xref: /openbmc/u-boot/tools/env/README (revision 3991f42e)
1
2This is a demo implementation of a Linux command line tool to access
3the U-Boot's environment variables.
4
5In order to cross-compile fw_printenv, run
6    make CROSS_COMPILE=<your cross-compiler prefix> envtools
7in the root directory of the U-Boot distribution. For example,
8    make CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux- envtools
9
10You should then create a symlink from fw_setenv to fw_printenv. They use
11the same program and its function depends on its basename.
12
13For the run-time utility configuration uncomment the line
14#define CONFIG_FILE  "/etc/fw_env.config"
15in fw_env.h.
16
17For building against older versions of the MTD headers (meaning before
18v2.6.8-rc1) it is required to pass the argument "MTD_VERSION=old" to
19make.
20
21See comments in the fw_env.config file for definitions for the
22particular board.
23
24Configuration can also be done via #defines in the fw_env.h file. The
25following lines are relevant:
26
27#define HAVE_REDUND	/* For systems with 2 env sectors */
28#define DEVICE1_NAME	"/dev/mtd1"
29#define DEVICE2_NAME	"/dev/mtd2"
30#define DEVICE1_OFFSET    0x0000
31#define ENV1_SIZE         0x4000
32#define DEVICE1_ESIZE     0x4000
33#define DEVICE1_ENVSECTORS     2
34#define DEVICE2_OFFSET    0x0000
35#define ENV2_SIZE         0x4000
36#define DEVICE2_ESIZE     0x4000
37#define DEVICE2_ENVSECTORS     2
38
39Un-define HAVE_REDUND, if you want to use the utilities on a system
40that does not have support for redundant environment enabled.
41If HAVE_REDUND is undefined, DEVICE2_NAME is ignored,
42as is ENV2_SIZE and DEVICE2_ESIZE.
43
44The DEVICEx_NAME constants define which MTD character devices are to
45be used to access the environment.
46
47The DEVICEx_OFFSET constants define the environment offset within the
48MTD character device.
49
50ENVx_SIZE defines the size in bytes taken by the environment, which
51may be less then flash sector size, if the environment takes less
52then 1 sector.
53
54DEVICEx_ESIZE defines the size of the first sector in the flash
55partition where the environment resides.
56
57DEVICEx_ENVSECTORS defines the number of sectors that may be used for
58this environment instance. On NAND this is used to limit the range
59within which bad blocks are skipped, on NOR it is not used.
60
61To prevent losing changes to the environment and to prevent confusing the MTD
62drivers, a lock file at /var/lock/fw_printenv.lock is used to serialize access
63to the environment.
64