Re: [LinuxBIOS] CONFIG_LB_MEM_TOPK

[Lu, Yinghai]

1. Can you make one elf image with mkelfImage ( combine the kernel and
initrd)?

2. use latest kernel + suse rescue disk to make on elf to check your
/dev/md3...

YH

-----Original Message-----
From: Ward Vandewege [mailto:[e-mail]] 
Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 1:55 PM
To: Lu, Yinghai
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: [LinuxBIOS] CONFIG_LB_MEM_TOPK

On Fri, Apr 07, 2006 at 01:37:06PM -0700, Lu, Yinghai wrote:
> I fixed one merge typo in
> src/southbride/amd/amd8111/amd8111_early_ctrl.c
>
> Please change 15 to 11 at line 13.

OK; did that, but it did not help. Same problem still.

Ward.

[LinuxBIOS] CONFIG_LB_MEM_TOPK

[Ward Vandewege]

On Fri, Apr 07, 2006 at 02:02:47PM -0700, Lu, Yinghai wrote:
> Can you make one elf image with mkelfImage ( combine the kernel and
>
> initrd)?

OK; this is what I've done:

1. Retrieved the mkelfImage program (v2.7) from

ftp://ftp.lnxi.com

2.

mkelfImage --command-line="ro root=/dev/md3 quiet splash console=tty0
console=ttyS0,115200n8" \
            --kernel="/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.12-9-amd64-generic" \
            --initrd="/boot/initrd.img-2.6.12-9-amd64-generic" \
            --output="/boot/linuxbios_2.6.12-9-amd64-generic.elf"

3. Adjusted etherboot-5.4.1/file/Config

AUTOBOOT_FILE = "hde1:/linuxbios_2.6.12-9-amd64-generic.elf"

4.

cd etherboot-5.4.1/src
 make bin/tg3--filo.elf

5. Adjusted targets/tyan/s2881/Config.lb to point to the new payload
(tg3--filo.elf)

6. Tried booting - it actually got to a login prompt this time, but as I hit
enter on the kbd, it crashed again. Log is attached.

So that did not help. I'm going to try your next suggestion now.

Thanks,
Ward.
> use latest kernel + suse rescue disk to make on elf to check your
>
> /dev/md3...
>
> YH
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ward Vandewege [mailto:[e-mail]] 
> Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 1:55 PM
> To: Lu, Yinghai
> Cc: [e-mail]
> Subject: Re: [LinuxBIOS] CONFIG_LB_MEM_TOPK
>
> On Fri, Apr 07, 2006 at 01:37:06PM -0700, Lu, Yinghai wrote:
> > I fixed one merge typo in
> > src/southbride/amd/amd8111/amd8111_early_ctrl.c
> >
> > Please change 15 to 11 at line 13.
>
> OK; did that, but it did not help. Same problem still.
>
> Ward.
>
> !DSPAM:4436d470278011542430122!

[LinuxBIOS] CONFIG_LB_MEM_TOPK

[Ward Vandewege]

On Fri, Apr 07, 2006 at 02:02:47PM -0700, Lu, Yinghai wrote:
> Can you make one elf image with mkelfImage ( combine the kernel and
>
> initrd)?
> use latest kernel + suse rescue disk to make on elf to check your
>
> /dev/md3...

OK; tried stock 2.6.16.2 kernel + mkelfImage. Same problem; output attached.
I have disabled the T0 in /etc/inittab for now, until I can configure my
Config.lb properly.

Any other ideas?

Thanks,
Ward.

[LinuxBIOS] CONFIG_LB_MEM_TOPK

[Ronald G Minnich]

Ward Vandewege wrote:
> So that did not help. I'm going to try your next suggestion now.

This still sounds like memory to me. OH, wait ....

can you time the time until it crashes. I had a problem once with a 
watchdog timer. Can you see if it's always the same amount of time.

I doubt this is it, but you never know.

ron

[LinuxBIOS] CONFIG_LB_MEM_TOPK

[Ward Vandewege]

On Fri, Apr 07, 2006 at 05:56:07PM -0600, Ronald G Minnich wrote:
> Ward Vandewege wrote:
> > So that did not help. I'm going to try your next suggestion now.
>
> This still sounds like memory to me. OH, wait ....
>
> can you time the time until it crashes. I had a problem once with a 
> watchdog timer. Can you see if it's always the same amount of time.
>
> I doubt this is it, but you never know.

OK; thanks for all the extra suggestions guys, I will try them all on Monday.
Look forward to having this one solved :)

Thanks!
Ward.

[LinuxBIOS] CONFIG_LB_MEM_TOPK

[Ward Vandewege]

On Fri, Apr 07, 2006 at 05:56:07PM -0600, Ronald G Minnich wrote:
> Ward Vandewege wrote:
> > So that did not help. I'm going to try your next suggestion now.
>
> This still sounds like memory to me. OH, wait ....
>
> can you time the time until it crashes. I had a problem once with a 
> watchdog timer. Can you see if it's always the same amount of time.

Assuming you mean from poweron to crash, right?

I've done some tests. I can let it sit for minutes on the etherboot 'Boot
from (N)etwork (D)isk or (Q)uit?' prompt. From the moment it starts FILO's
default kernel, it doesn't last much longer than 11 to 14 seconds. I have 2
datapoints with almost 14 seconds, one with just over 13 seconds and 2 with
just over 11 seconds. Of course these measurements are not very precise since
I had to push the timer buttons manually.

T 000:00:13.248
T 000:00:11.328
T 000:00:11.532
T 000:00:13.864
T 000:00:13.715

The biggest part of that time is spent right after it prints

ACPI: Unable to locate RSDP

There is no output for easily 5-6 seconds after printing this.
> I doubt this is it, but you never know.

What do you think, watchdog timer or not? I've attached another (longer)
bootlog with many boot attempts.

Ward.

[LinuxBIOS] CONFIG_LB_MEM_TOPK

[Ronald G Minnich]

not sure if it's watchdog.

Here's the easiest way to tell. boot with
init=/bin/sh

and, once you get the shell prompt, just let it sit there.

At that point, ints are enabled, and if there's something bad going on 
you need to control, you'll know it in about 15 seconds.

I had a vendor do this to me once: they changed the board and connected 
(on the board) and  started enabling a watchdog and did not tell me -- 
one week before an exhibit. I had a sleepless weekend.

Of course, the part # did not change -- they never do ...

ron

[LinuxBIOS] CONFIG_LB_MEM_TOPK

[Ward Vandewege]

On Mon, Apr 10, 2006 at 08:40:17AM -0600, Ronald G Minnich wrote:
> not sure if it's watchdog.
>
> Here's the easiest way to tell. boot with
> init=/bin/sh
> and, once you get the shell prompt, just let it sit there.
>
> At that point, ints are enabled, and if there's something bad going on 
> you need to control, you'll know it in about 15 seconds.

I let it boot 5 times. Used the stopwatch on the last 2 boots:

T 000:00:16.143
T 000:01:20.498

So if it's a watchdog timer, it's a pretty variable one (?). The third boot
also felt like at least a minute. I've attached the boot log.
> I had a vendor do this to me once: they changed the board and connected 
> (on the board) and  started enabling a watchdog and did not tell me -- 
> one week before an exhibit. I had a sleepless weekend.
>
> Of course, the part # did not change -- they never do ...

Ugh. I don't understand why they never do that. Must make their own support
people's life hell.

Ward.

[LinuxBIOS] CONFIG_LB_MEM_TOPK

[Ronald G Minnich]

I don't think it's a watchdog.

Next thing you can do for isolation: boot into init=/bin/bash and then 
start up rc one thing at a time.

If we get a chance, we will try out 2881s here.

ron