[PATCH 1/5] ARM: dts: ti: Enable overlays for all DTB files

[Robert Nelson]

On Thu, Feb 12, 2026 at 4:19 PM Andreas Kemnade <andreas at kemnade.info> wrote:
>
> On Thu, 12 Feb 2026 17:55:43 +0100
> "H. Nikolaus Schaller" <hns at goldelico.com> wrote:
>
> > > Am 12.02.2026 um 17:47 schrieb Andreas Kemnade <andreas at kemnade.info>:
> > >
> > > On Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:49:43 +0100
> > > "H. Nikolaus Schaller" <hns at goldelico.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >>> Am 12.02.2026 um 16:26 schrieb Kory Maincent (TI) <kory.maincent at bootlin.com>:
> > >>>
> > >>> Allow overlays to be applied to any DTB. This adds around ~40% to the
> > >>> total size of the DTB files on average.
> > >>
> > >> Is this unconditionally enabled or can it be turned off by some CONFIG? We have
> > >> our own defconfig so I would not worry if if is enabled in omap2plus_defconfig
> > >> and disabled in ours.
> > >>
> > >> We have several devices where the boot loader can't handle overlays (never touch
> > >> a working boot-loader :) So this seems to only contribute to build and load time
> > >> without benefit.
> > >>
> > > As long as you do not add overlays, the bootloader does not care. I would
> > > like to simply carry around the 1-bit mmc overlay for one broken board.
> > > That would help me. So I think there is a benefit but nobody forces
> > > you to use it.
> >
> > Well, it does not force to use the really good feature, but it forces to add
> > ~40% more file size and some more compile time, if I understand it correctly.
> >
> Compile time, hardly measurable even if you just do make dtbs.
>
> Size on disk:
> a) if it lives around in a /boot partitions with kernels and initrams in it,
>    then we are around 1% more space needed.
>
> b) if it has separate partitions maybe on some mtd: Looking around: GTA04
>    has quite some headroom left. Usage is still <50% even with symbols
>    enabled.
>
> But on the other no one else seems to enable that besides for devices with
> open expansion boards carrying "hats". So overall, should we really be the
> exception?

Do we want to maybe transition like TI did for k3?

Start with board specific DTC_FLAGS flags for specific boards:

and then just enabling overlays by default :
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/arch/arm64/boot/dts/ti/Makefile?id=bca4146b1f66dbca07591bfd6ad695c699b5a093

If we do board-specific, all the "Beagle" related items can be auto
enabled `-@`..

Regards,

-- 
Robert Nelson
https://rcn-ee.com/