Date:   Mon, 4 Jul 2022 22:58:02 +0100
From:   Andre Przywara <andre.przywara@....com>
To:     Jernej Škrabec <jernej.skrabec@...il.com>
Cc:     Samuel Holland <samuel@...lland.org>, Chen-Yu Tsai <wens@...e.org>,
        Rob Herring <robh@...nel.org>,
        Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzysztof.kozlowski+dt@...aro.org>,
        Icenowy Zheng <icenowy@...c.io>,
        linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org, linux-sunxi@...ts.linux.dev,
        devicetree@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v11 3/6] arm64: dts: allwinner: Add Allwinner H616 .dtsi
 file

On Mon, 04 Jul 2022 20:42:47 +0200
Jernej Škrabec <jernej.skrabec@...il.com> wrote:

Hi Jernej,

> Dne ponedeljek, 04. julij 2022 ob 15:30:57 CEST je Andre Przywara napisal(a):
> > On Sat, 02 Jul 2022 23:16:53 +0200
> > Jernej Škrabec <jernej.skrabec@...il.com> wrote:
> > 
> > Hi Jernej,
> >   
> > > Dne četrtek, 30. junij 2022 ob 02:04:10 CEST je Andre Przywara napisal(a):  
> > > > On Tue, 03 May 2022 21:05:11 +0200
> > > > Jernej Škrabec <jernej.skrabec@...il.com> wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > Hi Jernej,
> > > > 
> > > > many thanks for taking the time to wade through this file!
> > > >     
> > > > > Dne petek, 29. april 2022 ob 01:09:30 CEST je Andre Przywara   
> napisal(a):  
> > > > > > This (relatively) new SoC is similar to the H6, but drops the   
> (broken)
> > > > > > PCIe support and the USB 3.0 controller. It also gets the management
> > > > > > controller removed, which in turn removes *some*, but not all of the
> > > > > > devices formerly dedicated to the ARISC (CPUS).
> > > > > > And while there is still the extra sunxi interrupt controller, the
> > > > > > package lacks the corresponding NMI pin, so no interrupts for the   
> PMIC.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > The reserved memory node is actually handled by Trusted Firmware   
> now,
> > > > > > but U-Boot fails to propagate this to a separately loaded DTB, so we
> > > > > > keep it in here for now, until U-Boot learns to do this properly.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Signed-off-by: Andre Przywara <andre.przywara@....com>
> > > > > > ---
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >  .../arm64/boot/dts/allwinner/sun50i-h616.dtsi | 574 +++++++++++++++  
> +++
> > > > > >  1 file changed, 574 insertions(+)
> > > > > >  create mode 100644 arch/arm64/boot/dts/allwinner/sun50i-h616.dtsi
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > diff --git a/arch/arm64/boot/dts/allwinner/sun50i-h616.dtsi
> > > > > > b/arch/arm64/    
> > > > > 
> > > > > boot/dts/allwinner/sun50i-h616.dtsi
> > > > >     
> > > > > > new file mode 100644
> > > > > > index 000000000000..cc06cdd15ba5
> > > > > > --- /dev/null
> > > > > > +++ b/arch/arm64/boot/dts/allwinner/sun50i-h616.dtsi
> > > > > > @@ -0,0 +1,574 @@
> > > > > > +// SPDX-License-Identifier: (GPL-2.0+ OR MIT)
> > > > > > +// Copyright (C) 2020 Arm Ltd.
> > > > > > +// based on the H6 dtsi, which is:
> > > > > > +//   Copyright (C) 2017 Icenowy Zheng <icenowy@...c.io>
> > > > > > +
> > > > > > +#include <dt-bindings/interrupt-controller/arm-gic.h>
> > > > > > +#include <dt-bindings/clock/sun50i-h616-ccu.h>
> > > > > > +#include <dt-bindings/clock/sun50i-h6-r-ccu.h>
> > > > > > +#include <dt-bindings/reset/sun50i-h616-ccu.h>
> > > > > > +#include <dt-bindings/reset/sun50i-h6-r-ccu.h>
> > > > > > +
> > > > > > +/ {
> > > > > > +	interrupt-parent = <&gic>;
> > > > > > +	#address-cells = <2>;
> > > > > > +	#size-cells = <2>;
> > > > > > +
> > > > > > +	cpus {
> > > > > > +		#address-cells = <1>;
> > > > > > +		#size-cells = <0>;
> > > > > > +
> > > > > > +		cpu0: cpu@0 {
> > > > > > +			compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";
> > > > > > +			device_type = "cpu";
> > > > > > +			reg = <0>;
> > > > > > +			enable-method = "psci";
> > > > > > +			clocks = <&ccu CLK_CPUX>;
> > > > > > +		};
> > > > > > +
> > > > > > +		cpu1: cpu@1 {
> > > > > > +			compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";
> > > > > > +			device_type = "cpu";
> > > > > > +			reg = <1>;
> > > > > > +			enable-method = "psci";
> > > > > > +			clocks = <&ccu CLK_CPUX>;
> > > > > > +		};
> > > > > > +
> > > > > > +		cpu2: cpu@2 {
> > > > > > +			compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";
> > > > > > +			device_type = "cpu";
> > > > > > +			reg = <2>;
> > > > > > +			enable-method = "psci";
> > > > > > +			clocks = <&ccu CLK_CPUX>;
> > > > > > +		};
> > > > > > +
> > > > > > +		cpu3: cpu@3 {
> > > > > > +			compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";
> > > > > > +			device_type = "cpu";
> > > > > > +			reg = <3>;
> > > > > > +			enable-method = "psci";
> > > > > > +			clocks = <&ccu CLK_CPUX>;
> > > > > > +		};
> > > > > > +	};
> > > > > > +
> > > > > > +	reserved-memory {
> > > > > > +		#address-cells = <2>;
> > > > > > +		#size-cells = <2>;
> > > > > > +		ranges;
> > > > > > +
> > > > > > +		/* 512KiB reserved for ARM Trusted Firmware (BL31) */
> > > > > > +		secmon_reserved: secmon@...00000 {
> > > > > > +			reg = <0x0 0x40000000 0x0 0x80000>;
> > > > > > +			no-map;
> > > > > > +		};
> > > > > > +	};    
> > > > > 
> > > > > I'm not a fan of above. If anything changes in future in BL31, U-Boot
> > > > > would
> > > > > need to reconfigure it anyway. Can we just skip it?    
> > > > 
> > > > I am not a fan neither, but last time I checked this is needed to boot.
> > > > Indeed TF-A inserts this node, with the right values, into U-Boot's DT.
> > > > And that's nicely preserved if you use that DT ($fdtcontroladdr) for
> > > > the kernel as well.
> > > > But if someone *loads* a DTB into U-Boot (to $fdt_addr_r), then
> > > > U-Boot fails to propagate the /reserved-memory node into that copy.
> > > > There does not seem to be a global notion of reserved memory in U-Boot.
> > > > Some commands (like tftp) explicitly parse the control DT to find and
> > > > respect reserved memory regions. bootm does that also, but only to
> > > > avoid placing the ramdisk or DTB into reserved memory. The information
> > > > ends up in images->lmb, but is not used to generate or amend nodes in
> > > > the target DT.
> > > > So the bits and pieces are there, but it will require some code to be
> > > > added to the generic U-Boot code.
> > > > 
> > > > So what do you think? Leaving this out will prevent loading DTBs into
> > > > U-Boot, at the moment, which sounds bad. I suggest we keep it in, for
> > > > now, it should not really hurt. U-Boot will hopefully start to do the
> > > > right thing soon, then we can either phase it out here (maybe when we
> > > > actually change something in TF-A), or let U-Boot fix it.    
> > > 
> > > TBH, if "soon" is really soon, I would rather wait with H616 DT until U-  
> Boot 
> > > supports carrying over reserved memory nodes.  
> > 
> > But this also carries compatibility issues. U-Boot support the H616 for
> > more than a year now, and the earliest possible U-Boot release having that
> > propagation code would be the one released in October.   
> 
> I was hoping you would say July (next U-Boot release) :).

Well, 2022.07 was supposed to be released today, and even if that is
delayed by a bit, that's obviously far too late ;-)

> > And then people
> > would still need to update first, so that's quite some months out.
> > And I was actually hoping to get at least the H616 DT patches off my
> > plate, and get them into the tree to have a stable and agreed upon base
> > (before this series turns into a teenager ;-)  
> 
> Yeah, I would like that too.
> 
> > Then we could for instance update the U-Boot H616 support.
> >   
> > > Whatever we do now, it will have 
> > > compatibility issues. If we introduce reserved memory node now, we can't 
> > > easily drop it later. Bootloaders are not very often updated, but kernels   
> and 
> > > DTB files are, at least in my experience. So when we decide to drop the   
> node?
> > 
> > I think of the three possibilities:
> > - Drop the node now, and ask people to not load DTBs explicitly
> > - Drop the node when U-Boot learned to propagate the reservation
> > - Keep the node
> > the last one is the least painful: having this node in does not really
> > hurt, so we can be very relaxed with this removal decision:
> > - If U-Boot does not add the reserved node, we are covered.
> > - If U-Boot adds the node, it will do so in a way where it deals with
> > existing reservations. So either it doesn't actually change anything, or
> > it extends the reservation.
> > - Should the TF-A location actually move (and we have no plans or needs to
> > do that), people would only get this by updating the firmware, at which
> > point the U-Boot part would surely be in place already. We don't really
> > support updating just BL31 in an existing binary firmware image, so you
> > would get an updated U-Boot as well.
> > 
> > I think the worst case scenario is that users end up with an unneeded 512K
> > reservation. If they care, a firmware update should solve this problem.
> > 
> > As for the time to remove that node: we could do that at the time when
> > (or rather: if) we actually change the TF-A reservation. At the moment
> > there are no plans to do this, and the size reservation is more than
> > generous (the current debug build is actually 77 KB or so only). If there
> > is no change, and the node stays in the .dtsi, it doesn't really hurt, see
> > above.  
> 
> I see your point, but I would like to get some input from Samuel first.
>
> Samuel, what do you think?
> 
> >   
> > > After 10 years? Alternatively, reserved memory node can be just dropped   
> and 
> > > anyone loading DTB file from outside would need to make sure it's patched.   
> But 
> > > that's unexpected from user perspective, although patching DT files is done   
> by 
> > > some distros.  
> > 
> > Yeah, let's not go there. As you know, I already dislike the idea of
> > explicitly loading DTBs at all, but I understand this is what people, and
> > distributions, do, so I'd rather have them covered. Hence the node to
> > work with existing firmware.  
> 
> Reusing DTB from U-Boot is only useful when you're happy with completeness of 
> DT and with the lack of bugs in it. Then you can save troubles with skipping 
> external DTB load step and life is easier. But as you know, features and thus 
> nodes are added in steps and sometimes some bugs are fixed, which means it's 
> extremely handy to have easily updatable DTB file.

Yes, definitely, see my reply to Samuel. I just held back with the DT
update in U-Boot because of the conflict between "we only take pure
kernel tree DTs" and "there is a breaking change" (r_intc binding).

If we find a way forward with the DT stability problem, I am happy to
push for a much more frequent DT update, or even update just the DT in
an existing firmware installation. This can be automated, since the DTB
is just a member in the FIT image, which can be re-assembled with an
updated DTB by some tool or script. Or we use capsule updates, of just
the DTB, separately (if this is possible)?

> Yes, U-Boot can be 
> automated, but it's tedious for distro to maintain one bootloader package per 
> board. Ideally, distro shouldn't care at all about that,

Yes, I totally agree, distros should not ship firmware. Since leaving
this to the board vendors is not realistic, I wonder if we (as "the
sunxi community") should step up here, and provide binary builds (purely
for convenience reasons) of board firmware? That could be updated from
a running Linux, or put on an SD card, or fetched by distros to
generate an installer? Wasn't there even some central storage offered
lately by Linux, to hold (UEFI) firmware update files?

> but many boards don't 
> have designated bootloader storage (SPI NOR flash in AW case), so they have to 
> be combined on same storage, partition even, as distro.

Have you tried eMMC boot partitions? I found them equally convenient as
SPI flash, and while not too many boards actually have SPI flash,
quite some have eMMC (thinking about TV boxes). I recently even
used "dual boot" with a BSP installation.
And even the smallest eMMCs seem to have 4 MB per boot partition, so
plenty of space for U-Boot (plus TF-A plus crust).

> On the other hand, 
> when building kernel, you automatically build all relevant DTB files, which you 
> can then just copy to common place. No device specific handling needed. Also, 
> U-Boot doesn't sync DT files every release, so latest U-Boot doesn't necessarly 
> mean latest DT.

Yes, for the compatibility reasons mentioned. I am more than happy to
make this a regular exercise (say at each kernel's -rc3 or so).

> Above is a bit off topic, but I hope you understand why distros opt to use 
> external DTB files (speaking from my own experiences).

Yes, I understand where they (including LE) are coming from, to provide
a pragmatic solution to the users' problems. And that's why I wanted to
still give the possibility to load a DTB, even though I think this
should not be the standard way.

Cheers,
Andre

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