[coreboot] Definition of _boot_

[Svante Signell]

Please,

I been subscribing to this list for many years now. I assume you have an
opinion, can you give me some feedback please.

Maybe more appropriate names are:
1) Boot manger
2) Services manager

On Wed, 2012-05-02 at 10:51 +0200, Svante Signell wrote:
> Dear coreboot developers,
> 
> I'm trying to get the boot process definition cleared out in a
> discussion at debian-devel on replacing the sysvint script system with
> something event based like systemd or upstart. In the list below,
> please help me to refine it, and especially make a distinction on what
> is needed to:
> 1) get the computer up and running 
> 2) all services needed are completed
> 
> Of special interest is what parts is taken care of different tasks in
> the boot procedure, and where serial/parallel processes are possible.
> 
> As I see it we have several tools in the boot process:
> 1) coreboot/BIOS
> 2) A workload, like grub2
> 3) The init scripts/systemd/upstart
> 4) On linux: udev communicating with the kernel, something else on other architectures
> 
> In my opinion the boot process definition can be split in two parts:
> 1) Initial boot, taken care of by sysvinit: Mainly order based or serial
> 2) secondary boot, taken care of by udev on Linux, something else on
> other arches: Mainly event-based or parallel
> 
> Am I completely out in the blue here?
> Thank you in advance for your opinion!
> 
> > Hello, 
> > 
> > In line with the recent discussion, lets aim at defining what _boot_ is:
> > - initializing the RAM: yes
> > - initializing the CPU(s): yes
> > - loading the kernel: yes
> > - initializing the graphics card: yes for text mode, graphics mode can
> > come later
> > - initializing the HDD(s): yes, if boot devices.
> > - setting up swap: yes
> >  -initializing the keyboard and mouse : yes, see below wrt USB
> > - initializing the serial device: no, only if used for debugging.
> > - initializing the the parallel port: no
> > - initializing the audio card: can be done later
> > - initializing USB devices: yes if keyboard, mouse or boot device, other
> > things can be done later.
> > - starting up the network: yes if network booting, other things can be
> > done later.
> > - starting an MTA: no
> > - staring sshd: no
> > - starting X: no, that is not a _boot_ task,  other things can be done
> > later. This excludes network-manager and what follows with it.
> > - of course there are missing pieces here, you can help me filling them
> > in... or reject/not comment on this as usual as many of you would.
> > 
> > Thank you for your attention!
> > 
> > 
> 
>