[LinuxBIOS] VIA EPIA-ML6000EA VGA Problem and Kernel Panic

[Christian Sühs]

Daniel Parthey schrieb:
> Hello,
> 
> Daniel Parthey wrote:
> 
>>I tried to get LinuxBIOS Rev 2163 running on an VIA EPIA-ML6000EA Board
>>using the EPIA-M target. The kernel is on /dev/hda1 of an IDE harddisk.
> 
> Note that I'm using an EPIA ML, not an M board.
> 
> 
>>it boots, network is working, but vga output fails
> 
> Maybe the EPIA-M HOWTO should tell that one needs to extract the VGA BIOS
> from EPIA-M Bios Version 1.13 if one wants to use graphics on EPIA-ML.

Thats right, an extracted vga.rom from this version works for the ML, too.
> 
> 
>>DO THE VGA BIOS
>>found VGA: vid=1106, did=3122

if you later want to use the X via driver modul, you should remember on
3122
this is the ID Number you need to change in the vgabioa.c if I remember 
right.

>>rom base, size: fffc0000
>>write_protect_vgabios
>>bus/devfn = 0x100
>>biosint: # 0x6, eax 0x5f53 ebx 0x101 ecx 0x19f88 edx 0xe093
>>biosint: ebp 0x19090 esp 0x39d8 edi 0xfa90 esi 0x1a539
>>biosint: ip 0xc763 cs 0xf000 flags 0x202
>>biosint: Oops, exception 6
>>biosint: Bailing out
>>biosint: # 0x10, eax 0x4f14 ebx 0x18003 ecx 0x1 edx 0x0
>>biosint: ebp 0x19fa8 esp 0xffa edi 0x0 esi 0xffff725e
>>biosint: ip 0x8f7e cs 0x0 flags 0x46
>>BIOSINT: Unsupport int #0x10
>>Devices initialized
>

I get a equal output, if I use the orginal vga.rom from factory bios 
version 1.16 for Epia-M

> 
> Christian Sühs told on the list, that one needs an older vga bios for that.
> First I will try to extract VGA Bios from BIOS 1.02 and 1.01 for the EPIA-ML.

I,m not sure, but I think they won't work.
Have a look at the bios code with cbrom or any tool you want.
and compare the vga rom names. If I remember right there is only one 
version, which works with LB and that is the vga.rom at orginal bios 
from epia-M Version 1.13 for the Epia-ML.

> Then I will try the BIOS 1.16 for the EPIA-M.

That won't work, too.

> Unfortunately, VIA has taken all other versions off the web :(
> 
Thats right, somewhere in the List is a link to the 1.13 version.

> Can I boot the EPIA-M Bios on the EPIA-ML board, or does it fail?
>
It fails.

> 
>>ACPI: bus type pci registered
>>[...]
>> <0>Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!
> 
> Disabling ACPI and AGPGART in the kernel fixed the problem,
> so this was certainly an ACPI issue. Thanks to Anton Borisov.
> 
> Boot speeds is also an issue here, it looks like we need a separate
> target/mainboard for the EPIA-ML in order to speed up the boot
> process for EPIA-ML. It also boots very slowly here, I will try
> Christian Sühs' changes discussed on this list in December 2005 
> and disable some features (like smbus?) in the EPIA-ML boot process.
> 
> Obviously, EPIA-M and EPIA-ML have different features, compare them:
> http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/epia_m/index.jsp#spec

You should disable the search for the firewire stuff, somewhere under 
the northbridge directory for epia-ml. If this is not disabled it tooks 
about 10 seconds before linuxbios boot.

> http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/epia_ml/index.jsp#spec
> 
> Regards,
> Daniel.