On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 1:56 PM, mike.valk@gmail.com
<mike.valk@gmail.com> wrote:
> Always boot externally? That means that every housing must contain storage
> and an OS.
not at all. you misunderstand. external *on the card*. for
example: the micro-sd card slot on the EOMA68-A20.
> I think the OS should remain with the card. Weather that's on NAND, eMMC or
> SD. That should be irrelevant.
that's not entiirely for us to decide (as in: booting from Housings
should not be *prohibited*) but yes, of course the Card has to be
capable of stand-alone boot.
> But for the average jane/joe to switch/repair/upgrade that OS we must have a
> "simple" mechanism for booting external media while keeping the main media
> connected.
>
> A Intel BIOS usually has a "boot" order which can be modified. For EOMA we
> don't have that "luxury".
well... we do... as i believe it is reasonable to simply say that the
responsibility is with the retailer to ensure that whatever
function(s) and housing(s) they sell must actually work as sold. if
they want to provide a boot order, they may do so.
> The housing may not have a screen or an input
> device for changing options.
correct... however anyone who supplies such housings would also be
taking full responsibility for creating a suitable OS.
> I guess it should be that the last boot init should scan for external
> devices and look for a specific file name "eomaboot.txt" or some thing.
too complex and not really necessary if it is the responsibility of
the retailer to ensure that the product they sell "works". btw to
emphasise: one of the other responsibilities of the retailer is to NOT
lock down the device so that 3rd parties are no longer permitted to
replace the OS and boot mechanism entirely.
also, *when* microsoft and apple start creating proprietary Cards
(hard as it may be for them to support the full range of available
Housings by the time they get the memo) it should not be made
difficult or impossible for them to comply with the standard because
it's been "assumed all along that Linux Is God". remember, it's
perfectly possible to have an EOMA68-compliant FPGA Card.
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