Re: Problem netbooting a prep machine
On Monday 20 December 2004 15:57, Philippe Guyot wrote:
> On Monday 20 December 2004 15:04, Sven Luther wrote:
> > On Mon, Dec 20, 2004 at 02:51:23PM +0100, Philippe Guyot wrote:
> > > On Monday 20 December 2004 13:56, Sven Luther wrote:
> > > > On Fri, Dec 17, 2004 at 05:15:22PM +0100, Philippe Guyot wrote:
> > > > > Hi all!
> > > > >
> > > > > I am trying to install a Debian on a powerpc 604 machine from Bull
> > > >
> > > > This is probably a prep box, do you know if it uses the prep or
> > > > ppcbug boot mechanism ?
> > > >
> > > > > It has firmware 03.03.09 copyright Firmworks.
> > > > >
> > > > > If it doesn't lie, it is a prep machine.
> > > >
> > > > Cool.
> > > >
> > > > > I made all the stuff for netbooting (dhcd,tftp and so on).Seems OK.
> > > > >
> > > > > I am loading vmlinuz-prep.initrd ("load net") and the firmware
> > > > > answer:
> > > > >
> > > > > ### : 0 d e boot-file = vmlinuz-prep.initrd
> > > >
> > > > Is this the rc2 or daily build, 2.4 or 2.6 d-i kernel ?
> > >
> > > /ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/testing/main/installer-powerpc/rc2/images/
> > >po werpc/netboot/
> >
> > Ok, so rc2, 2.6 netboot image.
> >
> > Can you try also the netboot/2.4 image ?
>
> I tried, same result....
>
> > > > > I examined the memory, the image seems well loaded at load-base
> > > > > (comparing hex display of memory at load-base and at load-base+size
> > > > > of vm...with the output of hexdump vm....
> > > > > (only first and last blocs of memory, of course)
> > > > >
> > > > > then I typed "go" to start execution. firmware answer : ### : 0 d f
> > > > > and the machine is frozen.
> > > > >
> > > > > (of course, "boot net" gives the same result).
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Can somebody point me to a right direction ?
> > > >
> > > > Not much, but i suppose that it may be that you run into some kernel
> > > > size limit. Where does load-base point to ?
> > >
> > > load-base = 0x 400000
> >
> > This is 4MB, right ? The 2.6 kernel is smaller, but the intird used is
> > big. Does the whole d-i image fit in the 6MB between load-base and OF ?
>
> In fact, I don't know where OF is exactly (real-base = -1 and I can't find
> the default value for OF 3). The size problems I red about exists with OF 1
> or 2 which have load-base 100000 and real-base 400000 by default. Truly a
> kernel greater than 3 MB is a problem in this case but remenber we are in
> OF 3 which should be able to deal with large kernels.
>
> I am searching about this, but really the very following blocks of memory
> at [load-base + size of vmlinuz...] are only zeroes. So I don't think OF is
> overwritten. Doing only "load" and you can do whatever you want whith OF
> commands.
>
> > > I made some experiences, not always pure orthodoxy:
> > >
> > > First of all, when booting disk ("boot disk"), the OF displays 0 d f
> > > then boots proceed, so I think this 0df is not an error message.
> > >
> > > As far as I can see by dumping memory from place to place, the vmlinuz
> > > loaded does not overwrite parts of code from OF (which should be at 0x
> > > 100000). There were only zeroes before loading.
> >
> > Mmm, 0x100000 is 1MB, right ? Thisindeed cause problems.
> >
> > > So I tried to load...yaboot. (yes, I know, not the right way for a
> > > prep machine but...)
> >
> > Cool thing to try :)
> >
> > > It gave strange things: It runs but you can enter only 2 chars at the
> > > prompt. I realize also (tcpdump) that when loaded and running, it
> > > request "yaboot" to the ftp server and not "yaboot.conf". I went
> > > around this by loading first
> >
> > Known bug of the IBM OF implementation.
>
> OK, I don't mind at the moment.
>
> > > yaboot, then moving a yaboot..conf on yaboot then "go" . Same result
> > > however (may be because this is *not* a chrp machine) but the fact is
> > > that yaboot is loaded and running. May be some clue arising from that?
> > > I red from IEEE standards that .ELF must be annotated for running on
> > > IBM machines (but saying the truth, I do not understand yet what doest
> > > that mean...).
> >
> > You have to run addnote on them, but this should be done for the yaboot
> > on the rc2 CD.
>
> I agree, seen by dumping the 1rst sector of chrp ELF image.
> BTW netboot prep image is not an ELF ??
In my research, I was looking at the vmlinuz.chrp, specially the ELF header
and the note.
I saw that in this header, real mode is true, real-base is c00000, real-size
is default, virtual base is default,virtual size is default,load-base is
4000.
Which is inconsistent with my environment variables.
Is there something like this for vmlinuz.prep ?? (Hadn't seen anything like in
the header) .
Friendly.
Felipe
>
> Friendly.
> Felipe
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