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SubjectRe: [PATCH] i386 boot loader IDs
Eric W. Biederman wrote:
>
> I suspect /sbin/kexec could use one. But I don't have the faintest
> what you could do with the information after the kernel came up.
>

Sounds incorrect, unless you're generating the zeropage information.

> I don't think enhancing the bootloader numeric parameter is the
> right way to go. Currently the value is a single byte with the low
> nibble reserved for version number information. With the
> values already assigned we have 7 left.
>
> If we assign a new value each for the bootloaders I know of that don't
> yet have values assigned: pxelinux, isolinux, filo, /sbin/kexec,
> redboot the pool of numbers is nearly exhausted. With the addition of
> bootloaders I can't recall or have not been written yet we will
> quickly exhaust the pool of numbers.

pxelinux, isolinux and extlinux are syslinux derivatives (0x32, 0x33 and
0x34 respectively.) filo and redboot probably could use them, though.

> Even if using this mechanism is needed for supporting existing
> bootloaders I suggest it be deprecated in favor of a kernel command
> line option. A command line option would be easier to maintain
> being string based. It would be portable to architectures besides
> x86. And it requires no additional code to implement, as you
> can already read /proc/cmdline.

Unfortunately the command line is very squeezed. With the newer
protocol we can probably support longer command lines, though.

It's a significant boot loader change, though. In the short term it's
definitely desirable to be able to read it.

-hpa
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