On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 12:55 AM, Simon Glass sjg@chromium.org wrote:
Hi Wolfgang,
On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 12:08 PM, Wolfgang Denk wd@denx.de wrote:
Dear Simon Glass,
In message CAPnjgZ0E4RfzzL2tfff=CN0xQ5OV+v-QTQNy3s3zb6hn7svV2g@mail.gmail.com you wrote:
On Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 9:20 AM, jonsmirl@gmail.com jonsmirl@gmail.com wr= ote:
...
The concept is to remove SPL as a special class and turn it into the base layer that everything builds on. Changing the model in this was should make the config files easier to understand. Instead of having a single file combining SPL and full u-boot you'd have two independent ones. In my case I'd build one u-boot config that fits into 96K and another full 250K one. Of course the two config files could each include a common base config.
...
That's one way to do it, and makes more and more sense as the amount of available SRAM increases. Of course some SOCs can even set up their SDRAM and read entire programs in, so there are no restrictions. But for those with limitations, it makes sense to me to make SPL more a cut down build of U-Boot than a special program that pulls in #ifdefed code from various places.
Another approach is to just have one U-Boot, but keep everything you need to get started in the first 96KB.
Please keep in mind that there is also a large number of boards that boot form some boot ROM (like NOR flash), i. e. that can directly execute _all_ U-Boot code, without need of any SPL at all.
Any changes to the design of the SPL must not have any adverse effects on such XIP booting systems.
This is a degenerate case for the system I describe - where all the code is in the first part and the second part is empty. It adds nothing but for the extra build complexity already mentioned. I'm not involved enough in SPL yet to be able to say how useful all this is, perhaps later.
I agree, we are thinking about a change in the build process. The binaries produced would still function as they currently do.
Regards, Simon
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@denx.de "More software projects have gone awry for lack of calendar time than for all other causes combined." - Fred Brooks, Jr., _The Mythical Man Month_