SPI Bootloader options

[yamsoup]

What are the options for bootloaders diectly loaded onto the SPI of the pinebook PRO.
The goal of this thread is to get a comprehensive list of the options avaliable as the information for this is spread far and wide after 4 years.
Please list the name and version number of the bootloader and its advantages and disadvatages.
Personal experiences welcome.

[KC9UDX]

I apologise for answering the opposite.  But I think it's worth pointing out that one of the options is to not use the SPI flash ROM.  In four years and three PBPs, I have not used it.  What I use these days is U-Boot 2021-07 on the eMMC.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jVab9bcjM_I

[yamsoup]

I apologise for answering the opposite.  But I think it's worth pointing out that one of the options is to not use the SPI flash ROM.  In four years and three PBPs, I have not used it.  What I use these days is U-Boot 2021-07 on the eMMC.

Not having a bootloader on the SPI is a legitimate option with a few advantages.
A major one is you don't have to flash the SPI which is risky (I've just had to do the SPI recovery using usb maskrom recently its not an easy process)

But there's also a difference between Pinebooks from what I've been reading the first batch had a simple (rockchip?) bootloader the second batch has absolutely nothing on the SPI.
So there a bit of inconsistency to the behaviour.
A disadvantage is a distro can do an update leaving your device unbootable using uboot on the emmc.