Re: embedding filesystems in core image (Re: moving ata initialisation to a command)

[Robert Millan]

On Sat, Dec 22, 2007 at 12:28:26PM +0800, Bean wrote:
> 
> Yes, i think this concept is great, and i just think of an improvement
> for the module.

I don't like the idea of making memdisk filesystem-dependant.  But adding
a more size-oriented filesystem to GRUB would be nice of course.

> we can add support for a raw file system which store
> files compactly,  so that very little space is wasted on file system
> structure, for example, this is a possible implementation:
> 
> OFFSET_TO_NEXT_ITEM
> FILE1_NAME_LEN
> FILE1_NAME
> FILE1_DATA
> OFFSET_TO_NEXT_ITEM
> FILE2_NAME_LEN
> FILE2_NAME
> FILE2_DATA

How about tar?  If we use an existing fs, we get the user tools for free.

> This is useful in situation where the size of core.img is limited, like 
> bootrom.

Btw, note that the filesystem is embedded inside the LZO compressed block,
not just concatenated.  This should get rid of most of that 0x00 padding
in iso9660, I think.

-- 
Robert Millan

<GPLv2> I know my rights; I want my phone call!
<DRM> What use is a phone call, if you are unable to speak?
(as seen on /.)