Image storage methods

For an XIP image stored on a linearly mapped ROM device, the IPL needs to copy only the startup code into RAM:

Here are the steps required in the IPL:

checksum (image_paddr, startup_size)
checksum (image_paddr + startup_size, stored_size - startup_size)
copy (image_paddr, ram_paddr, startup_size)
jump (startup_vaddr)

If the image on the linearly mapped device is compressed, XIP can't be used. Instead, the IPL copies the startup code into RAM. Then, because the compressed image is on linearly addressed media, the startup code can extract it directly from ROM to its final location in RAM:

Here are the steps required in the IPL:

checksum (image_paddr, startup_size)
checksum (image_paddr + startup_size, stored_size - startup_size)
copy (image_paddr, ram_paddr, startup_size)
jump (startup_vaddr)

And here's the step required in the startup code:

uncompress (ram_paddr + startup_size, image_paddr + startup_size, stored_size - startup_size)

If XIP won't be used and the image isn't compressed, the IPL copies the startup code into RAM, and this code simply copies the uncompressed image to the appropriate location (ram_paddr) in RAM:

Here are the steps required in the IPL:

checksum (image_paddr, startup_size)
checksum (image_paddr + startup_size, stored_size - startup_size)
copy (image_paddr, ram_paddr, startup_size)
jump (startup_vaddr)

And here's the step required in the startup code:

copy (ram_paddr + startup_size, image_paddr + startup_size, stored_size - startup_size)

Suppose the image is loaded from a disk or a network onto an x86 system. The BIOS or UEFI looks after loading the image into RAM (see x86 disk boot IPLs). The BIOS or UEFI doesn't know where to jump, so it jumps to its default address, which is the start of the image. We place a small QNX IPL at this location; this IPL simply jumps to the startup code at startup_vaddr:

Since the BIOS or UEFI handles everything else, the only step required in the IPL is the jump instruction:

jump (startup_vaddr)

If the image loaded from disk or a network is compressed, the IPL still jumps to the startup code (which can never be compressed), and the startup code extracts the image to its required location in RAM:

Here's the step required in the startup:

uncompress (ram_paddr + startup_size, image_paddr + startup_size, stored_size - startup_size)