18–20 Sept 2024
Europe/Vienna timezone

Common git repo for hosting Boot-firmware

18 Sept 2024, 10:20
20m
"Hall N2" (Austria Center)

"Hall N2"

Austria Center

161
System Boot and Security MC System Boot and Security MC

Speakers

Nishanth Menon (Texas Instruments, Inc) Vignesh Raghavendra

Description

We would like to propose a new boot-firmware repository similar to the Linux-firmware repository under the aegis of U-Boot hosting.

In addition to TI [1], it looks like many SoCs (see NXP[2] and Rockchip[3] eg.:) platforms seem to require additional closed-source/open-source binaries to have a complete bootable image. Distribution rights and locations of these binaries are challenging, and there needs to be a standard for how and where they are hosted for end users.

Further, looking ahead to future architectures, we see at least 3 category of firmwares:

  • IP firmware: "specialized controllers" and require firmware for the operation (DDR controller firmware eg.:),
  • boot stage firmware: Additional stages of the boot process involve vendor intermediate firmware, such as power configuration (SCMI or their proprietary equivalent).
  • Security enclave binaries: Many PKA and PQC systems still require proprietary binaries for IP reasons.

Proposal is to create a boot firmware repository in Denx and/or GitHub (if financials are a hurdle, I hope we can solve it as a community).
Also define scope of the repo: what type of firmware can be hosted, licensing, size limit?, what about open source firmwares?, Workflow, ABI and integration guidelines?

Initial RFC on U-Boot list has more details and early feedback of U-Boot community members [4]

[1] https://docs.u-boot.org/en/latest/board/ti/k3.html#software-sources
[2] https://docs.nxp.com/bundle/AN14093/page/topics/build_the_u-boot.html
[3] https://bbs.t-firefly.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=2236
[4] https://lore.kernel.org/u-boot/20240620213539.ftmjhphypssxp5n4@desolate/

Regards
Vignesh / Nishanth

Primary authors

Presentation materials