mtd-utils/flash_erase modifications

[Ricard Wanderlof]

Hi,

I have a proposition for some changes to the flash_erase application from 
mtd-utils:

1.
Looking at the mtd-utils/flash_erase application (mtd-utils 1.0.1), and 
considering its use for nand flashes, there is no bad block management,
i.e. if flash_erase hits a bad block, it exits with an error message.
I would like to see (perhaps governed by an option) that it simply
skips bad blocks.

2.
Furthermore, it would be nice to be able to disable the output of the 
program. As it stands, it outputs a line for each block/sector it erases. 
I would suggest a --verbose or -v option in order to enable this output.

3.
And finally, by default, the program only erases the first block, unless 
some options are given. If one wants to erase a whole mtd device or 
partition, the number of blocks must be known and given to flash_erase. It 
would be nice to have a default behavior, or perhaps using an option for 
backwards compatibility's sake, to simply erase the whole device.

I don't mind getting to work on this myself, but I would like some 
comments before I start implementing something that no one thinks is a 
good idea.

/Ricard
--
Ricard Wolf Wanderlöf                           ricardw(at)axis.com
Axis Communications AB, Lund, Sweden            www.axis.com
Phone +46 46 272 2016                           Fax +46 46 13 61 30