AW: [ECOS] [Proposal & Patch] enhancing redboot/fis for failsafe flash updates

[Neundorf, Alexander]

Hi, 

> Von: Roland Caßebohm [mailto:roland.cassebohm@VisionSystems.de]
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I have looked at your code and I think it is a great idea to 
> use the fis directory as a filesystem.
> 
> Wouldn't it be fantastic to have it as one of the supported 
> filesystems in eCos (located in packages/fs/fis)?

:-)
That's my intention. It's only that I didn't get around yet to turn it into a real ecos fs.
 
> This would be a general possibility for applications to 
> make firmware updates.

Yes. The fisfs would be read-only, and there would be some special functions for updating. 
It should not replace jffs2 in any way. fisfs is intended as an updatable read-only fs, while jffs2 supports real read-write.
 
> And therefor in RedBoot should be similar command like the fis 
> commands, and from applications it should be used as 
> filesystem. Or altanativ RedBoot could get commands to create 
> and delete files in a mounted filesystem such as jffs2, but 
> use instead the minimalist filesystem.

Well, with my implementation almost nothing has to be done in redboot, all the docs and knowledge remain valid. And since it is basically RO, i.e. only updated during firmware updates, I chose not to put fragmentation and space allocation in the fisfs algorithms. It only makes sure that you don't overwrite stuff.

Bye
Alex