[ECOS] Why is the parrot loader still present?

[ECOS] Why is the parrot loader still present?

[wyeepeng]

Hi,
   I was just wondering why is the WinCE parrot loader still there after a ROM
version of the redboot is flashed into the Compaq iPAQ H3600 pda? Is there a
particular reason for that? Is the redboot dependent on it to function? How? Or
is it there becos it is a convenient way to restore the Wince OS? Has anyone
tried removing the parrot loader totally and run simply on redboot?

Regards
Wong Yee Peng

Re: [ECOS] Why is the parrot loader still present?

[Jonathan Larmour]

wyeepeng@dso.org.sg wrote:
> 
> Hi,
>    I was just wondering why is the WinCE parrot loader still there after a ROM
> version of the redboot is flashed into the Compaq iPAQ H3600 pda? Is there a
> particular reason for that?

It's in a "safe" part of flash.

> Is the redboot dependent on it to function? How?

To function, no. But it is the recommended way to program the ipaq, and as
you say:

> Or
> is it there becos it is a convenient way to restore the Wince OS? 

... it can be used to restore WinCE.

> Has anyone
> tried removing the parrot loader totally and run simply on redboot?

Are you that short of space you feel the need?

Jifl
-- 
Red Hat, Rustat House, Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 (1223) 271062
Maybe this world is another planet's Hell -Aldous Huxley || Opinions==mine

Re: [ECOS] Why is the parrot loader still present?

[Wong Yee Peng]

Hi,
What do u mean when u say "safe" part of the flash?
Does the CPU skip the parrot loader on boot up or it queries its data, which
tells it to jump to redboot?

Rgds
Yee Peng

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan Larmour" <jlarmour@redhat.com>
To: <wyeepeng@dso.org.sg>
Cc: <ecos-discuss@sources.redhat.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 4:39 AM
Subject: Re: [ECOS] Why is the parrot loader still present?


> wyeepeng@dso.org.sg wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >    I was just wondering why is the WinCE parrot loader still there after
a ROM
> > version of the redboot is flashed into the Compaq iPAQ H3600 pda? Is
there a
> > particular reason for that?
>
> It's in a "safe" part of flash.
>
> > Is the redboot dependent on it to function? How?
>
> To function, no. But it is the recommended way to program the ipaq, and as
> you say:
>
> > Or
> > is it there becos it is a convenient way to restore the Wince OS?
>
> ... it can be used to restore WinCE.
>
> > Has anyone
> > tried removing the parrot loader totally and run simply on redboot?
>
> Are you that short of space you feel the need?
>
> Jifl
> --
> Red Hat, Rustat House, Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 (1223) 271062
> Maybe this world is another planet's Hell -Aldous Huxley || Opinions==mine
>

Re: [ECOS] Why is the parrot loader still present?

[Gary Thomas]

On Fri, 2001-09-14 at 17:02, wyeepeng@dso.org.sg wrote:
> Hi,
>    I was just wondering why is the WinCE parrot loader still there after a ROM
> version of the redboot is flashed into the Compaq iPAQ H3600 pda? Is there a
> particular reason for that? Is the redboot dependent on it to function? How? Or
> is it there becos it is a convenient way to restore the Wince OS? Has anyone
> tried removing the parrot loader totally and run simply on redboot?
> 
> Regards
> Wong Yee Peng

While it is possible to run RedBoot on the iPAQ without the Parrot 
loader, we feel that it is prudent to leave it in place as this should
prevent the unit from ever becoming totally unusable.  With the Compaq
(Parrot) loader left in, it should always be possible to restore a
unit either to WinCE or to RedBoot (if you make the appropriate CF RAM
backups).

RedBoot does not rely on any Parrot loader functionality, only the 
safety that having it provides.

Re: [ECOS] Why is the parrot loader still present?

[Gary Thomas]

On Sat, 2001-09-15 at 11:09, Wong Yee Peng wrote:
> Hi,
> What do u mean when u say "safe" part of the flash?
> Does the CPU skip the parrot loader on boot up or it queries its data, which
> tells it to jump to redboot?
> 

If you look carefully at the documentation (installation instructions), 
you'll see that we recommend that this part of the FLASH always be left
write protected.  That's what Jonathan meant by "safe."

> Rgds
> Yee Peng
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jonathan Larmour" <jlarmour@redhat.com>
> To: <wyeepeng@dso.org.sg>
> Cc: <ecos-discuss@sources.redhat.com>
> Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 4:39 AM
> Subject: Re: [ECOS] Why is the parrot loader still present?
> 
> 
> > wyeepeng@dso.org.sg wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > >    I was just wondering why is the WinCE parrot loader still there after
> a ROM
> > > version of the redboot is flashed into the Compaq iPAQ H3600 pda? Is
> there a
> > > particular reason for that?
> >
> > It's in a "safe" part of flash.
> >
> > > Is the redboot dependent on it to function? How?
> >
> > To function, no. But it is the recommended way to program the ipaq, and as
> > you say:
> >
> > > Or
> > > is it there becos it is a convenient way to restore the Wince OS?
> >
> > ... it can be used to restore WinCE.
> >
> > > Has anyone
> > > tried removing the parrot loader totally and run simply on redboot?
> >
> > Are you that short of space you feel the need?
> >
> > Jifl
> > --
> > Red Hat, Rustat House, Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 (1223) 271062
> > Maybe this world is another planet's Hell -Aldous Huxley || Opinions==mine
> >