are different boot modes, with a lot of
> >configuration options depending on the specific board.
> >
> Sure. Depending on the deployment method for each site the configuration
> of the devices differ.
> 
> For example when you do a trial deployment it is pretty normal to have every
> device configured individually  by the  administration.  In normal operation
> the devices operate using DHCP/TFTP for obtaining their settings. In both
> of these modes password are honoured, and the booting of the kernel is
> immediate
> Developers in the other hand are working in a
> different level and like access to everything including to be able to
> do a full factory-type resetting of the paramers.
> 
> Think of it as simplified run-levels.

OK, but which of this part needs new or modified code? All  this  can
be done with U-Boot as is now.

> >How good is your German? Can you parse board/lwmon/README.keybd ?
> >
> My German is not existant unfortunately, but I'll pass it to a collegue 
> who is fluent.

Thanks. I guess I should provide an Engish version one day, too.  But
so  far,  all  our  customers  who  used  features like that are from
Germany, and insisted on German docs.

> >>o Cisco router like command interface with history and command completion.
> >
> >But please do not try to add readline support - the readline  lib  is
> >way too big...
> >
> No it is not like readline. It is much more light-weight, the current 
> version
> weighs in at about 12k.

Light-weight? Ummm... that's about 10 times (or more) the size of the
existing command line parser.

> DNS lookup capability. Yes I know that it is strange but actually some DHCP
> options can return hostnames so it is needed.

Really? Which one? (Which RFC?)

> Wolfgang you are free to veto anything that you deem unacceptable;
> the best I can do is to present my case for the inclusion of these features.

In general I follow the very simple principle that something which is
beneficial to one ore more people without hurting others is good  and
will be added. 

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
Software Engineering:  Embedded and Realtime Systems,  Embedded Linux
Phone: (+49)-8142-4596-87  Fax: (+49)-8142-4596-88  Email: wd at denx.de
Prediction is very difficult, especially of the future.  - Niels Bohr