Re: [BUG] 2.6.23-rc3 won't boot on alpha (fwd)

[Tom Evans <tom@23palmer.net>]

I was trying to boot 2.6.23-rc1 a few weeks ago.  Asked about the newer 
binutils - thought that may have been the reason it failing.

Glad you hit the kml instead and found an answer (and glad I wasn't the 
only person seeing a problem with the 2.6.23-rcX series).
It wasn't a binutils issue, but that the stock aboot is misguided.

I'd also be willing to test a patched aboot.

...tom

Bob Tracy wrote:
> I originally posted to linux-kernel w.r.t. 2.6.23-rcX not booting:
>   
> > Unfortunately, I can't say where the bug was introduced, as this is
> > the first kernel I've tried on my Alpha since 2.6.22-rc7.  Best guess
> > is somewhere between .23-rc1 and .23-rc2, based on changes to files in
> > arch/alpha/boot in that patch set.  The problem happens early: aboot
> > starts to load vmlinux.gz, and I get an "unzip: invalid exec header"
> > error.  There's an earlier error from aboot I can't quote exactly, but
> > the template from aboot (bootlx) is:
> >
> > aboot: Can't load kernel.
> >   Memory at %lx - %lx (chunk %i) is %s
> >
> > The first %lx is 0.  The last %lx is all "f"s.  The chunk
> > number is 1, and I *think* the %s is "busy".
> >     
>
> The posted reply was:
>   
> > try http://lkml.org/lkml/2007/8/14/259
> >     
>
> As it turns out, the problem was actually introduced with 2.6.23-rc1:
> 2.6.22 works fine.
>
> The l-k people say aboot needs a patch.  Question to Steve L. et al: is
> a patch in the works?  Would you like a motivated tester? :-)  The patch
> supplied at the above URL doesn't apply cleanly to the current Debian
> aboot-0.9b-3 source tree.
>
>