netdev - Re: [RFC] Online firmware upgrade in non-embedded systems

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Date:	Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:10:50 +0100
From:	Ben Hutchings <bhutchings@...arflare.com>
To:	Carl-Daniel Hailfinger <c-d.hailfinger.devel.2006@....net>
Cc:	netdev <netdev@...r.kernel.org>,
	linux-kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	linux-mtd <linux-mtd@...ts.infradead.org>,
	sf-linux-drivers <linux-net-drivers@...arflare.com>,
	flashrom <flashrom@...shrom.org>
Subject: Re: [RFC] Online firmware upgrade in non-embedded systems

On Wed, 2010-09-29 at 14:45 +0200, Carl-Daniel Hailfinger wrote:
> On 29.09.2010 14:35, Ben Hutchings wrote:
> > On Wed, 2010-09-29 at 00:41 +0200, Carl-Daniel Hailfinger wrote:
> >   
> >> [adding flashrom@...shrom.org to CC, senders will be whitelisted after a
> >> short delay]
> >>
> >> On 28.09.2010 19:59, Ben Hutchings wrote:
> >>     
> >>> Network and disk controllers normally have at least some firmware in
> >>> flash to support their use as boot devices. [...]
> >>>   
> >>>       
> >> Given that the flashrom utility <http://www.flashrom.org/> (GPLv2)
> >> supports flashing many network cards, SATA/PATA controllers, graphics
> >> cards, and of course the main system firmware/BIOS/EFI, and it does that
> >> from userspace without any kernel support,
> >>     
> > [...]
> >
> > I'm looking for a clean solution, not a hack.
> >   
> 
> What would qualify as a clean solution?

One where hardware access is mediated by the kernel, and doesn't involve
unloading or potentially conflicting with the driver for that hardware.

> And is cross-platform code one of your goals?

Not at this level.  At the application level, yes, but we already have a
working application so I'm not interested in using flashrom for that.

Ben.

-- 
Ben Hutchings, Senior Software Engineer, Solarflare Communications
Not speaking for my employer; that's the marketing department's job.
They asked us to note that Solarflare product names are trademarked.

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