[PATCH v3 10/10] env: ubi: add support to create environment volume if it does not exist

[Simon Glass]

Hi Weijie,

On 2026-04-27T07:09:11, Weijie Gao <weijie.gao at mediatek.com> wrote:
> env: ubi: add support to create environment volume if it does not exist
>
> Add an option to allow environment volume being auto created if not
> exist.
>
> Signed-off-by: Weijie Gao <weijie.gao at mediatek.com>
>
> env/Kconfig | 11 +++++++++++
>  env/ubi.c   | 35 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
>  2 files changed, 45 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

> diff --git a/env/Kconfig b/env/Kconfig
> @@ -699,6 +699,17 @@ config ENV_UBI_VOLUME_REDUND
> +config ENV_UBI_VOLUME_CREATE
> +     bool "Create UBI volume if not exist"
> +     depends on ENV_IS_IN_UBI
> +     help
> +       This option is useful if u-boot will be booted from a fresh device
> +       where environment volume hasn't been created in the UBI partition.
> +       This is a common case where factory UBI image contains only volumes
> +       with valid data.
> +       By enabling this option, environment volume(s) will be created before
> +       loading if not exist.

Please use 'U-Boot' rather than 'u-boot' and tidy the grammar (e.g.
'if it does not exist', 'where the environment volume has not been
created', 'any missing environment volumes will be created before
loading'). Also mention that with CONFIG_ENV_REDUNDANT both volumes
are created.

> diff --git a/env/ubi.c b/env/ubi.c
> @@ -134,6 +151,15 @@ static int env_ubi_load(void)
> +     if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME_CREATE)) {
> +             create1_fail = env_ubi_volume_create(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME);
> +             create2_fail = env_ubi_volume_create(CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME_REDUND);
> +             if (create1_fail && create2_fail) {
> +                     env_set_default(NULL, 0);
> +                     return -ENODEV;
> +             }
> +     }

Just to clarify the intent: if only one creation fails, this falls
through and the subsequent ubi_volume_read() prints 'Unable to read
redundant env from ...' which is confusing on a fresh device. Clearer
to fail (or print a dedicated message) as soon as either creation
fails - what do you think?

> diff --git a/env/ubi.c b/env/ubi.c
> @@ -105,12 +105,29 @@ static int env_ubi_save(void)
> +     ret = ubi_create_vol(volume, CONFIG_ENV_SIZE, true, UBI_VOL_NUM_AUTO,
> +                          false);

The dynamic flag is hard-coded to true. Sensible default, but please
mention the choice in the commit message or Kconfig help.

The commit message is quite terse - normally we like to see a
motivation (fresh device with a factory UBI image lacking the env
volume) - also note that for CONFIG_ENV_REDUNDANT both volumes are
created.

Regards,
Simon