From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Thu May 25 15:52:29 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: current@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C4F6D16A69E; Thu, 25 May 2006 15:52:29 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jim@netgate.com) Received: from netgate.com (mail.netgate.com [64.62.194.115]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 91EFD43D48; Thu, 25 May 2006 15:52:29 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from jim@netgate.com) Received: from [192.168.2.184] (rrcs-67-52-77-54.west.biz.rr.com [67.52.77.54]) by netgate.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6AD2328000D; Thu, 25 May 2006 08:52:28 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <3500.1148571492@critter.freebsd.dk> References: <3500.1148571492@critter.freebsd.dk> Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v750) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Message-Id: <907CC8FB-4CCC-47E4-A5D9-33340F1351DE@netgate.com> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: Jim Thompson Date: Thu, 25 May 2006 05:52:27 -1000 To: "Poul-Henning Kamp" X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.750) X-Mailman-Approved-At: Thu, 25 May 2006 16:09:05 +0000 Cc: small@freebsd.org, current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD's embedded agenda X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 25 May 2006 15:52:35 -0000 On May 25, 2006, at 5:38 AM, Poul-Henning Kamp wrote: > In message <472414CE-94E8-4C8A-9586-DCA9E02A53C3@netgate.com>, Jim > Thompson wri > tes: > >>> NanoBSD caters only to the "run read-only from flash" area, call >>> it if you will the "soekris" area. I need to investigate if it >>> makes sense to use the FreeSBIE framework to build nanobsd images. >> >> All soekris boards have CF, which looks, for all the world like an >> IDE drive. >> >> "real" flash is quite different. > > NanoBSD works fine with "raw" flash as well because it is practically > read-only. OK, there are other read-only distros too (the pfsense 'embedded' one is all but RO). Technically, if one could squeeze NanoBSD into 4-8MB, we could use the pfsense/ m0n0 XML-based config system, and just keep the config file in a single (or small number) of flash sectors at the end of the device. A similar configuration system that didn't require PHP would be even better. Then we just need to (perhaps) re-implement/replace the linux "mtd" system, and a F(F)FS can wait a bit. > Writing a flash-friendly-filesystem would be a good project. Indeed. Is there any reason to not approach Intel about a bit of 'funding' for FreeBSD on Xscale? They poured some cash on Wasabi for a similar effort on NetBSD.