[LinuxBIOS] Use Linux MTD framework for SPI flash?

[Stefan Reinauer]

* Jordan Crouse <jordan.crouse at amd.com> [070731 17:28]:
> I think that the MTD is the right horse to bet on here - if anything,
> it will enrich a larger community.  And, if flashrom understands
> how to talk to the MTD interfaces, and somebody adds a SPI chip to the
> kernel that we don't yet know about, we win for free.

In this scenario, who loads the correct kernel module(s)? 

Which southbridges does the MTD SPI code support? Last time I checked
only some ARM embedded systems were possibly supported.

> Even if we only put the really generic SPI code into the MTD subsystem,
> I think its a good thing.  The way I see it, flashrom should _want_ to
> use the generic interfaces, and if it can't, it will go its own way like
> it does now.  Even in the worst cases, that will mean less work and less
> duplication.
 
Flashrom _is_ the generic interface for many systems. 

I think mtd is overly generic and overly complex for what it helps for
bios flash chips. But if we can easily support it (patches anyone) we
should of course do it. For the task of bios flashing mtd only supports
a fraction of systems flashrom supports, and it requires kernel updates
for every new chip and system -- this was the reason I abandoned
/dev/bios in favour of supporting flashrom.

Stefan

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