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

[Sam Kuper]

On 18/03/2017, Patrick 'P. J.' McDermott <pj at 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.