Re: Minimal powerpc kernel, miboot users please test (Was Re: modularized powerpc kernel)

[Gaudenz Steinlin <gaudenz@soziologie.ch>]

Am Mit, den 29.10.2003 schrieb Sven Luther um 15:01:
> On Wed, Oct 29, 2003 at 02:35:25PM +0100, Gaudenz Steinlin wrote:
> > Am Mit, den 29.10.2003 schrieb Sven Luther um 13:57:
> > > On Wed, Oct 29, 2003 at 10:22:58AM +0100, Gaudenz Steinlin wrote:
> > > > > BTW, the -powerpc kernel fails to boot on my pegasos system, but this is
> > > > > probably due to devfs. Do you all run devfs with its cryptic device
> > > > > paths, or is there some other trick to it ? The kernel stops after
> > > > > having mounted the root partition, first it takes some time to do the
> > > > > clock stuff, and finally times out, and then halts. I suppose this is
> > > > > due because it doesn't find my non-devfs fstab or something such.
> > > > Did you set CONFIG_DEVFS_MOUNT in your kernel config? You don't need
> > > > that for debian-installer.
> > > > Normal installations should not run devfs at all (it will not be the
> > > > default for sarge) or use devfsd which takes care of compatibility
> > > > symlinks and permissions.
> > > 
> > > No, it was not set.
> > > 
> > > BTW, are you sure it is not needed ? Peter said to me it is needed some
> > > time back, i think, and this maybe why the builtin initrd refuse to boot ?
> > 
> > Quite sure (Petter please comment if I'm wrong). The typical symptom if
> > devfs is not mounted is "Unable to open initial console" not unable to
> > mount the initrd. You probaly have to pass devfs=mount to your kernel if
> > you boot the installer, although there is also code to mount it in
> > /sbin/init.
> 
> I don't follow you here. First you say that CONFIG_DEVFS_MOUNT is not
> needed, and now you tell me that it is needed. But this would explain
> it, as when i boot from the initrd copied to a normal partition, i get
> the Unable to open initial console message. I will try again with the
> devfs=mount option.
As I understand it the kernel compile time option CONFIG_DEVFS_MOUNT set
wheter mounting devfs is default or not. This should not be set because
we want to use this kernel for the installer and for normal system
usage. The installer can then instruct the kernel to mount devfs on boot
with the boot time option devfs=mount. 

/gaudenz