#6245 BLOC Update.: system firmware update issue

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#6245: system firmware update issue
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  Reporter:  jg                   |       Owner:  wmb at firmworks.com
      Type:  defect               |      Status:  new              
  Priority:  blocker              |   Milestone:  Update.1         
 Component:  ofw - open firmware  |     Version:                   
Resolution:                       |    Keywords:                   
  Verified:  0                    |    Blocking:                   
 Blockedby:                       |  
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Changes (by cscott):

 * cc: krstic (added)


Comment:

 In general it is not safe to run a new build with old firmware.

 We can either a) explicitly add code which gives a specific minimum
 firmware version to permit with this build, or b) automatically attempt to
 invoke alt-boot if you can't update the firmware.

 Both of these are complicated and failure-prone, especially if you include
 the various security issues invoked.  At the time we assumed that firmware
 releases would be infrequent and highly important.  For update.1, that is
 indeed the case: we really need to get machines updated from q2d05/6 asap.

 I personally vote for 'wontfix' here, although I'd like to see OFW display
 a much more friendly message when it requires a firmware update and
 doesn't have AC.  Something in several languages, and which doesn't use
 the abbreviation "AC", since that seems to confuse some people.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/6245#comment:1>
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