Improve kexecboot - Revision history

Jay7: /* Contractor Candidates */

2012-04-25T20:37:44Z

‎Contractor Candidates

Jay7: /* Links */

2012-04-25T20:36:33Z

‎Links

Jay7: /* Related work */

2012-04-25T20:36:00Z

‎Related work

Hisaomunakata at 03:29, 24 April 2012

2012-04-24T03:29:40Z

Hisaomunakata at 03:28, 24 April 2012

2012-04-24T03:28:59Z

Hisaomunakata: Created page with "; Summary : Improve kexecboot ; Proposer : Yuri Bushmelev == Description == Kexecboot is a C program able to scan the partitions on available devices, offering a graphical fram..."

2012-04-24T03:27:16Z

Created page with "; Summary : Improve kexecboot ; Proposer : Yuri Bushmelev == Description == Kexecboot is a C program able to scan the partitions on available devices, offering a graphical fram..."

New page

; Summary : Improve kexecboot

; Proposer : Yuri Bushmelev

== Description ==
Kexecboot is a C program able to scan the partitions on available devices,
offering a graphical framebuffer menu and allowing user to select from which
one to boot. Specifically, kexecboot creates the command line for kexec.

Kexecboot can be launched as init in the initramfs or as a standalone binary.

Typically kexecboot resides together with kexec in a small initramfs,
embedded in a custom-tailored kernel compiled with support for initramfs and
kexec system call.
Both binaries are built static, linked against klibc to optimize size.

Flashed on NAND and launched as first kernel by the original bootloader,
this solution gives following advantages:

* multi machine support: we build for many architectures using
OpenEmbedded/Yocto (tested on arm, mips and x86/x86_64)
* zImage and uImage (for arm and sh) support
* easy customization: just add machine-specific workarounds (see
Zaurus raw read of bootparams from NAND)
* small size: complete linux-kexecboot_3.2.x image (initramfs +
kernel) is less than 1Mb (with lzma compression)
* easy boot choice: boot from SD/CF/NAND/... even if bootloader
doesn't support it
* multiple fs detection: we support many filesystems e.g. ext2/3/4,
jffs2, reiserfs, vfat and more (ubifs is work in progress)
* kernel upgrade: no need to flash the device (kernel is in /boot of
removable media)
* rapid testing: different distributions can live in separate
partitions on the same device

Thus, kexecboot is an interesting solution for embedded linux distributions,
which can just rely on it without having to consider what the real
bootloader can and cannot do.

About customization, initially the program has been developed for Sharp
Zaurus PDA (armv5te).
For the machines of that family there is specific code reading bootparams
directly from NAND, circumventing the obsolete bootloader which is
incompatible with modern kernels.

=== Proposed improvements ===
# Improve user interface: show progress bar while scanning devices,
display messages in nice dialog boxes, adopt UI for qvga screen,
improve overall GUI perfomance.
# Implement GUI -> text UI fallback when GUI can't be initialized.
# Add support for multiple "boot methods". Now we have only one method
actually (kexec). It would be great to add methods, based on switch_root,
losetup and network boot.
# Add ability to work without procfs. Use config file from current
/boot directory instead.
# Implement timeout indication in "--enable-timeout"-mode.

=== Links ===
* site http://kexecboot.org
* git tree http://git.linuxtogo.org/?p=groups/kexecboot/kexecboot.git
* OpenEmbedded recipes:
http://cgit.openembedded.org/meta-openembedded/tree/meta-initramfs
* Sharp Zaurus BSP for Yocto Project: http://git.openembedded.org/meta-handheld

== Related work ==
* kexec-tools -
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/horms/kexec-tools/README.html
* kexec-loader - http://www.solemnwarning.net/kexec-loader
* Qi Bootmenu - http://www.brain-dump.org/projects/qi-bootmenu/
* Ubuntu ARMSoftbootLoader specs -
http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Specs/ARMSoftbootLoader

== Scope ==
This should take about 10 person-weeks.

== Contractor Candidates ==
* Yury Bushmelev (jay7) <jay4mail at gmail.com>, kexecboot lead developer.
* Marko Kati? (dromede) <dromede at gmail.com>, zaurus community developer.

== Comments ==

[[Category:Project proposals 2012]]

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 == Contractor Candidates ==
 * Yury Bushmelev (jay7) <jay4mail at gmail.com>, kexecboot lead developer.
-* Marko Kati? (dromede) <dromede at gmail.com>, zaurus community developer.
+* Marko Katić (dromede) <dromede at gmail.com>, zaurus community developer.
 == Comments ==
 [[Category:Project proposals 2012]]

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 === Links ===
-* site http://kexecboot.org
+* site: http://kexecboot.org
-* git tree http://git.linuxtogo.org/?p=groups/kexecboot/kexecboot.git
+* git tree: http://git.linuxtogo.org/?p=groups/kexecboot/kexecboot.git
-* OpenEmbedded recipes:
+* OpenEmbedded recipes: http://cgit.openembedded.org/meta-openembedded/tree/meta-initramfs
 http://cgit.openembedded.org/meta-openembedded/tree/meta-initramfs
 * Sharp Zaurus BSP for Yocto Project: http://git.openembedded.org/meta-handheld

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 == Related work ==
-* kexec-tools -
+* kexec-tools - http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/horms/kexec-tools/README.html
 http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/horms/kexec-tools/README.html
 * kexec-loader - http://www.solemnwarning.net/kexec-loader
 * Qi Bootmenu - http://www.brain-dump.org/projects/qi-bootmenu/
-* Ubuntu ARMSoftbootLoader specs -
+* Ubuntu ARMSoftbootLoader specs - http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Specs/ARMSoftbootLoader
 http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Specs/ARMSoftbootLoader
 == Scope ==

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 this solution gives following advantages:
-* multi machine support: we build for many architectures using
+* multi machine support: we build for many architectures using OpenEmbedded/Yocto (tested on arm, mips and x86/x86_64)
 OpenEmbedded/Yocto (tested on arm, mips and x86/x86_64)
 * zImage and uImage (for arm and sh) support
-* easy customization: just add machine-specific workarounds (see
+* easy customization: just add machine-specific workarounds (see Zaurus raw read of bootparams from NAND)
 Zaurus raw read of bootparams from NAND)
 * small size: complete linux-kexecboot_3.2.x image (initramfs +kernel) is less than 1Mb (with lzma compression)
 * easy boot choice: boot from SD/CF/NAND/... even if bootloader doesn't support it
-* multiple fs detection: we support many filesystems e.g. ext2/3/4,
+* multiple fs detection: we support many filesystems e.g. ext2/3/4, jffs2, reiserfs, vfat and more (ubifs is work in progress)
 jffs2, reiserfs, vfat and more (ubifs is work in progress)
 * kernel upgrade: no need to flash the device (kernel is in /boot of removable media)
 * rapid testing: different distributions can live in separate partitions on the same device

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 Typically kexecboot resides together with kexec in a small initramfs,
-embedded in a custom-tailored kernel compiled with support for initramfs and
+embedded in a custom-tailored kernel compiled with support for initramfs and kexec system call.
 kexec system call.
 Both binaries are built static, linked against klibc to optimize size.
@@ Line 23: / Line 22: @@
 * easy customization: just add machine-specific workarounds (see
 Zaurus raw read of bootparams from NAND)
-* small size: complete linux-kexecboot_3.2.x image (initramfs +
+* small size: complete linux-kexecboot_3.2.x image (initramfs +kernel) is less than 1Mb (with lzma compression)
-kernel) is less than 1Mb (with lzma compression)
+* easy boot choice: boot from SD/CF/NAND/... even if bootloader doesn't support it
 * easy boot choice: boot from SD/CF/NAND/... even if bootloader
 doesn't support it
 * multiple fs detection: we support many filesystems e.g. ext2/3/4,
 jffs2, reiserfs, vfat and more (ubifs is work in progress)
-* kernel upgrade: no need to flash the device (kernel is in /boot of
+* kernel upgrade: no need to flash the device (kernel is in /boot of removable media)
-removable media)
+* rapid testing: different distributions can live in separate partitions on the same device
 * rapid testing: different distributions can live in separate
 partitions on the same device
 Thus, kexecboot is an interesting solution for embedded linux distributions,
@@ Line 38: / Line 33: @@
 bootloader can and cannot do.
-About customization, initially the program has been developed for Sharp
+About customization, initially the program has been developed for Sharp Zaurus PDA (armv5te).
-Zaurus PDA (armv5te).
+For the machines of that family there is specific code reading bootparams directly from NAND,
-For the machines of that family there is specific code reading bootparams
+circumventing the obsolete bootloader which is incompatible with modern kernels.
 directly from NAND, circumventing the obsolete bootloader which is
 incompatible with modern kernels.
 === Proposed improvements ===
-# Improve user interface: show progress bar while scanning devices,
+# Improve user interface: show progress bar while scanning devices, display messages in nice dialog boxes, adopt UI for qvga screen, improve overall GUI perfomance.
 display messages in nice dialog boxes, adopt UI for qvga screen,
 improve overall GUI perfomance.
 # Implement GUI -> text UI fallback when GUI can't be initialized.
-# Add support for multiple "boot methods". Now we have only one method
+# Add support for multiple "boot methods". Now we have only one method actually (kexec). It would be great to add methods, based on switch_root, losetup and network boot.
-actually (kexec). It would be great to add methods, based on switch_root,
+# Add ability to work without procfs. Use config file from current /boot directory instead.
 losetup and network boot.
 # Add ability to work without procfs. Use config file from current
 /boot directory instead.
 # Implement timeout indication in "--enable-timeout"-mode.