Subject: RE: dbAu1550 (Cabarnet) - problems booting kernel - hangs at "Sen ding BOOTP" and root file system for MIPS (BE)

From: Prashant Viswanathan <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2004 16:42:51 -0800

>> When I pull the sources from linux-mips.org, I don't
>> get anything in the
>> arch/mips/defconfigs directory. I see a lot of files
>> in the "Attic", but not one for the DbAu1550.

> Sorry, I meant arch/mips/configs. There is a
> db1550_defconfig there.

I was able to build and load the kernel using this file. Thanks to Pete for
that. 

The only change I had to make was to drivers/mtd/maps/db1550-flash.c which
was referencing asm/au1000.h. This file has moved to
asm/mach-au1x00/au1000.h. I also changed the config file to indicate Big
Endian instead of Little Endian default. The tool chain was BE and the board
was configured to boot in BE too.

However, the kernel seems to hang in "Sending BOOTP Requests"
<snip>
Sending BOOTP requests .<6>eth0: link up
eth1: link up
..... timed out!
IP-Config: Reopening network devices...
Sending BOOTP requests ....
</snip>

The same happens whether I use "go . ip=any" or "go . ip=10.2.11.185" from
yamon. All the other nodes on this network also use DHCP to get their
addresses and they have no problems. The board itself boots using tftp so
the network connectivity must be good.

My next step would be to specify a root file system. Where can I find a root
file system (or/and compiled package) for MIPS (BE)? I saw this thread (link
below) on the mailing list, but none of these links work now. 
http://www.linux-mips.org/archives/linux-mips/2001-03/threads.html#00008

Thanks
Prashant

---

From: Josh Green <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2004 16:55:55 -0800

> Sending BOOTP requests ....

Perhaps you don't have a bootp service on your network.  I usually put
ip=dhcp (go to Device Drivers->Networking support->Networking options
and enable IP: DHCP support).

> http://www.linux-mips.org/archives/linux-mips/2001-03/threads.html#00008

You could build your own tool chain and root file system, which is what
I did (I have a dbAu1100 board).  I used the buildroot package which is
part of the uclibc project:
http://www.uclibc.org/

You can download the buildroot CVS tarball here (just look for the
"Download tarball" link at the bottom:
http://www.uclibc.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/buildroot/

It has a "make menuconfig" style configuration system and will build
busybox and other programs and create an ext2 file system, etc.  I opted
to build busybox and the mips kernel separately though (so I could more
easily configure them).  I now have a cross compiler and tool chain for
my x86 laptop.

> Prashant

Cheers.
	Josh Green