Re: [flashrom] Terminology to help distinguish different ways of using Flashrom

[Patrick 'P. J.' McDermott]

On 2017-03-18 at 18:47, Sam Kuper wrote:
  My understanding is that there are, broadly speaking,
two distinct
 methods for using Flashrom:
 
 1. The chip being read or flashed is part of the circuitry on the
 motherboard that is hosting the OS that is running the Flashrom
 instance.
 
 2. The chip being read or flashed is *not* part of the circuitry on
 the motherboard that is hosting the OS that is running the Flashrom
 instance. Instead, that chip is being accessed via a programmer of
 some kind (e.g. a Bus Pirate, or BeagleBone Black, or suchlike).
 
 This second method can be further subdivided:
 
 2(a). The chip being read or flashed is connected to a circuit other
 than the one being used to program it. For example, it might be a BIOS
 EEPROM chip that was soldered to a motherboard by a PC manufacturer,
 and which has not been removed from that motherboard.
 
 2(b). The chip being read or flashed is *not* connected to a circuit
 other than the one being used to program it. For example, it might be
 a brand new chip that has been inserted into a programmer's ZIF socket
 so that it can be programmed.
 
 
 I would be grateful to know if terminology exists that would
 unambiguously identify which method is being referred to, out of 1,
 2(a), and 2(b).
 
 The closest I have come to finding such a vocabulary is the page at
 https://www.flashrom.org/ISP . This doesn't go very far, though. It
 implies that, at least within the Flashrom project, the phrase
 "in-system programming" *usually* refers to 2(a), but it might also
 refer to 1.
ISP (or sometimes ICSP) refers to 2(a).

Method 1 would be internal programming (cf. flashrom's "internal"
programmer), software programming, or specifically programming from the
host CPU (vs. programming from another in-circuit flash master like the
Intel Management Engine).  Any of these terms are likely to be
understood, though flashrom typically goes with "internal" programming.

In any case, these flashing methods and terms also aren't specific to
flashrom and can apply in other flash memory programming contexts.

-- 
Patrick "P. J." McDermott:  http://www.pehjota.net/
Lead Developer, ProteanOS:  http://www.proteanos.com/
Founder and CEO, Libiquity: http://www.libiquity.com/

Terminology to help distinguish different ways of using Flashrom

[Sam Kuper]

On 18/03/2017, Patrick 'P. J.' McDermott <pj(a)pehjota.net> wrote:
  On 2017-03-18 at 18:47, Sam Kuper wrote:
  My understanding is that there are, broadly
speaking, two distinct
 methods for using Flashrom:

 1. The chip being read or flashed is part of the circuitry on the
 motherboard that is hosting the OS that is running the Flashrom
 instance.

 2. The chip being read or flashed is *not* part of the circuitry on
 the motherboard that is hosting the OS that is running the Flashrom
 instance. Instead, that chip is being accessed via a programmer of
 some kind (e.g. a Bus Pirate, or BeagleBone Black, or suchlike).

 This second method can be further subdivided:

 2(a). The chip being read or flashed is connected to a circuit other
 than the one being used to program it. For example, it might be a BIOS
 EEPROM chip that was soldered to a motherboard by a PC manufacturer,
 and which has not been removed from that motherboard.

 2(b). The chip being read or flashed is *not* connected to a circuit
 other than the one being used to program it. For example, it might be
 a brand new chip that has been inserted into a programmer's ZIF socket
 so that it can be programmed.


 I would be grateful to know if terminology exists that would
 unambiguously identify which method is being referred to, out of 1,
 2(a), and 2(b).
 ISP (or sometimes ICSP) refers to 2(a).
Thanks. Good to have corroboration of that.

  Method 1 would be internal programming (cf.
flashrom's "internal"
 programmer), software programming, or specifically programming from the
 host CPU (vs. programming from another in-circuit flash master like the
 Intel Management Engine).  Any of these terms are likely to be
 understood, though flashrom typically goes with "internal" programming.
Thanks. Good to have a term for method 1.

  In any case, these flashing methods and terms also
aren't specific to
 flashrom and can apply in other flash memory programming contexts.
I suspected as much; good to have corroboration.

Is there a term that unambiguously describes method 2(b)?

Thanks again.