Skip to contentSkip to conversation

Fallback kernel

U-Boot-Users Marco Stornelli 2 participants 2 messages Nov 29, 2007 – Dec 3, 2007

lore
Share & tools
lore
#0 lore raw
Quoted 7 lines · Wolfgang Denk
Quoted 6 lines

I'm using two Linux kernel a fallback (safe) kernel and a kernel downloaded in flash via ethernet. I'd like that u-boot starts the downloaded kernel, if this kernel fails for more than N times uboot starts the fallback. Is there already something like in uboot or how can I do that?

Quoted 8 lines

U-Boot supports the "bootcount" variable to implement the Boot Count Limit feature (see CGL Requirements Definition). However, this requires a little processor specific support which so far is available only on few CPUs (but trivial to add where missing).

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

Why does it require a little processor specific support? In the bootcount_load and bootcount_store, we could use an uboot environment variable to store and load the value (if the env is in flash for example), isn't it?

#1 lore raw

Hi Marco,

Quoted 4 lines

Why does it require a little processor specific support? In the bootcount_load and bootcount_store, we could use an uboot environment variable to store and load the value (if the env is in flash for example), isn't it?

Because we do not want to erase a flash sector for every boot iteration.

Ok, this could be implemented in a more clever way, but this effort is better spent on other areas of U-Boot when most CPUs offer some kind of a "breadcrumb" register surviving resets.

Cheers
Detlev

Signature · 5 lines
He thinks he's really smooth, but he's only C^1.
--
DENX Software Engineering GmbH,      MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich,  Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-40 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: dzu at denx.de