[U-Boot] U-Boot Graphics Library?

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear Simon,

In message <CAPnjgZ0vjatrA5X_SuQC4j8-0HC=FOGcj9sSk_zqyCet6iMJhQ at mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
> 
> > Why don't you load and start a small recovery system from the USB
> > stick then?  I don't see why you need a GUI to do that.  This could be
> > mostly made automatic.
> 
> That's exactly what we do, yes!
> 
> But the user has to be told that there is a problem, and be able to
> select their language so they can understand the instructions. The USB
> image needs to be downloaded, and the stick inserted. Also we require

Why has all this to be implemented in U-Boot?  My PC BIOS will not
tell me which files I have to download to install, say, a BIOS update.

Even if you need this, you can probably implement a simple menu to
select the language, and then load a single page (bmp image) with the
rest of the needed information.

> that the stick be inserted while we are watching, since this shows
> that the user is actually present, and it is not a remote attacker
> causing recovery. All of this means instructions are needed, hence the
> bitmaps and text.

Well, you can always come up with a set of requirements and mark these
as mandatory and not negotiable.  This is the marketroid's approach.
As an engineer, we should ask ourself if these requirements make
sense, or if there are other ways to satisfy the (probably reasonable)
wishes of the users.

I think what you request here is technically possible, but it exceeds
the limits of what should be done in a boot loader.  I am pretty much
convinced that you can get the same results with more features and
functionality and less efforts when booting into a small recovery
configuration under Linux instead.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
Never worry about theory as long as  the  machinery  does  what  it's
supposed to do.                                      - R. A. Heinlein