On 10/2/10 1:07 AM, vibi sreenivasan wrote:
> Is there any specification on what bootloader has to do before loading os.
> I think that is needed. Presently every thing in
> eros/src/sys/arch/arm/kernel/Iostart.s is tailored for
> booting from redboot.
>
> If we make a specification we can move some part to a regular
> bootloader or minimal
> initial program loader&  make os specific part more portable&  general.

As you probably know, the x86 version of CapROS is compliant with the 
Multiboot specification. Unfortunately there's no ARM version of the 
Multiboot spec, so we are on our own. There are many different ARM 
systems and development boards, and we have no BIOS to help sort them 
out, so it is inevitable that the ARM startup code will have a lot of 
system-specific code. What CapROS has right now is tailored to the 
Cirrus EDB9315 and EDB9315A which are the two boards I happen to have. 
Both use the Cirrus EP9315 processor.

eros/src/sys/arch/arm/kernel/lostart.S has two options. It can boot from 
EDB9315x flash memory, or it can boot via Redboot. The checked-in code 
has the Redboot toggle set because that allows me to load new versions 
via Ethernet rather than writing to slow flash.

At the moment the code is the specification. Are you asking for better 
documentation on the conditions it expects from the boot loader? I'm 
afraid it would be pretty EP9315-specific. Are you trying to use a 
different boot loader or a different platform? If you let me know your 
motivation I might be able to better help.

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