mbox series

[Concept,00/26] boot: pxe: Add three-phase API and fix memory leaks

Message ID 20260110202906.187370-1-sjg@u-boot.org
Headers
Series boot: pxe: Add three-phase API and fix memory leaks |

Message

Simon Glass Jan. 10, 2026, 8:28 p.m. UTC 
  From: Simon Glass <simon.glass@canonical.com>

This series adds a callback-free API for PXE/extlinux parsing that
eparates the process into three distinct phases: parse, load, and boot.

The traditional API uses callbacks during parsing to load files
immediately. The new API instead collects file information (kernel,
initrd, FDT, overlays) into a list during parsing, allowing callers to
load files manually before booting.

Include files are handled in a similar way.

Rather than requiring the config files to be nul-termiated, the size of
the file is provided and used to determine the end of the configuration
file.

New functions:
- pxe_parse() - Parse config and return menu with file list
- pxe_load() - Load files for a selected label (optional helper)
- pxe_boot() - Boot using loaded files (renamed from pxe_do_boot)
- pxe_cleanup() - Clean up context and menu

The series also fixes several memory leaks in the parser found through
malloc dump analysis.

Size growth is unfortunately significant. On Thumb2 the memory-leak
fixes add 116 bytes; removing the need for nul-termination takes 116
bytes and the alists and and general logic take another 60


Simon Glass (26):
  lib: abuf: Add abuf_init_addr() helper
  boot: pxe: Free bmp in pxe_menu_uninit()
  boot: pxe: Fix token memory leaks in parser
  boot: pxe: Free menu label in label_destroy()
  boot: pxe: Fix memory leak in parse_fdtoverlays()
  boot: pxe: Make pxe_prepare() static and document it
  boot: pxe: Simplify pxe_parse_include() to take only address
  boot: pxe: Add struct pxe_file for file loading
  boot: pxe: Replace pxe_fdtoverlay with pxe_file
  boot: pxe: Use the files list instead of fdtoverlays
  boot: pxe: Add a helper to add to the file list
  boot: pxe: Add the kernel to the files list when parsing
  boot: pxe: Add the initrd to the files list when parsing
  boot: pxe: Add the FDT to the files list when parsing
  boot: pxe: Set pxe_file_size in get_pxe_file()
  boot: pxe: Set pxe_file_size in extlinux_read_all()
  boot: pxe: Add size parameter to parse_pxefile()
  boot: pxe: Add pxe_process_str() for nul-terminated strings
  boot: pxe: Update parse_pxefile() to take struct abuf
  boot: pxe: Remove unused base parameter from parse_menu()
  boot: pxe: Remove unused base parameter from parse_pxefile_top()
  boot: pxe: Add a limit parameter to parser functions
  boot: pxe: Add a callback-free PXE API
  test: pxe: Add a test for the callback-free files API
  test: pxe: Add memory-leak check to files-API test
  doc: bootstd: Add PXE parser API documentation

 boot/ext_pxe_common.c            |   5 +-
 boot/pxe_parse.c                 | 242 +++++++++++++++++++----------
 boot/pxe_utils.c                 | 127 ++++++++++++---
 cmd/pxe.c                        |   2 +-
 cmd/sysboot.c                    |   2 +-
 doc/develop/bootstd/extlinux.rst |   2 +-
 doc/develop/bootstd/index.rst    |   1 +
 doc/develop/bootstd/pxe_api.rst  | 194 +++++++++++++++++++++++
 doc/develop/bootstd/pxelinux.rst |   2 +-
 include/abuf.h                   |  12 ++
 include/pxe_utils.h              | 176 ++++++++++++++++-----
 lib/abuf.c                       |   6 +
 test/boot/pxe.c                  | 255 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++----
 test/lib/abuf.c                  |  23 +++
 test/py/tests/test_pxe_parser.py |  11 ++
 15 files changed, 876 insertions(+), 184 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 doc/develop/bootstd/pxe_api.rst