Android Boot processThe Android boot process from power on
Author : pjRollo2000Since mobile platforms and embedded systems has some differences compared to Desktop systems in how they initially start up and boot this post will discuss the initial boot stages of an Android phone in some detail. Since we have used the Beagle Board as reference in some previous examples any specifics here are related to a similar system.
1. Power on and boot ROM code execution
the Omap 3530 TRM.
A. The Boot ROM code will detect the boot media using a system register that maps to some physical balls on the asic. This is to determine where to find the first stage of the boot loader.
B. Once the boot media sequence is established the boot ROM will try to load the first stage boot loader to internal RAM. Once the boot loader is in place the boot ROM code will perform a jump and execution continues in the boot loader.
2. The boot loader
The boot loader is a special program separate from the Linux kernel that is used to set up initial memories and load the kernel to RAM. On desktop systems the boot loaders are programs like GRUB and in embedded Linux uBoot is often the boot loader of choice. Device manufacturers often use their own proprietary boot loaders. The requirements on a boot loader for Linux running on an ARM system can be found in the Booting document under /Documentation/arm in the kernel source tree.
A. The first boot loader stage will detect and set up external RAM.
B. Once external RAM is available and the system is ready the to run something more significant the first stage will load the main boot loader and place it in external RAM.
C. The second stage of the boot loader is the first major program that will run. This may contain code to set up file systems, additional memory, network support and other things. On a mobile phone it may also be responsible for loading code for the modem CPU and setting up low level memory protections and security options.
D. Once the boot loader is done with any special tasks it will look for a Linux kernel to boot. It will load this from the boot media (or some other source depending on system configuration) and place it in the RAM. It will also place some boot parameters in memory for the kernel to read when it starts up.
E. Once the boot loader is done it will perform a jump to the Linux kernel, usually some decompression routine, and the kernel assumes system responsibility.
3. The Linux kernel
The Linux kernel starts up in a similar way on Android as on other systems. It will set up everything that is needed for the system to run. Initialize interrupt controllers, set up memory protections, caches and scheduling.
B. The kernel will look in the root file system for the init process (found under system/core/init in the Android open source tree) and launch it as the initial user space process.
4. The init process
The init process is the "grandmother" of all system processes. Every other process in the system will be launched from this process or one of its descendants.
A. The init process in Android will look for a file called init.rc. This is a script that describes the system services, file system and other parameters that need to be set up. The init.rc script is placed in system/core/rootdir in the Android open source project.
B. The init process will parse the init script and launch the system service processes.
The Zygote is launched by the init process and will basically just start executing and and initialize the Dalvik VM.
A very good work and effort by Mr. Pjrollo to clear the vision about initial boot load for android devices.
Source : FreakTab
Great Tutorial done by : Pjrollo2000
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