Re: debian installer, uml, kernel 2.6

[Sven Luther <sven.luther@wanadoo.fr>]

On Sat, Dec 18, 2004 at 01:41:36PM -0500, Raylynn Knight wrote:
> On Sat, 2004-12-18 at 04:02, Sven Luther wrote:
> > > >   2) What kernel are you using, and what configuration file. I will try to
> > > >   make a kernel package of it. Ideal would be to either use a 2.4.27 or 2.6.8
> > > >   based kernel, but i have the suspision that the nubus pmacs only run with
> > > >   the mklinux kernels, right ? 
> > > > 
> > > Kernel is Linux version 2.4.27 (rayk@p6290.nubuslinux.org) (gcc version
> > > 3.3.4 (Debian 1:3.3.4-13)) #1 Sun Dec 5 04:54:40 EST 2004
> > > 
> > > Built from the bitkeeper repository at
> > > bk://nubus-pmac.bkbits.net/linuxppc-2.4-nubus
> > > 
> > > Config file is attached.
> > 
> > Ok, i will extract it and build a kernel. I would appreciate if you could
> > become co-maintainer of that kernel package or something, do you feel like it
> > ? It will be kernel-image-2.4.27-nubus, i think. Damn, it is a bk stuff, could
> > you be so kind as to extract the diff against the debian 2.4.27 kernel-source,
> > and send me that ? I don't have bk installed here. If we do it right, i will
> > upload the package this WE, altough it will be in the NEW queue for now.
> > 
> What would being co-maintainer involve?  I currently put as much time as

Well, basically it is caring for bug reports, or at least respond to them and
clasify them or whatever, which are nubus specific, and try assorted kernels
on your nubus pmac. Also, working on the configuration file would be best done
by you than by me, altough the configuration file is somewhat common anyway.
I don't have the hardware, so ...

I will do the true maintaining, building the packages, and so on, but it is
best if someone with real hardware also follows this issues. If you are able
to do more, you could get an alioth account, and we could add you to the
debian-kernel maintainer team, and you would have direct access to the
archive, and can modify it directly, instead of sending me patches, which i
then integrate.

I feel that once things are going, the nubus port will cost the same amount of
work as the amiga/apus kernel, which i also maintain, and haven't had a bug
report in ages.

> I can into keeping m68k Macintosh and Nubus PPC kernels in a useable
> state.  Which means that we're stuck at 2.2.25 for m68k Macs, although
> others have made some progress towards 2.6.x and I've been working at
> moving PPC NuBus further. The mailing list for NuBus PPC disappeared
> earlier this year which hasn't helped progress.  I've been meaning to
> find the time to try to re-establish a mailing list. I've also
> registered the nubuslinux.org domain in an attempt to provide
> information for all of the NuBus based Macintoshes, but my time is
> limited.

Understood. I guess we are all in that position.

> I'll try to make time for creating the diff soon.  I may just post a
> link on www.nubuslinux.org when I have it completed, but I'll send you
> an email as well.  It may take me a while as I am spending this weekend
> Christmas shopping with my daughter.

Oh well, good luck, maybe i will get to install bk afterall, altough i don't
feel very much to fill their licence agreement, oh well.

> > I will try to make you a custom d-i available also, for you to test.
> > 
> > How is the initrd situation for the mklinux bootloader, can it boot a vmlinux
> > + initrd, or does it need some other special target.
> > 
> There is a special target 'make zImage.initrd' which combines the

Yeah, ok, known stuff, i use the same on my pegasos/chrp machine.

> vmlinux and ramdisk.image.gz into a 'Mach Kernel' image that the MkLinux
> booter can handle.

Yeah, but which of the images do you use ? what is the name of it ? I use the
zImage.chrp, so hopefully yours is named zImage.nubus or something ? 

> I appreciate whatever assistance you can give in providing support for
> this architecture in Debian Sarge as it would provide much needed
> exposure to the NuBus PPC port.  

Yep.

Friendly,

Sven Luther