Re: New per subarch 2.4.22 powerpc kernels, please test.
On Sat, Oct 04, 2003 at 05:27:18PM +0200, Carlos Perelló Marín wrote:
> El sáb, 04-10-2003 a las 17:08, Sven Luther escribió:
> > On Sat, Oct 04, 2003 at 04:42:52PM +0200, Carlos Perelló Marín wrote:
> > > El sáb, 04-10-2003 a las 16:13, Sven Luther escribió:
> > > [...]
> > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I have a question about those kernels. Are they something like x86 ones
> > > > > where you have all possible drivers as modules (ide, for example) and
> > > > > then an initrd image so you will have a really small kernel with lots of
> > > > > modules?
> > > >
> > > > Nope, they are a small kernel and modules which goes installed
> > > > in their right place, like the output of the make-kpkg kernel-images
> > > > mostly. I don't think what you like is possible, since there is a limit
> > > > on the size of the initrd for powerpc (3.3M or something such i think),
> > > > and anyway, i don't see much what you gain by it.
> > >
> > > The x86 initrd is less than 3.5Mb and it's compiled that way.
> >
> > But powerpc executables are bigger, and i have around 8Mo of modules
> > built.
>
> :-? I didn't know that ppc executables are so bigger...
Well, maybe not, but they are a lot of modules, like you said, maybe a
small subset of them would do it.
> > > I'm talking about a more modularized .config file so you can use
> > > make-kpkg as always.
> > >
> > > With that setup you have a kernel that will only load what you need and
> > > will let you boot from USB, FireWire, IDE or SCSI just like MacOSX
> > > without add all those buses inside kernel.
> >
> > I still don't understand the need for an initrd ? Once the system is
> > installed, you can just put the modules on the harddisk, and when
> > installing, it is debian-installer who handle this ...
> >
> > Mmm, i think i see, you want the ide/scsi/firewire/usb/whatever stuff
> > out of the kernel, so you can boot with those, even if they are needed
> > to mount your system. Ok, this seems like a nice idea, i guess it could
> > not be the same kernel as the one used for debian-installer though, as
> > it uses the initrd for the root image.
>
> That's it.
>
> Hmmm I know that you should not add ALL modules inside initrd for
> debian-installer, but What happens if you want boot from a firewire
> cdrom?, or a USB one? I think that you should add to debian-installer
Currently, the USB and firewire drivers are built-in, so there is no
problem in booting from them. This is a possibility for powerpc, since
there are a reduced number of choice than on x86, so it is possible to
have more stuff builtin.
That is, the 2.4.22-1 kernels have only USB builtin, but the 2.4.22-2 i
am preparing have both Firewire drivers builtin.
> modules all boot possibilities so the user will be able always to boot
> her/his system.
Yep, but if there is the possibility to having it builtin, do you still
need them as initrd modules.
> > Anyway, we are too near the srge release for those kind of changes, but
> > i will look into it when i get the time.
>
> I'm not talking about sarge, I'm talking about the future, if it cannot
> land inside Sarge, just next release will have it :-)
Ok, as said, i will look into it, and i may be forced to do a new kernel
configuration anyway for oldworld miboot kernels.
Friendly,
Sven Luther
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