Re: uClinux Kernel Rebuild Success

Bruce D. Lightner wrote:

> Dear Actiontec Dual PC Modem Hackers:
> 
> Last night I rebuilt the Actiontec kernel from their source release and 
> loaded it into my Actiontec Dual PC Modem, watching what was happening 
> on the console with my "home grown" daughterboard.  I didn't work, but 
> that was because I was using a mismatched ROM file system.
> 
> I've since fixed that and here's the bootup banner from a working setup 
> with my "custom" kernel...
> 
> Linux version 2.4.6 (lightner-bi+AKbBUZKY6gyzm1THtWbp2dZbC/[email protected]) (gcc version 2.95.3 
> 20010315 (release)) #4 Sun Mar 14 18:49:29 PST 2004
> Processor: ARM/CNXT Arm940sid(wb) revision 2
> Architecture: CNXT CX821XX

[snip]

It looks like my declaration of success was premature.  This kernel is 
*not* stable and although you can log into it and look around, after 
sitting overnight, it was dead.  In fact, it needs a full flash bootloader 
recovery *each time* it is loaded and booted.  (You'd think that the 
bootloader flash sector would be protected...or am I missing something here!)

Here's the log from the boot of *my* kernel build with the "stock" ROM 
file system...

    http://www.lightner.net/ActionTec/BAD_BOOT4.txt

...as compared to a completely "stock" Actiontec firmware boot...

    http://www.lightner.net/ActionTec/GOOD_BOOT.txt

Here are the differences...

    http://www.lightner.net/ActionTec/GOOD_BAD4_diff.txt

It looks to me like...

(1) The Conexant Flash Driver is compiled differently because of the extra 
debug messages.

(2) I must have left out the SLIP software, which maybe why /dev/ttyS2 is 
missing

(3) Insmod has undefines (ldiscs and GPIO_SetGPIOIRQRoutine) even though I 
can see them in the kernel sysbol table.  I wonder what module is *not* 
being loaded?

(4) The messages like "MTD_open" indicate that the MTD device is compiled 
with different options.

(5) Some of the MTD behavioral differences may be related to the fact that 
on one case I erased all the flash (i.e., flash /e) before reinstalling 
the bootstrap, and in the other case I did not.

Anyway, I need to do some "real work" now.  More playing tonight...

Greg: Thank you for the CDROM ISO image for flash recovery...

    ftp://ftp.nacs.net/actiontec/adpcm-recover.iso

I will try that tonight.

Best regards,

Bruce

-- 
  Bruce D. Lightner
  Lightner Engineering
  La Jolla, California
  Voice: +1-858-551-4011
  FAX: +1-858-551-0777
  Email: lightner-2huV/[email protected]
  URL: http://www.lightner.net/lightner/bruce/

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