[OLPC-devel] FLASH part programming

[Jim Gettys]

It is hanging off the embedded controller.  Ron, do you want/need
schematics?

I know the long term intent is that the write enable line to the serial
flash will be entirely under control of the EC code, and there will be a
protocol for talking to it to turn on write enable.

The EC code will enforce holding a keyboard key down before honoring
this request.  The point of this is to ensure a virus/worm cannot turn
our hundred dollar laptops into hundred dollar colorful building bricks
without human intervention, at no additional cost and allow updates
without having to open the machine physically.  Phishing attacks against
the boot rom will still be possible, but this is a pretty good defense
against automated attacks taking out all our systems at once.

That being said, there is a tool we got from Quanta which is able to
write the serial flash (in fact, the most recent machines we received in
Cambridge had the wrong version of the Insyde BIOS): this tool runs from
DOS/FreeDOS and will write the serial flash, so I know it is possible.
(and the EC code does not currently enforce the key down requirement).

Ray Tseng or Mark Foster will know the exact details.
                                      Regards,
                                        - Jim

                                    
On Wed, 2006-06-07 at 21:23 -0600, Ronald G Minnich wrote:
> I want to start looking at a linux tool for programming the serial flash 
> part.
> 
> Anybody know where that enable jumper is? I need to modify the linuxbios 
> flashrom utility to do this.
> 
> thanks
> 
> ron
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-- 
Jim Gettys
One Laptop Per Child