RedBoot™ User's Guide: Document Version 2.04, February 2007
Prev	Chapter 2. RedBoot Commands and Examples	Next

Flash Image System (FIS)

If the platform has flash memory, RedBoot can use this for image storage. Executable images, as well as data, can be stored in flash in a simple file store. The fis command is used to manipulate and maintain flash images.

The available fis commands are:

fis init [-f]

This command is used to initialize the flash Image System (FIS). It should only be executed once, when RedBoot is first installed on the hardware. Subsequent executions will cause loss of data in the flash (previously saved images will no longer be accessible).

If the -f option is specified, all blocks of flash memory will be erased as part of this process.

RedBoot> fis init -f
About to initialize [format] flash image system - are you sure (y/n)? n

fis [-c] [-d] list

This command lists the images currently available in the FIS. Certain images used by RedBoot have fixed names. Other images can be manipulated by the user.

If the -c option is specified, the image checksum is displayed instead of the Mem Addr field.

If the -d option is specified, the image datalength is displayed instead of the length [amount of flash used]. The datalength is the length of data within the allocated flash image actually being used for data.

RedBoot> fis list
Name           flash addr  Mem addr   Length   Entry point
RedBoot        0xA0000000  0xA0000000 0x020000 0x80000000
RedBoot[backup]0xA0020000  0x8C010000 0x010000 0x8C010000
RedBoot config 0xA0FC0000  0xA0FC0000 0x020000 0x00000000
FIS directory  0xA0FE0000  0xA0FE0000 0x020000 0x00000000
RedBoot> fis list -c
Name           flash addr  Checksum   Length   Entry point
RedBoot        0xA0000000  0x34C94A57 0x020000 0x80000000
RedBoot[backup]0xA0020000  0x00000000 0x010000 0x8C010000
RedBoot config 0xA0FC0000  0x00000000 0x020000 0x00000000
RedBoot config 0xA0FE0000  0x00000000 0x020000 0x00000000

fis free: This command shows which areas of the flash memory are currently not in use. In use means that the block contains non-erased contents. Since it is possible to force an image to be loaded at a particular flash location, this command can be used to check whether that location is in use by any other image.
NOTE: There is currently no cross-checking between actual flash contents and the image directory, which mans that there could be a segment of flash which is not erased that does not correspond to a named image, or vice-versa.

RedBoot> fis free
        0xA0040000 .. 0xA07C0000
        0xA0840000 .. 0xA0FC0000

fis create -b <mem_base> -l <length> [-f <flash_addr>] [-e <entry_point>] [-r <ram_addr>] [-s <data_length>] [-n] <name>: This command creates an image in the FIS directory. The data for the image must exist in RAM memory before the copy. Typically, you would use the RedBoot load command to load an image into RAM and then the fis create command to write it to flash.

Arguments

name	The name of the file, as shown in the FIS directory.
-b	The location in RAM used to obtain the image. This is a required option.
-l	The length of the image. If the image already exists, then the length is inferred from when the image was previously created. If specified, and the image exists, it must match the original value.
-f	The location in flash for the image, which will be inferred for extant images if not specified. If this is not provided, the first freeVblock which is large enough will be used. See fis free.
-e	The execution entry address. This is used if the starting address for an image is not known, or needs to be overridden.
-r	The location in RAM when the image is loaded via fis load. This only needs to be specified for images which will eventually loaded via fis load. Fixed images, such as RedBoot itself, will not need this.
-s	The length of the actual data to be written to flash. If not present then the image length (-1) value is assumed. If the value given by -s is less than -1, the remainder of the image in flash will be left in an erased state. Note that by using this option it is possible to create a completely empty flash image, for example to reserve space for use by applications other than RedBoot.
-n	If -n is specified, then only the FIS directory is updated, and no data is copied from RAM to flash. This feature can be used to recreate the FIS entry if it has been destroyed.

RedBoot> fis create RedBoot -f 0xa0000000 -b 0x8c400000 -l 0x20000
An image named ‘RedBoot’ exists - are you sure (y/n)? n
RedBoot> fis create junk -b 0x8c400000 -l 0x20000
... Erase from 0xa0040000-0xa0060000: .
... Program from 0x8c400000-0x8c420000 at 0xa0040000: .
... Erase from 0xa0fe0000-0xa1000000: .
... Program from 0x8c7d0000-0x8c7f0000 at 0xa0fe0000: .

If you are loading an existing file, then the fis create command will provide some values automatically, such as the flash address and flash length.

fis load [-b <memory load address>] [-c] [-d] name

This command is used to transfer an image from flash memory to RAM.

Once loaded, it may be executed using the go command. If -b is specified, then the image is copied from flash to the specified address in RAM. If -b is not specified, the image is copied from flash to the load address given when the image was created.

Arguments

name	The name of the file, as shown in the FIS directory
-b	Specify the location in memory to which the file should be loaded. Executable images normally load at the location to which the file was linked. This option allows the file to be loaded to a specific memory location, possibly overriding any assumed location.
-c	Compute and print the checksum of the image data after it has been loaded into memory.
-d	Decompress gzipped image while copying it from flash to RAM.

RedBoot> fis load RedBoot[backup]
RedBoot> go

fis delete name: This command removes an image from the FIS. The flash memory will be erased as part of the execution of this command, as well as removal of the name from the FIS directory.

RedBoot> fis list
Name              flash addr   Mem addr    Length    Entry point
RedBoot          0xA0000000   0xA0000000  0x020000  0x80000000
RedBoot[backup]  0xA0020000   0x8C010000  0x020000  0x8C010000
RedBoot config   0xA0FC0000   0xA0FC0000  0x020000  0x00000000
FIS directory    0xA0FE0000   0xA0FE0000  0x020000  0x00000000
junk             0xA0040000   0x8C400000  0x020000  0x80000000
RedBoot> fis delete junk
Delete image ‘junk’ - are you sure (y/n)? y
... Erase from 0xa0040000-0xa0060000: .
... Erase from 0xa0fe0000-0xa1000000: .
... Program from 0x8c7d0000-0x8c7f0000 at 0xa0fe0000: .

NOTE: Certain images are reserved by RedBoot and cannot be deleted. RedBoot will issue a warning if this is attempted.

fis lock -f <flash_addr> -l <length>: This command is used to write-protect (lock) a portion of flash memory, to prevent accidental overwriting of images. In order to make make any modifications to the flash, a matching unlock command must be issued. This command is optional and will only be provided on hardware which can support write-protection of the flash space.
NOTE: Depending on the system, attempting to write to write-protected flash may generate errors or warnings, or be benignly quiet.

RedBoot> fis lock -f 0xa0040000 -l 0x20000
... Lock from 0xa0040000-0xa0060000: .

fis unlock -f <flash_addr> -l <length>: This command is used to unlock a portion of flash memory forcibly, allowing it to be updated. It must be issued for regions which have been locked before the FIS can reuse those portions of flash.

RedBoot> fis unlock -f 0xa0040000 -l 0x20000
... Unlock from 0xa0040000-0xa0060000: .

fis erase -f <flash_addr> -l <length>: This command is used to erase a portion of flash memory forcibly. There is no cross-checking to ensure that the area being erased does not correspond to a loaded image.

RedBoot> fis erase -f 0xa0040000 -l 0x20000
... Erase from 0xa0040000-0xa0060000: .

fis write -b <location> -l <length> -f <flash addr>: Writes data from RAM at <location> to flash.

Prev	Home	Next
Common Commands	Up	Persistent State Flash-based Configuration and Control