Cobalt Firmware - Revision history

DomQ: /* Kernel is too large */ Info copied over from "Cobalt" page

2006-02-27T22:48:25Z

‎Kernel is too large: Info copied over from "Cobalt" page

Ralf: /* Netbooting */

2005-06-02T09:52:54Z

‎Netbooting

Sjlongland at 06:01, 23 November 2004

2004-11-23T06:01:31Z

Sjlongland at 06:00, 23 November 2004

2004-11-23T06:00:56Z

Sjlongland at 05:49, 23 November 2004

2004-11-23T05:49:13Z

Sjlongland at 05:48, 23 November 2004

2004-11-23T05:48:50Z

Ralf at 23:10, 19 November 2004

2004-11-19T23:10:38Z

New page

The '''Cobalt Firmware''' is only used on Cobalt MIPS systems. It consists of a Linux 2.0 kernels which can read a gziped ELF kernel directly from a serial line at 115200bps, 8N1. When booting from disk the firmware kernels expects the kernel binary to be booted to reside on an ext2 filesystem /dev/hda1 as /vm.gz.

== Firmware can't mount the boot partition ==
The firmware is based on a Linux 2.0 kernel. This kernel only supports ext2 rev. 0 filesystems. Current e2fsprogs however default to rev. 1. Journaling isn't supported with rev. 0 filesystems either so the partition containing the kernel cannot be ext3.

== Kernel is too large ==
Due to unfortunate use of the available memory the size of the bootable kernel is severly restricted. In Linux 2.6 even a minimal kernel will exceed this limit.

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 == Kernel is too large ==
-Due to unfortunate use of the available memory the size of the bootable kernel is severly restricted.  In Linux&nbsp;2.6 even a minimal kernel will exceed this limit.
+Due to unfortunate use of the available memory the size of the bootable kernel is severly restricted (about 620 kB, depending on model).  In Linux&nbsp;2.6 even a minimal kernel will exceed this limit.  For 2.4, one should try "strip vmlinux" then "gzip -9 vmlinux" to reduce the size to a minimum.
 = Netbooting =

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 = Netbooting =
-This firmware is capable of loading a kernel over NFS when you hold both the LEFT and RIGHT arrow buttons on boot.  The unit first obtains an IP number via BOOTP.
+This firmware is capable of loading a kernel over NFS when you hold both the LEFT and RIGHT arrow buttons on boot.  The unit first obtains an IP number via [[BOOTP]].
 Once the system is up, it then mounts /nfsroot off the BOOTP server (or a specified server via the 'next-server' parameter -- check this) and attempts to execute vmlinux_raq-2800.gz from this directory.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 = Features of this firmware =
- * By default, the firmware will try to load /vmlinux.gz from hda1
+* By default, the firmware will try to load /vmlinux.gz from hda1
- * It can boot /usr/games/.doug as an alternate kernel if you hold all four buttons in whilst powering the unit on.
+* It can boot /usr/games/.doug as an alternate kernel if you hold all four buttons in whilst powering the unit on.
- * Holding in the "password reset" button switches on the serial console.  When you see "Console ON" switch the unit off, then back on again to use the console.
+* Holding in the "password reset" button switches on the serial console.  When you see "Console ON" switch the unit off, then back on again to use the console.
- * Holding the LEFT + RIGHT arrow buttons triggers a netboot.  See below.
+* Holding the LEFT + RIGHT arrow buttons triggers a netboot.  See below.
- * Pressing space during the diagnostics (serial console) drops you to a shell... 'bfd vmlinux.blah.gz' will load an alternate kernel.
+* Pressing space during the diagnostics (serial console) drops you to a shell... 'bfd vmlinux.blah.gz' will load an alternate kernel.
 = Limitations =

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The '''Cobalt Firmware''' is only used on Cobalt MIPS systems.  It consists of a Linux&nbsp;2.0 kernels which can read a gziped ELF kernel directly from a serial line at 115200bps, 8N1.  When booting from disk the firmware kernels expects the kernel binary to be booted to reside on an ext2 filesystem /dev/hda1 as /vmlinux.gz.  It can also boot a backup kernel from /usr/games/.doug if you hold all four arrow buttons in whilst powering the unit on.
+The '''Cobalt Firmware''' is only used on Cobalt MIPS systems.  It consists of a Linux 2.0 kernel which can read a gziped ELF kernel directly from a serial line at 115200bps, 8N1.  When booting from disk the firmware kernels expects the kernel binary to be booted to reside on an ext2 filesystem /dev/hda1 as /vmlinux.gz.
 == Firmware can't mount the boot partition ==
@@ Line 7: / Line 19: @@
 Due to unfortunate use of the available memory the size of the bootable kernel is severly restricted.  In Linux&nbsp;2.6 even a minimal kernel will exceed this limit.
-== Replacement Firmware -- [[CoLo]] ==
+= Netbooting =
 There is a replacement firmware available that can either be burned into the flash chip, or chainloaded from the existing firmware.  See the [[CoLo]] page for more information.

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 Due to unfortunate use of the available memory the size of the bootable kernel is severly restricted.  In Linux&nbsp;2.6 even a minimal kernel will exceed this limit.
-== Replacement Firmware -- CoLo ==
+== Replacement Firmware -- [[CoLo]] ==
-There is a replacement firmware available that can either be burned into the flash chip, or chainloaded from the existing firmware.  See the CoLo page for more information.
+There is a replacement firmware available that can either be burned into the flash chip, or chainloaded from the existing firmware.  See the [[CoLo]] page for more information.