changes to recommended DreamPlug torouter boot configuration

This is a ticket for discussion/debate.

The old torouter+dreamplug boot process (inherited from the FreedomBox's freedom-maker) attempts to use the factory installed u-boot firmware with minimal reconfiguration. It can be configured to boot from an internal microSD card or from a USB stick, requiring a change in configuration to support one or the other.

More recent linux kernels require newer u-boot firmware, and FreedomBox has moved to requiring an update, removing one incentive to stick with the old boot configuration: http://anonscm.debian.org/gitweb/?p=freedombox/freedom-maker.git;a=blob;f=README;h=6039861d2700e89574249ff7e9e6b06885438d84;hb=de1f66f0651a3a7c306331eeda1db93535b1470a http://anonscm.debian.org/gitweb/?p=freedombox/freedom-maker.git;a=blob;f=flashing-notes;h=def3f61e5ea45e4d3a85666ff1cc9f6d7bd27cf5;hb=de1f66f0651a3a7c306331eeda1db93535b1470a

I think a more user- and developer-friendly configuration would be to leave the internal microSD empty and boot from the accessible SD card slot. This would mean a single binary image could be targeted (no differences in /etc/fstab, initrd.img, or u-boot configuration) and end users/owners could easily update or replace the operating system by removing the SD card. This might also free up an external USB slot for users booting from that.

I will test with the above configuration and report back.

One problem is that the new u-boot firmware has USB timeout problems when booting from an external USB stick. A fixed boot delay is a workaround.

Trac:
Username: ficus