[PATCH 4/6] kexec: A new system call, kexec_file_load, for in kernel kexec

[Torsten Duwe]

On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 07:32:11PM -0800, H. Peter Anvin wrote:
> thing, as currently built there are megabytes of zeroes in it for no
> good reason.

Then remove them ;) AFAICS, that's x86 only? What a waste!

What's the reason? ALIGN_RODATA? Even if so, vmlinux.gz might be
a fair trade-off.

> 
> Even if you don't need the entry code, the additional metadata is
> meaningful.

Any idea, or maybe even a list of features that would get lost?
What are the blossoms of this organically grown structure?
Many architectures, even embedded x86, boot happily any ELF kernel.

I'm with Eric here: this is not about _not_ supporting bzImage, it's
about _do_ support ELF first. As I wrote: if the existing signature 
is, let's say, impractical, and a new one is needed anyway, why not 
(detached-) sign vmlinux or vmlinux.gz?

Every architecture can benefit from a secure boot or secure kexec
that is done right.

	Torsten