[U-Boot-Users] uploading OS over network instead of u-boot downloading it from a server.
Hi all, Is it possible to configure/modify u-Boot so that we upload OS image to it and boot? i.e. instead of u-Boot getting image from a tftp server, it waits for network connection to receive the OS image.
If it is possible, we can save some money on flash since we only need to put a flash large enough to hold u-Booot instead of u-Boot+Linux+file system.
Thanks.
=============================================================== Brian S. Park brian@corelis.com (562) 926-6727 x143 --------------------------------------------------------------- Everything we do helps our customers get to market FASTER with HIGHER quality and LOWER cost ===============================================================
In message 5.1.1.6.2.20030620145525.012aae48@corelis.com you wrote:
Is it possible to configure/modify u-Boot so that we upload OS image to it and boot? i.e. instead of u-Boot getting image from a tftp server, it waits for network connection to receive the OS image.
No. So far U-Boot implements a TFTP client only. There is no server fuctionality of any kind.
If it is possible, we can save some money on flash since we only need to put a flash large enough to hold u-Booot instead of u-Boot+Linux+file system.
I don't understand this. How is this affected by U-Boot being server or client? You can do the same in both configurations. We have U-Boot and Linux running on systems with just a 128 kB EPROM (yes, a real UV-erasable EPROM, you remember?).
Best regards,
Wolfgang Denk
At 12:19 AM 6/21/2003 +0200, Wolfgang Denk wrote:
In message 5.1.1.6.2.20030620145525.012aae48@corelis.com you wrote:
Is it possible to configure/modify u-Boot so that we upload OS image to it and boot? i.e. instead of u-Boot getting image from a tftp server, it waits for network connection to receive the OS image.
No. So far U-Boot implements a TFTP client only. There is no server fuctionality of any kind.
If it is possible, we can save some money on flash since we only need to put a flash large enough to hold u-Booot instead of u-Boot+Linux+file
system.
I don't understand this. How is this affected by U-Boot being server or client? You can do the same in both configurations. We have U-Boot and Linux running on systems with just a 128 kB EPROM (yes, a real UV-erasable EPROM, you remember?).
I understood/assumed 128k is for u-boot only.
The idea is to ship the product with small flash which is large enough hold u-boot only. It won't be practical (support nightmare!) for us to ask our customers to setup a tftp server in order to use our product. However, if the boot loader is capable of receiving the OS image over the network, our PC side application can upload the OS and Ram disk image to our custom board the first time it connects to it.
Is this not a good idea?
Thanks always.
-- Software Engineering: Embedded and Realtime Systems, Embedded Linux Phone: (+49)-8142-4596-87 Fax: (+49)-8142-4596-88 Email: wd@denx.de f u cn rd ths, u cn gt a gd jb n cmptr prgrmmng.
=============================================================== Brian S. Park brian@corelis.com (562) 926-6727 x143 --------------------------------------------------------------- Everything we do helps our customers get to market FASTER with HIGHER quality and LOWER cost ===============================================================
In message 5.1.1.6.2.20030620153323.0131d640@corelis.com you wrote:
I understood/assumed 128k is for u-boot only.
Right. It boots over the net.
The idea is to ship the product with small flash which is large enough hold u-boot only.
This is OK, works fine in many systems :-)
It won't be practical (support nightmare!) for us to ask our customers to setup a tftp server in order to use our product.
What's so complicated about this? See for example how Abatron ships their BDI2000s - they include a free TFTP server on their floppy disks which is so simple that even a Windoze user can start it.
However, if the boot loader is capable of receiving the OS image over the network, our PC side application can upload the OS and Ram disk image to our custom board the first time it connects to it.
Is this not a good idea?
No, it is not. You are trying to re-invent the wheel.
Best regards,
Wolfgang Denk
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Wolfgang Denk