[PATCH v4 4/4] doc: usage: autoboot: update content

[Ferass El Hafidi]

On Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:49, Heinrich Schuchardt <xypron.glpk at gmx.de> wrote:
>On 4/16/26 16:57, Ferass El Hafidi wrote:
>> The autoboot documentation is quite outdated. While converting to rST
>> for being publicly accessible in the docs website, document all basic
>> autoboot options in there instead of referring to the README (which
>> no longer mentions any autoboot configuration option), and don't instruct
>> defining CONFIG_AUTOBOOT_PROMPT with a C #define (as CONFIG_ options may
>> only be defined in Kconfig).
>> 
>> Signed-off-by: Ferass El Hafidi <funderscore at postmarketos.org>
>> ---
>>   doc/usage/autoboot.rst | 31 ++++++++++++++++++++-----------
>>   1 file changed, 20 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
>> 
>> diff --git a/doc/usage/autoboot.rst b/doc/usage/autoboot.rst
>> index 3b6f040008b..5d16fd2c3a2 100644
>> --- a/doc/usage/autoboot.rst
>> +++ b/doc/usage/autoboot.rst
>> @@ -3,18 +3,28 @@
>>   .. (C) Copyright 2001
>>   .. Dave Ellis, SIXNET, dge at sixnetio.com
>>   
>> -Using autoboot configuration options
>> -====================================
>> +Autoboot configuration options
>> +==============================
>>   
>> -The basic autoboot configuration options are documented in the main
>> -U-Boot README. See it for details. They are:
>> +The basic autoboot configuration options are:
>>   
>> -::
>> +CONFIG_BOOTDELAY, "bootdelay" environment variable
>> +    The "bootdelay" environment variable sets the delay in seconds
>> +    before automatically booting.
>>   
>> -        bootdelay
>> -        bootcmd
>> -        CONFIG_BOOTDELAY
>> -        CONFIG_BOOTCOMMAND
>> +    To disable the delay, it can be either set to 0 (to still accept key
>> +    input to stop booting) or -2 (to also disable listening for key input).
>> +    Setting to -1 has the effect of disabling autoboot.
>> +
>> +    The corresponding configuration option defines the default value of
>> +    the "bootdelay" variable.
>> +
>> +CONFIG_BOOTCOMMAND, "bootcmd" environment variable
>> +    The "bootcmd" environment variable defines the command that is run if
>> +    the user does not cancel the boot process.
>> +
>> +    The corresponding configuration option defines the default value of
>> +    the "bootcmd" variable.
>>   
>>   Some additional options that make autoboot safer in a production
>>   product are documented here.
>> @@ -84,8 +94,7 @@ CONFIG_AUTOBOOT_PROMPT
>>   
>>       ::
>>   
>> -        #define CONFIG_AUTOBOOT_PROMPT \
>> -                "\rBooting in %d seconds"
>> +        \rBooting in %d seconds
>
>The default is 'Autoboot in %d seconds\n'.
>
>Why would you put a carriage return at the start?

See patch 1/4 that makes AUTOBOOT_PROMPT be used regardless of
AUTOBOOT_KEYED. When AUTOBOOT_KEYED is disabled the default
AUTOBOOT_PROMPT is "\rHit any key to stop autoboot: %d".
It is only "Autoboot in %d seconds\n" when AUTOBOOT_KEYED is also
enabled.

--
Best regards,
Ferass