Messages in this thread | | | Date | Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:13:30 -0500 | From | Bill Davidsen <> | Subject | Re: PROBLEM: loadlin incompatible with 2.6.23 kernels |
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Kenneth Howlett wrote: > The loadlin boot loader fails to boot 2.6.23 kernels. > > I used msdos 6.22 in real mode, without himem.sys or any other memory > manager, without any tsrs; loadlin 1.6c; and kernel 2.6.23.1-42.fc8, which > is the install kernel for the fedora core 8 distribution. The normal loadlin > messages are displayed, the display is cleared and the cursor moves to the > upper left corner, and then nothing else happens. No kernel boot messages > are displayed. The computer does not respond to most keyboard actions, but > the computer does reboot when I press control-alternate-delete. > > My computer is a dell dimension 4100 with pentium III 733mhz and intel > chipset, and ATI radeon all-in-wonder display controller. > > The output of loadlin -d is: > LOADLIN v1.6c (C) 1994..2002 Hans Lermen <lermen@fgan.de> > > Your current LINUX kernel boot configuration is: > image file: fed8.ker > kernel version 2.6.23.1-42.fc8 (kojibuilder@xenbuilder1.fedora.redhat.com) #1 SMP Tue Oct 30 13:05:10 EDT 2007 > kernel size: 0x001E0300 (high loaded) setup size: 0x2C00, heap: 0x1200 > VGA mode: 0xFFFF > command line (size 0x0013): > BOOT_IMAGE=fed8.ker > > Your current DOS/CPU configuration is: > load buffer size: 0x00F60000 EXT , setup buffer size: 0x3E00 > lowmem buffer: 0x00080000 (part of load buffer) > total memory: 0x040FFC00 > CPU is in REAL mode > SetupIntercept: YES, legal intercept, setup header version 0206 > stat1: cpu in real 386 mode, no need to backswitch > input params (size 0x0011): > fed8.ker -d o.txt > LOADLIN started from DOS-prompt > > Option -t set, Linux not loaded > > > I tried using loadlin -f, and the result was the same. I tried using loadlin > -noheap, and the computer rebooted itself instead of crashing. I tried using > freedos 1.0 instead of msdos 6.22, and instead of crashing, the computer > displayed a message saying invalid opcode, and the dos prompt returned. I > tried using the 586, 686, and debug kernels from packages on the fedora core > 8 dvd, and the result was the same. I tried using the pae kernel from the > package on the fedora core 8 dvd, and the computer crashed like before, but > this time the computer did not respond to control-alternate-delete. > > Loadlin works ok with older kernels. The kernel works ok with other boot > loaders. I tested the integrity of my fedora core 8 dvd and it was ok. > > I searched the web, and the only reference I found was > <a href="http://kerneltrap.org/node/14842">http://kerneltrap.org/node/14842</a>. > The first comment is from me. The person who wrote the original post > seems to be compiling his own kernels; therefore this is probably a kernel > problem, not a problem with the fedora core 8 distribution. The person who > wrote the original post says that kernel 2.6.22.12 did not have this > problem, therefore the problem probably appeared in the 2.6.23 kernels, and > earlier kernels are probably ok. > > I do not know if the problem is with the kernel or with loadlin. Probably > some people will say it is the kernel's fault, and other people will say it > is loadlin's fault. > > I am not knowledgable about the kernel boot process, but I am guessing that > the first thing the kernel does is uncompress itself, and the second thing > the kernel does is set the vga or framebuffer mode. I am guessing that the > clearing of the display is not done by loadlin, but is done as part of > setting the vga or framebuffer mode. Therefore I guessed that the kernel > successfully uncompressed itself, then got stuck setting the vga or > framebuffer mode. So I tried changing the vga options. > > With vga=normal, the result is the same. With vga=771 (vesa framebuffer, > 800x600, 256 colors), the computer crashes like before, but the cursor is > not visible in the upper left corner. With vga=ask, the computer displays a > message saying press enter for list, press space to continue. If I press > space, the computer crashes. If I press enter, the computer displays a list > of video modes. If I select 0, the computer crashes without changing the > display. If I select 1, the text becomes smaller and occupies a smaller part > of the display, and the computer crashes. If I select 2, the display > clears and the computer crashes. With all of these crashes, the computer can > still be rebooted by pressing control alternate delete. > > I conclude that the problem occurs after or at the end of setting the vga or > framebuffer mode. The problem probably occurs before or at the beginning of > probing for hardware, because no kernel boot messages are displayed after > the vga=ask messages. > > I do not know why this occurs with loadlin and not with other boot loaders. > Lots of stuff has changed in recent versions, if you can try booting with the option "acpi=off" that might or might not be informative. Haven't used loadlin in years, and be aware that the Fedora kernel is not entirely compatible with the kernel.org releases, although that's rarely a problem.
-- Bill Davidsen <davidsen@tmr.com> "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from the machinations of the wicked." - from Slashdot
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