Tag: Al Stone

_DSD Guidance updated

~ hucktech ~ Leave a comment

Re: this previous post:

https://firmwaresecurity.com/2016/07/26/guidance-on-using-acpi-_dsd-with-linux/

Al Stone of Red Hat published an updated version of 3 documents giving guidance on using _DSD ACPI:

[RFC DSD v3 00/04] How to Use the ACPI _DSD Device Properties UUIDs

A copy of the ChangeLog is also attached so that you can see what the primary changes were for this second version.

https://github.com/ahs3/dsd/tree/master/documentation

https://github.com/ahs3/dsd/commit/7fbdce494b9b7b952e709e43b8dbbfd5cf8d4fcb
https://github.com/ahs3/dsd/commits/master

Click to access _DSD-device-properties-UUID.pdf

Click to access _DSD-hierarchical-data-extension-UUID-v1.pdf

Guidance on using ACPI _DSD with Linux

~ hucktech ~ Leave a comment

Al Stone of Red Hat submitted a 4-part patch to the Linux-ACPI list. Excerpt from comments from the first patch:

How to Use the ACPI _DSD Device Properties UUIDs

In the three documents that follow, we lay out a process for defining the use cases of device properties returned by the ACPI _DSD (Device Specific Data) object in Data Structures associated with the Device Properties UUID [0] and the Hierarchical Properties Extension UUID. The term “_DSD device properties” below refers to the data formats associated with those two UUIDs only.  All other UUIDs used with _DSD are outside the scope of what is described here. The goal of these documents is to: (1) make clear to OS vendors which of the use cases of _DSD device properties need to be supported; (2) be clear on what those use cases should mean to the OS; and, (3) have all OSs use the same definitions for those use cases. The first document describes basic context and essential terminology for the process of submitting a use case for the _DSD device properties to a central location so that it can be reviewed and tracked. The next document describes a database for storing the use cases of _DSD device properties that have been reviewed and agreed upon.  The idea is to make this database publicly available so that OS developers and firmware creators can easily see what is already defined, what is in use, and what is not defined. The final document provides a formal language for describing the use cases of _DSD device properties.  The goal is to make it relatively easy to define new use cases of the _DSD device properties, by stating clearly what those definitions must look like.  This also makes building automated tools easier, allowing us to keep the process simpler, permit validation of the content, assist with documentation, and perform basic record keeping. […]

See full post and the github project:

https://github.com/ahs3/dsd/tree/master/documentation
https://marc.info/?l=linux-acpi&m=146955102920815&w=2
https://marc.info/?l=linux-acpi&m=146955096920780&w=2
https://marc.info/?l=linux-acpi&m=146955089620763&w=2
https://marc.info/?l=linux-acpi&m=146955077420741&w=2
https://marc.info/?l=linux-acpi&m=146955067620727&w=2

Also, there’s a Python-based _DSD command line tool in the same DSD github project!

https://github.com/ahs3/dsd

Firmware Mini-Summit announced

~ hucktech ~ Leave a comment

Al Stone of Red Hat has announced the next firmware mini-sumit at Linaro Connect, March in Bankok, Thailand. Excerpt of announcement:

Well, it’s that time of year again. If you’re going to be at Linaro Connect [0] in Bangkok, Thailand on the week of 7-11 March 2016, please drop in to the firmware mini-summit to be help Wednesday afternoon (9 March).  The exact time and location at Connect are still to be determined. We’ll have an hour, and so far the topic list is:

   * Update on current status of ACPI patches (PCI, NUMA, CPPC, plans for the next steps)
   * The new FW_OS_Forum mailing list
   * Progress in ACPI compliance testing in FWTS, and future plans
   * _DSD usage yet again
   * Others?

More information:
http://connect.linaro.org
http://lists.mailman.uefi.org/mailman/listinfo/fw_os_forum

Linaro FW-Summit list migrates to UEFI Forum’s FWOS Forum

~ hucktech ~ Leave a comment

Al Stone of Red Hat announced on the Linaro Firmware Summit mailing list that the list would transition over to the new UEFI Forum’s FW/OS list. Excerpt of announcement:

Since the fw-summit mailing list was only meant as a holding place until we could set up a forum like this, we will soon be disabling the mailing list. Any and all of the discussions we would have had on fw-summit should now be held on the FW/OS Forum mailing list instead. […]  I would like to thank Dong Wei of UEFI especially, but also Michael Krau and the rest of the board of the UEFI Forum for all of their hard work and effort to make this public forum possible.  It was a bit of a stretch for everyone, but it got done.  Thanks!

Full announcement:
https://lists.linaro.org/pipermail/fw-summit/2015-November/000184.html

http://www.uefi.org/FWOSForum
https://lists.linaro.org/pipermail/fw-summit/
https://lists.linaro.org/mailman/listinfo/fw-summit

Firmware Summit results

~ hucktech ~ Leave a comment

Al Stone of Red Hat posted a summary of the recent Firmware Summit that took place at the recent Linaro Connect event.

There’s a discussion on the state of ACPI on ARMv8, and Linux support. “So, please tell Linaro if there is something needed from the ACPI spec.  Call, write or send carrier pigeons, just let us know.”

There is a discussion on ACPI’s _DSD and Device Properties. A new dsd@acpica.org mailing list has been setup to help. A new repo of information —  on how to submit, approve, and use device properties in a community approved manner:

https://github.com/ahs3/dsd/tree/v-next/documentation

https://lists.acpica.org/mailman/listinfo/dsd

Matthew Garret wrote a document on Secure Boot:
https://lists.linaro.org/pipermail/fw-summit/2015-September/000170.html

I omitted a few items from the workshop’s notes. Read the full status here:
https://lists.linaro.org/pipermail/fw-summit/2015-October/000173.html

Linaro Firmware mini-Summit next month

~ hucktech ~ Leave a comment

Today on the Linaro Firmware Summit mailing list, Al Stone of Red Hat just announced the next Firmware Summit

What: Linaro Firmware mini-Sumit (at Linaro Connect)
When: Tuesday, September 22th, 2015, 2-6pm
Where: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Hotel, Burlingame, CA

Initial agenda topics include:

1) Current state of ACPI on ARM
2) Support/backing for a longer term organization (i.e., mailing lists, web sites, further meetings…)
3) Use of _DSD device properties
4) Follow-up on others items from the last meeting (mostly promised documents)

Other topics are being solicited. See the full posting on the fw-summit list archives.

https://lists.linaro.org/mailman/listinfo/fw-summit
http://sanfranciscoairport.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html
http://connect.linaro.org