Hello, I am thinking about trying coreboot on a server (dell 2850) and after reading of some manuals I fall into doubts. My question is how coreboot work with other bioses / firmwares that are usually presented on a server boards? For example on my PE2850 I can see messages (during boot-up) from: 1) Original Bios, 2) RAID controller, 3) BMC controller, 4) Backplane 1, 5) Backplane 2, 6) IPMI. Some of them (BMC, Raid, Backplane) can be even upgraded from OS or boot disk. Also some of them have a setup screen similar to original Bios, that can be accessed by special key press. How coreboot will handle them?
Next problem is that I am not sure how to find Bios flash memory on mainboard. The are about 3 candidates (flash chips with stickers), however they are all very similar - how to pick the right one?
I never though about coreboot before, however some time ago I have seen a Work In Progress for dell 1850 (very similar to mine) and decide learn something about it. Was coreboot really installed on this dell? If yes then how physically it was done?
Best Regards, Michael W.
Hi Michael,
Michal Widlok wrote:
I am thinking about trying coreboot on a server (dell 2850) and after reading of some manuals I fall into doubts. My question is how coreboot work with other bioses / firmwares that are usually presented on a server boards? For example on my PE2850 I can see messages (during boot-up) from: 1) Original Bios, 2) RAID controller, 3) BMC controller, 4) Backplane 1, 5) Backplane 2, 6) IPMI. Some of them (BMC, Raid, Backplane) can be even upgraded from OS or boot disk. Also some of them have a setup screen similar to original Bios, that can be accessed by special key press. How coreboot will handle them?
Short answer: It won't.
It can be made to call the ROMs for initialization, but I don't think it does so by default on any board.
I guess RAID would be the minimum to have a usable system. I would start there. I know that RAID ROMs have been done.
FWIW I also have a 2850, just that mine is in production. I could do occasional testing on it.
Next problem is that I am not sure how to find Bios flash memory on mainboard. The are about 3 candidates (flash chips with stickers), however they are all very similar - how to pick the right one?
Can you read the part numbers off the chips?
I never though about coreboot before, however some time ago I have seen a Work In Progress for dell 1850 (very similar to mine)
Are they really similar?
Was coreboot really installed on this dell? If yes then how physically it was done?
I think the flash chip was desoldered and programmed externally. I'm not sure.
//Peter
Hello Peter, Thanks for reply.
Short answer: It won't.
It can be made to call the ROMs for initialization, but I don't think it does so by default on any board.
I guess RAID would be the minimum to have a usable system. I would start there. I know that RAID ROMs have been done.
FWIW I also have a 2850, just that mine is in production. I could do occasional testing on it.
I'm lucky to have my own PE2850 with gentoo linux, however it is used as a "home server" and I obviously don't want to make it unusable by a mistake :-). Fortunately I can play with it a little bit.
Can you read the part numbers off the chips?
Yes, but because of mechanical modifications that I have done (new cooling system) opening it is not so simple as it was. Anyway I can even do some soldering but I have to know that it is worth it. Now I don't want to disassembly my cooling before I learn some more about coreboot.
Are they really similar?
If I read correctly data-sheets, PE1850 is just smaller version of PE2850. The share the same CPUs, chipset, BMC and IPMI. Thy have different expansion slots (3 on 2850, 2 on 1850), different backplanes (more disks on 2850) and PE1850 has PERC 4e/Si RAID controller, while PE2850 has a 2 channel version PERC 4e/Di. Even on-board graphics card it identical. I would guess (after looking at images) that they share almost the same main-board, the layout is identical. Flash chips are located in the back near power supply module.
I think the flash chip was desoldered and programmed externally. I'm not sure.
I can try that but what with backplanes BMC and IPMI? Is that mean that they will not be usable with coreboot at all? My current configurations makes heavy use of IPMI for status logs and diagnose, I really don't want to loose it.
Many thanks Michael W.
On Sun, Nov 9, 2008 at 9:45 AM, Michal Widlok michalwd1979@gmail.com wrote:
I never though about coreboot before, however some time ago I have seen a Work In Progress for dell 1850 (very similar to mine) and decide learn something about it. Was coreboot really installed on this dell? If yes then how physically it was done?
I used NDA info from dell to enable flash writes. Which, obviously, I can not pass on.
ron
Hello Ron, If You have some spare time and can share some knowledge with me then please let know, if not then that's OK. I would like to ask you some questions about coreboot and dells (not about NDA of course).
Best Regards, Michael W.
I used NDA info from dell to enable flash writes. Which, obviously, I can not pass on.
ron
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Michal Widlok -
Peter Stuge -
ron minnich