Re: Linux + DiskOnChip problems

David Woodhouse (David.Woodhouse@mvhi.com)
Thu, 21 Oct 1999 17:44:15 +0100


ieure@uswest.net said:
> I have stripped the kernel down as small as I can get it, and I still
> can't boot it with the DOC. Does anyone know if there is some solution
> to this dilemma, or should I just bite my tongue and use a LILO
> floppy? I'd rather not, since the netboot stuff is really cool. :^)

For a start, unless you're helping to beta test my GPL'd DiskOnChip driver for
Linux from http://www.linux-mtd.infradead.org/ then I don't want to help you.

If you'll download and test it, then you're permitted to read the rest of this
mail...

... do you promise ? ....

If you're netbooting, you can just dump the firmware completely. Scribble over
the first 48k of the DiskOnChip by using the direct access device /dev/mtd0
and then it'll never try to load the BIOS again.

We have also been discussing possible alternatives to this which allow you to
actually boot from the DiskOnChip. It should be fairly simple to throw
together a boot loader which fetches the kernel out of the device, puts it in
place and executes it - without understanding the NFTL translation layer at
all. Sort of like LILO but not.

Another alternative would be to take my driver and try to replace their
provided firmware with my code - and to reduce the amount of caching which it
does. I'm fairly sure that the reason it's sucking up all your RAM is because
it is caching block information from the NFTL. That's not strictly necessary -
it's a performance boost, but not if it prevents your system from booting.

---- ---- ----
David Woodhouse David.Woodhouse@mvhi.com Office: (+44) 1223 810302
Project Leader, Process Information Systems Mobile: (+44) 7976 658355
Axiom (Cambridge) Ltd., Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambridge, CB5 0NA, UK.
finger dwmw2@ferret.lmh.ox.ac.uk for PGP key.

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