[LinuxBIOS] Latest on via epia-m for LinuxBIOS v2?

[Corey Osgood]

Matthew Bloch wrote:
> Corey Osgood wrote:
>   
>> Matthew Bloch wrote:
>>     
>>> Corey Osgood wrote:
>>> [snip]
>>>  
>>>       
>>>> This is exactly as it says. In src/mainboard/via/epia-m/Config.lb, there
>>>> should be an XIP_ROM_SIZE and XIP_ROM_BASE, the base must be a multiple
>>>> of the size. I had a bit of trouble working around this myself at one
>>>> point, I think I determined that I just couldn't have a VGA rom and only
>>>> the fallback boot, having both seemed to straighten things out.
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>> So just to be clear we officially have no idea how to make a VGA BIOS as
>>> detailed in the HOWTO any more :)  Using the Config.vga.filo gives the
>>> same error, so I'll give up on VGA as well.
>>>   
>>>       
>> What I meant was I needed normal+fallback+vga, that did the trick for me
>> at the time, but I can't recall why. For some reason having a fallback
>> image size of 256k - vgarom size screwed up the XIP size calculation,
>> perhaps because the vga rom wasn't exactly 64k?
>>     
>
> Do you have a working Config.lb I could look at?
>   

Sorry, no. It was for a pcchips board with the same chipset that I never 
got going. I don't think I have the code any more.

> [snip]
>   
>> Fallback can be for any variety of things. For example, you could set it
>> up so that there's no or reduced serial output during a normal boot, but
>> a full spew during fallback, or else you could use a different payload
>> for fallback.
>>     
>
> Ah okay, under what circumstances does the fallback run?
>   

IIRC, 3 sequential reboots or one failed boot by the normal image.

> [snip]
>   
>> There may be some sort of flash protection in place, check your vendor
>> bios for a "Flash protect" option. I have this on my jetway and it gives
>> the same effect, but via's a whole different beast. Does the vendor bios
>> still verify? Peter Stuge should know more, hopefully he'll jump in soon.
>>     
>
> I cut & pasted this program:
>   http://linuxbios.org/pipermail/linuxbios/2004-March/007257.html
> and it seems to have flashed without trouble (both the program itself
> and flashrom said the new BIOS was verified, hooray).
>   

Good find! This should get into flashrom.

> Despite my earlier test I'm hesitant to reboot as I've no backstop in
> case I brick it - will review my options for recover, possibly purchase
> a backup chip and pop back in a few days :)
>
> cheers,
>   

Yeah, that's definitely the best practice. There's really no option for 
recovery if something goes wrong, except to hotswap and flash the chip 
in another system.

-Corey