Re: [coreboot] Uh oh, looks like trouble...

[ron minnich]

On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 11:37 AM, Joshua McDowell
 wrote:
> Maybe they can help, maybe not.

oh, the vendor *can* help. But will they help? In the past they have
made it clear that it is not their policy to release this kind of
info. You don't need info on the flash part; you need info on the
mainboard itself.

The kind of info is found in the linux kernel in drivers/mtd/maps, in
files like this:
alchemy-flash.c     ipaq-flash.c        rbtx4939-flash.c
amd76xrom.c         ixp2000.c           redwood.c
autcpu12-nvram.c    ixp4xx.c            rpxlite.c
bfin-async-flash.c  Kconfig             sa1100-flash.c
cdb89712.c          l440gx.c            sbc8240.c
ceiva.c             Makefile            sbc_gxx.c
cfi_flagadm.c       map_funcs.c         sc520cdp.c
ck804xrom.c         mbx860.c            scb2_flash.c
dbox2-flash.c       netsc520.c          scx200_docflash.c
dc21285.c           nettel.c            solutionengine.c
dilnetpc.c          octagon-5066.c      sun_uflash.c
dmv182.c            omap_nor.c          tqm8xxl.c
edb7312.c           pci.c               ts5500_flash.c
esb2rom.c           pcmciamtd.c         tsunami_flash.c
fortunet.c          physmap.c           uclinux.c
h720x-flash.c       physmap_of.c        vmax301.c
ichxrom.c           plat-ram.c          vmu-flash.c
impa7.c             pmcmsp-flash.c      wr_sbc82xx_flash.c
integrator-flash.c  pmcmsp-ramroot.c
intel_vr_nor.c      pxa2xx-flash.c

Let's look at one of interest, for example, the l440gx.c. In it you
find code like this:

/* Set the iobase */
    iobase = pm_iobase->start;
    pci_write_config_dword(pm_dev, 0x40, iobase | 1);

/* Set XBCS# */
    pci_read_config_word(dev, 0x4e, &word);
    word |= 0x4;
        pci_write_config_word(dev, 0x4e, word);

/* Supply write voltage to the chip */
    l440gx_set_vpp(&l440gx_map, 1);

/* Enable the gate on the WE line */
    outb(inb(TRIBUF_PORT) & ~1, TRIBUF_PORT);

printk(KERN_NOTICE "Enabled WE line to L440GX BIOS flash chip.\n");

The key line follows the comment: /* Enable the gate on the WE line */

This is the kind of code that enables mainboard flash writes. A lot of
the board support in mtd is old; vendors don't help much with this
kind of information, as they are scared of the dreaded BIOS virus.

But this is what we need. I was hoping MTD had it; I don't know how
LBFLASH fixed the WE problem, but if you can get us source we can try
to see.

ron