doc: driver-model: Convert livetree.txt to reST

Convert plain text documentation to reStructuredText format and add
it to Sphinx TOC tree. No essential content change.

Signed-off-by: Bin Meng <bmeng.cn@gmail.com>

1 files changed, 0 insertions, 272 deletions

diff --git a/doc/driver-model/livetree.txt b/doc/driver-model/livetree.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 01d4488c60..0000000000
--- a/doc/driver-model/livetree.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,272 +0,0 @@
-Driver Model with Live Device Tree
-==================================
-
-
-Introduction
-------------
-
-Traditionally U-Boot has used a 'flat' device tree. This means that it
-reads directly from the device tree binary structure. It is called a flat
-device tree because nodes are listed one after the other, with the
-hierarchy detected by tags in the format.
-
-This document describes U-Boot's support for a 'live' device tree, meaning
-that the tree is loaded into a hierarchical data structure within U-Boot.
-
-
-Motivation
-----------
-
-The flat device tree has several advantages:
-
-- it is the format produced by the device tree compiler, so no translation
-is needed
-
-- it is fairly compact (e.g. there is no need for pointers)
-
-- it is accessed by the libfdt library, which is well tested and stable
-
-
-However the flat device tree does have some limitations. Adding new
-properties can involve copying large amounts of data around to make room.
-The overall tree has a fixed maximum size so sometimes the tree must be
-rebuilt in a new location to create more space. Even if not adding new
-properties or nodes, scanning the tree can be slow. For example, finding
-the parent of a node is a slow process. Reading from nodes involves a
-small amount parsing which takes a little time.
-
-Driver model scans the entire device tree sequentially on start-up which
-avoids the worst of the flat tree's limitations. But if the tree is to be
-modified at run-time, a live tree is much faster. Even if no modification
-is necessary, parsing the tree once and using a live tree from then on
-seems to save a little time.
-
-
-Implementation
---------------
-
-In U-Boot a live device tree ('livetree') is currently supported only
-after relocation. Therefore we need a mechanism to specify a device
-tree node regardless of whether it is in the flat tree or livetree.
-
-The 'ofnode' type provides this. An ofnode can point to either a flat tree
-node (when the live tree node is not yet set up) or a livetree node. The
-caller of an ofnode function does not need to worry about these details.
-
-The main users of the information in a device tree are  drivers. These have
-a 'struct udevice *' which is attached to a device tree node. Therefore it
-makes sense to be able to read device tree  properties using the
-'struct udevice *', rather than having to obtain the ofnode first.
-
-The 'dev_read_...()' interface provides this. It allows properties to be
-easily read from the device tree using only a device pointer. Under the
-hood it uses ofnode so it works with both flat and live device trees.
-
-
-Enabling livetree
------------------
-
-CONFIG_OF_LIVE enables livetree. When this option is enabled, the flat
-tree will be used in SPL and before relocation in U-Boot proper. Just
-before relocation a livetree is built, and this is used for U-Boot proper
-after relocation.
-
-Most checks for livetree use CONFIG_IS_ENABLED(OF_LIVE). This means that
-for SPL, the CONFIG_SPL_OF_LIVE option is checked. At present this does
-not exist, since SPL does not support livetree.
-
-
-Porting drivers
----------------
-
-Many existing drivers use the fdtdec interface to read device tree
-properties. This only works with a flat device tree. The drivers should be
-converted to use the dev_read_() interface.
-
-For example, the old code may be like this:
-
-    struct udevice *bus;
-    const void *blob = gd->fdt_blob;
-    int node = dev_of_offset(bus);
-
-    i2c_bus->regs = (struct i2c_ctlr *)devfdt_get_addr(dev);
-    plat->frequency = fdtdec_get_int(blob, node, "spi-max-frequency", 500000);
-
-The new code is:
-
-    struct udevice *bus;
-
-    i2c_bus->regs = (struct i2c_ctlr *)dev_read_addr(dev);
-    plat->frequency = dev_read_u32_default(bus, "spi-max-frequency", 500000);
-
-The dev_read_...() interface is more convenient and works with both the
-flat and live device trees. See include/dm/read.h for a list of functions.
-
-Where properties must be read from sub-nodes or other nodes, you must fall
-back to using ofnode. For example, for old code like this:
-
-    const void *blob = gd->fdt_blob;
-    int subnode;
-
-    fdt_for_each_subnode(subnode, blob, dev_of_offset(dev)) {
-        freq = fdtdec_get_int(blob, node, "spi-max-frequency", 500000);
-        ...
-    }
-
-you should use:
-
-    ofnode subnode;
-
-    ofnode_for_each_subnode(subnode, dev_ofnode(dev)) {
-        freq = ofnode_read_u32(node, "spi-max-frequency", 500000);
-        ...
-    }
-
-
-Useful ofnode functions
------------------------
-
-The internal data structures of the livetree are defined in include/dm/of.h :
-
-   struct device_node - holds information about a device tree node
-   struct property    - holds information about a property within a node
-
-Nodes have pointers to their first property, their parent, their first child
-and their sibling. This allows nodes to be linked together in a hierarchical
-tree.
-
-Properties have pointers to the next property. This allows all properties of
-a node to be linked together in a chain.
-
-It should not be necessary to use these data structures in normal code. In
-particular, you should refrain from using functions which access the livetree
-directly, such as of_read_u32(). Use ofnode functions instead, to allow your
-code to work with a flat tree also.
-
-Some conversion functions are used internally. Generally these are not needed
-for driver code. Note that they will not work if called in the wrong context.
-For example it is invalid to call ofnode_to_no() when a flat tree is being
-used. Similarly it is not possible to call ofnode_to_offset() on a livetree
-node.
-
-   ofnode_to_np() - converts ofnode to struct device_node *
-   ofnode_to_offset() - converts ofnode to offset
-
-   no_to_ofnode() - converts node pointer to ofnode
-   offset_to_ofnode() - converts offset to ofnode
-
-
-Other useful functions:
-
-   of_live_active() returns true if livetree is in use, false if flat tree
-   ofnode_valid() return true if a given node is valid
-   ofnode_is_np() returns true if a given node is a livetree node
-   ofnode_equal() compares two ofnodes
-   ofnode_null() returns a null ofnode (for which ofnode_valid() returns false)
-
-
-Phandles
---------
-
-There is full phandle support for live tree. All functions make use of
-struct ofnode_phandle_args, which has an ofnode within it. This supports both
-livetree and flat tree transparently. See for example
-ofnode_parse_phandle_with_args().
-
-
-Reading addresses
------------------
-
-You should use dev_read_addr() and friends to read addresses from device-tree
-nodes.
-
-
-fdtdec
-------
-
-The existing fdtdec interface will eventually be retired. Please try to avoid
-using it in new code.
-
-
-Modifying the livetree
-----------------------
-
-This is not currently supported. Once implemented it should provide a much
-more efficient implementation for modification of the device tree than using
-the flat tree.
-
-
-Internal implementation
------------------------
-
-The dev_read_...() functions have two implementations. When
-CONFIG_DM_DEV_READ_INLINE is enabled, these functions simply call the ofnode
-functions directly. This is useful when livetree is not enabled. The ofnode
-functions call ofnode_is_np(node) which will always return false if livetree
-is disabled, just falling back to flat tree code.
-
-This optimisation means that without livetree enabled, the dev_read_...() and
-ofnode interfaces do not noticeably add to code size.
-
-The CONFIG_DM_DEV_READ_INLINE option defaults to enabled when livetree is
-disabled.
-
-Most livetree code comes directly from Linux and is modified as little as
-possible. This is deliberate since this code is fairly stable and does what
-we want. Some features (such as get/put) are not supported. Internal macros
-take care of removing these features silently.
-
-Within the of_access.c file there are pointers to the alias node, the chosen
-node and the stdout-path alias.
-
-
-Errors
-------
-
-With a flat device tree, libfdt errors are returned (e.g. -FDT_ERR_NOTFOUND).
-For livetree normal 'errno' errors are returned (e.g. -ENOTFOUND). At present
-the ofnode and dev_read_...() functions return either one or other type of
-error. This is clearly not desirable. Once tests are added for all the
-functions this can be tidied up.
-
-
-Adding new access functions
----------------------------
-
-Adding a new function for device-tree access involves the following steps:
-
-   - Add two dev_read() functions:
-	- inline version in the read.h header file, which calls an ofnode
-		function
-	- standard version in the read.c file (or perhaps another file), which
-		also calls an ofnode function
-
-	The implementations of these functions can be the same. The purpose
-	of the inline version is purely to reduce code size impact.
-
-   - Add an ofnode function. This should call ofnode_is_np() to work out
-	whether a livetree or flat tree is used. For the livetree it should
-	call an of_...() function. For the flat tree it should call an
-	fdt_...() function. The livetree version will be optimised out at
-	compile time if livetree is not enabled.
-
-   - Add an of_...() function for the livetree implementation. If a similar
-	function is available in Linux, the implementation should be taken
-	from there and modified as little as possible (generally not at all).
-
-
-Future work
------------
-
-Live tree support was introduced in U-Boot 2017.07. There is still quite a bit
-of work to do to flesh this out:
-
-- tests for all access functions
-- support for livetree modification
-- addition of more access functions as needed
-- support for livetree in SPL and before relocation (if desired)
-
-
---
-Simon Glass <sjg@chromium.org>
-5-Aug-17