Re: [PATCH RFC 6/7] i386: make the bzImage payload an ELF file

H. Peter Anvin wrote:

I was thinking prescriptive, having the decompressor read the output
stream and interpret it as ELF.  I guess a descriptive approach could be
made to work, too (I haven't really thought about that avenue of
approach), but the prescriptive model seems more powerful, at least to me.

Certainly, but much harder to implement.  The ELF parser needs to be
prepared to move itself around to get out of the way of the ELF file. 
It's a fairly large change from how it works now.

I was thinking of making the ELF file entirely descriptive, since its
just a set of ELF headers inserted into the existing bzImage structure,
and it still relies on the bzImage being build properly in the first place.

    J