CVS commit: src

["Brook Milligan" <brook%netbsd.org@localhost>]

Module Name:    src
Committed By:   brook
Date:           Sun Aug 21 15:01:08 UTC 2022

Modified Files:
        src: BUILDING
        src/etc/etc.evbarm: Makefile.inc
        src/share/man/man7: release.7

Log Message:
Create bootable images in ${RELEASEDIR}/${RELEASEMACHINEDIR}/binary/gzimg.

Release builds for arm platforms create compressed images in
${RELEASEDIR}/${RELEASEMACHINEDIR}/binary/gzimg.  However, in some
cases, e.g., armv7.img.gz, they are not bootable.  Consequently, boot
blocks must be manually installed in the images, which is an extra
barrier for testing systems or adopting NetBSD.  This has prompted
creation of external repositories, e.g., armbsd.org, to host a
collection of bootable images.  However, this does not ease the burden
on developers compiling their own systems; for them, manual
installation of boot blocks is still required.

For arm platforms, etc/etc.evbarm/Makefile.inc contains the commands
used to create system images.  Because installboot(8) can write boot
blocks directly to system images, a loop through possible boards can
create a series of bootable images during the normal build process.

In the case of many arm platforms, installboot(8) uses U-Boot boot
blocks, which are not part of the NetBSD source code.  Developers can,
however, install as many U-Boot boot blocks as desired, either in the
default location of /usr/pkg/share/u-boot or in a set of directories
pointed to by the U-Boot search path, the INSTALLBOOT_UBOOT_PATHS
environment variable.  For each board with an available boot block, a
board-specific bootable image will be created in
${RELEASEDIR}/${RELEASEMACHINEDIR}/binary/gzimg.  If a boot block is
not available, which is the typical situation currently, no additional
image will be created.

This facility creates opportunities to build bootable images for any
number of boards within the scope of a standard release build.
However, that is not required and will not occur without the
intervention of installing U-Boot boot blocks prior to the build.


To generate a diff of this commit:
cvs rdiff -u -r1.143 -r1.144 src/BUILDING
cvs rdiff -u -r1.126 -r1.127 src/etc/etc.evbarm/Makefile.inc
cvs rdiff -u -r1.39 -r1.40 src/share/man/man7/release.7

Please note that diffs are not public domain; they are subject to the
copyright notices on the relevant files.