[U-Boot-Users] [PATCH] Add 'imload' command

[Bartlomiej Sieka]

Kumar Gala wrote:
> 
> On Feb 13, 2008, at 4:11 AM, Bartlomiej Sieka wrote:
> 
>> Kumar Gala wrote:
>>> 'imload' provides a more direct means to load from an image file.
>>> Also created a load_image routine out of the code in do_bootm() that
>>> is shared between do_bootm() and do_imload().
>>> Signed-off-by: Kumar Gala <galak at kernel.crashing.org>
>>> ---
>>> Note, this is against the u-boot-testing new-image branch.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Two comments:
>> - The load_image routine (and consequently imload commad) will not 
>> work when the image is stored in Data Flash.
> 
> what's the issue here?

Please have a look at code under CONFIG_HAS_DATAFLASH in get_kernel()
(formerly in do_bootm()), especially the read_dataflash() function. The
issue is that you have to copy data from Data Flash in a specific way in
order to have random access to it. So for example this line in your code:
type_name = image_get_type_name (image_get_type (hdr));
will effectively try to access hdr->ih_type, which will not work when
hdr is an address in Data Flash.

> 
>> - The code as-is will clearly not work with the new image format -- 
>> how about we wait a few days for the new format patchset I've 
>> mentioned in my previous email today? Note that the patchset will have 
>> a routine that you could use to deal with the Data Flash scenario.
> 
> 
> I'm concerned about how long it will be before people adopt the new 
> image format.  Also, do you at least have a spec for the new image format?

There has been quite a bit information on the new image format posted to
the list, please refer to the following threads:
http://www.nabble.com/RFC%3A-New-U-boot-image-format-to14277371.html#a14417957
http://www.nabble.com/RFC%3A-New-uImage-format-bindings-to14417699.html#a14417699
http://www.nabble.com/RFC%3A-new-bootm-syntax-to14594482.html#a14594482

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Regards,
Bartlomiej