U-Boot Concept now has preliminary support for the ACPI Firmware Performance Data Table (FPDT). It is included in the ‘bootstage and script enhancement’ series. The OS can look at this table to figure out how long the firmware took to boot. Only the ‘basic boot’ record is supported. It contains the following fields: All timestamps…
I’ve been experimenting with AI coding tools, mostly Claude, for the last few months. Here are some thoughts on my experience so far. Things I have tried So far I have tried using Claude for many different tasks: First, a caveat. I am a beginner at using this technology and do not spend much time…
U-Boot has long supported embedding a graphical image directly into the binary – like the boot logo and the recently added BGRT (Boot Graphics Resource Table) image for EFI systems. But the way these images were handled was a bit of a mixed bag, with different patterns for different images and custom boilerplate for each…
We’ve just rolled out a series of updates aimed at improving the U-Boot EFI application, with a special focus on streamlining the testing and debugging process, particularly for ARM platforms. This batch of 24 patches introduces several quality-of-life improvements, from better debugging tools to more robust boot procedures. Let’s dive into the key changes. Streamlining…
U-Boot Concept releases provide regular, time-based snapshots of our development progress, offering a stable point for users and developers. Up until recently, creating these releases involved a series of manual steps that were time-consuming and prone to human error. To improve this process, we’re happy to announce a new, fully automated release workflow for U-Boot…
For a long time, editing commands in the U-Boot video console has been an exercise in memory. Without a visible cursor, it was often difficult to know your exact position in a long command line. A new 41-patch series in Concept changes that by introducing comprehensive cursor support for U-Boot’s video consoles. This update brings…
U-Boot’s ‘expo’ toolkit is used for creating user interfaces, such as the configuration editor (cedit) and graphical boot menus (bootflow menu). Previously, user interaction with expo scenes was limited to the keyboard. A recent 23-patch series introduces support for mouse and touchpad interaction. New Input Handling For devices where a mouse or touchpad is available,…
We’re excited to announce a new patch series that brings mouse support to U-Boot! This long-awaited feature resurrects some old code that was originally developed for Nuklear integration and provides a comprehensive mouse input framework. What’s New The 17-patch series (1,374 lines added across 44 files) introduces a simple mouse subsystem including: Key Features Universal…
The world of firmware development is evolving rapidly. Modern SoCs are increasingly complex, boot protocols are multiplying, and new programming languages like Rust and Zig are gaining traction in systems programming. Meanwhile, U-Boot has accumulated over two decades of battle-tested functionality supporting 1300+ boards, a comprehensive driver model, extensive filesystem support, and a wealth of…
The U-Boot EFI application is a powerful tool, allowing U-Boot to run on top of existing UEFI firmware. This is increasingly important as we see new platforms, especially in the ARM64 world, shipping with complex, ACPI-based firmware. A prime example is the recent wave of laptops powered by the Qualcomm X-Elite, which rely on this…
