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RedBoot FIS directory and flash config data location


Hello all.

Are there any patches for RedBoot to correctly place the FIS directory
and config data so that they are properly aligned on an erase block?

My system uses an Intel P33 top parameter block StrataFlash. This device
has the upper 128K block divided into 4 32K parameter blocks. I would
like the FIS directory to occupied the first 3 parameter blocks and the
config data to occupy the last 32K block. If this is possible I think
the Linux MTD drivers could be modified to allow these two blocks to be
writeable.

Currently on my system 4 MTD partitions are found when Linux boots
(using a 16MB
device):

Creating 4 MTD partitions on "physmap-flash":
0x00000000-0x00040000 : "RedBoot"
0x00040000-0x00fe0000 : "unallocated"
0x00fe0000-0x00fff000 : "FIS directory"
mtd: partition "FIS directory" doesn't end on an erase block -- force
read-only 0x00fff000-0x01000000 : "RedBoot config"
mtd: partition "RedBoot config" doesn't start on an erase block boundary
-- force read-only

Good - Blocks 0 and 1 contain the RedBoot code itself.
Good - Blocks 2 thru 126 (the last 128K block) are unallocated.
Bad  - Blocks 127, 128, 129 and 28K of block 130 contain the FIS
directory.
Bad  - The last 4K of block 130 contains the RedBoot config.

What I would like is for the last two entries to be:

Good - Blocks 127, 128 and 129 contain the FIS directory.
Good - Block 130 contains the RedBoot config.

I realize this decreases the FID directory by 28K but it appears each
entry is only 256 bytes so there is still space for 384 entries in the
96K region (112 entries are lost by not using the extra 28K). This
should be plenty for most applications. You end up with a lot of wasted
space in the RedBoot config region but I think the trade off is worth
it.

I'm willing to tackle the problem myself but wanted to make sure it
hasn't already been looked at.

Thanks,
Hartley

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