Grub and watchdog

[Kjeld Flarup Christensen (ST/LMD)]

Hello

On some CPU's & chipsets there are a posibility for a watchdog. Primarily for 
embedded environments.
I know about one patch where Grub has been changed to use a certain watchdog 
implementation to guard the boot process and fallback to a failsafe boot entry.

The basic idea is that grub enables the watchdog, and if the kernel does not 
succed, and starts to feed the dog, then the CPU will reboot, and grub will 
read in some registers that the watchdog killed the last boot, and thus it will 
go for the fallback.

The reason for combining the watchdog with grub, is to increase system 
stability when upgrading the kernel or other software. If the upgrade fails, 
then grub should save the day, and bring the system up in a state where new 
software can be loaded. 

Now my question is, should such a patch go into the grub source.
Or, is it better to put the watchdog into a kernel module, which then is loaded 
by grub. 
Is this kernel approach doable at all.

--------------------- With Regards ------------------
  Kjeld Flarup (Christensen), Specialist, Software Architecture and Technology
  Ericsson Danmark A/S, PDU MSA
  Faelledvej 17, DK-7600 Struer, Phone +45 97 86 94 10, Fax +45 97 85 44 22
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