Merging ppc32 and ppc64
Kumar Gala
kumar.gala at freescale.com
Wed Aug 10 01:01:05 EST 2005
> I think you are both right, just using different terminology. The
> running kernel uses its own representation of the device tree, which
> is neither the flattened stuff nor using the OF interfaces. The
> conversion from OF to the flattened tree is done by the kernel itself.
>
> Apple OF \
> SLOF \
> pSeries |-1- prom_init------,
> PIBS / \
> ... / \
> \
> other -----------------------------2--
> unflatten_device_tree--3--
> boot loader /
> /
> iSeries ----------- early_setup---`
>
> All "regular" machines enter in the traditional prom_init path (1)
> from Open Firmware. The embedded machines that are too memory
> constraint
> to use SLOF have a flattened device tree in their boot loader and the
> legacy iSeries boxes can fake the device tree in their
> iSeries_early_setup
> function. The main entry point (2) is entered by all machines when the
> flattened device tree is there and the kernel builds its tree
> representation
> for run time (3).
I guess my point is that in the "new" powerpc arch doing steps 1 & 3
should no longer be part of the kernel proper. The should be handled
by boot wrappers of some form. I know Ben tool care to ensure that
prom_init was isolated from kernel proper and I'm suggesting we move
it into a boot wrapper going forward.
- kumar
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