I didn't understand the ACPI problem. Does this mean that CONFIG_ACPI must
be disabled in the to-be-hibernated kernel, or in the little transient
kexec kernel?
Under current implementation of device state quiescent/save/restore, the
CONFIG_ACPI must be turned off both in to-be-hibernated kernel and
transient kexec kernel.
But the hibernation people are going to separate the device suspend from
device hibernate. The device hibernate will put device in quiescent
state but not in low power state. When this is done, it is not necessary
to disable CONFIG_ACPI at all. It is just a workaround for current
implementation that disabling CONFIG_ACPI.
How close do you think all this is to being a viable thing?
The kexec jump is the first step, maybe the simplest step. There are
many other issues to be resolved, at least the following ones.
1. Separate device suspend from device hibernate.
Step 0, I'd say. :-)
2. Do not reserve memory for kexec kernel. That is, backup needed memory
before kexec and restore them after kexec.
I don't think this is very important initially.
3. Support the in-place kexec? The relocatable kernel is not necessary
if this can be implemented.
4. Image writing/reading. (Only user space application is needed).
And a kernel interface for that application.
5. A smooth resume process. Maybe it is not needed to kexec a new kernel
for resume. For example, in the first stage of kernel boot, just first
16M (or a little more) RAM is used, if the resume image is found, the
saved kernel image is resumed; if the resume image is not found, turn on
the remaining RAM. This will depends on 3.
I think that this is the most difficult part of the whole thing.
6. Reduce the boot-up time of kexec kernel. Maybe the kexec kernel can
be hibernate/resume by the normal kernel too. This way, a real
kexec/boot-up is only needed for the first time.
I'm not sure what you mean.