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Re: Loopback block device missing in hdinstall initrd?



On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 05:56:42PM +1100, Finn Thain wrote:

> > been trying to install etch-68k on a Powerbook 190. Kernel 2.6 that 
> > comes on the netinstall iso image boots fine with ramdisk, xcept for 
> > SCSI not working, so no CD-ROM drive. That's why I copied the iso to the 
> > ide drive. The installer finds the iso there but can't mount it, tried 
> > mounting manually and looks like there is no loopback block device in 
> > the kernel. No module on the initrd either....Is there a way you could 
> > include the loopback device driver (either in kernel or as module on the 
> > initrd) for the hdinstall to work on scsi impaired 68k macs like mine?
> 
> I'll let the debian guys answer that one since I don't know whether there 
> is a special kernel for the installer kernel or not (?)

The installer kernel is the exact same kernel.

> I have a minimal config that I use for testing different machines, to 
> limit RAM footprint and build time. It has sufficient features to run the 
> debian installer, and boot from NFS and so on. It has the loopback driver 
> built in. I've uploaded binaries for that and also binaries for a tweaked 
> debian config at http://www.telegraphics.com.au/~fthain/linux-2.6.31/
> 
> I based the latter config on linux-image-2.6.29-2-mac_2.6.29-5_m68k.deb at 
> debian-ports.org. I found that it was bloated by a lot of options that are 
> not needed on this platform -- Serial Attached SCSI, USB, PS2 and FF input 
> devices, LEDS, TPM, drivers for embedded devices, Gb ethernet etc. There 
> are also a few options like IO scheduler that I think would be better as 
> modules.
> 
> What's the best way to fix this? Are the debian m68k configs derived from 
> the debian x86 config or perhaps from upstream? The upstream mac_defconfig 
> is much slimmer (though I've never tried to boot it).

It is indeed derived from the x86 config, but we can manually override
whatever we want. A better config would probably be a good goal for the
next kernel release, if someone felt sufficiently motivated.

Peace,

Stephen

-- 
Stephen R. Marenka     If life's not fun, you're not doing it right!
<stephen@marenka.net>


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