Re: Synology CS 407e: altboot fails to load installer.

On Wed, 11 May 2011 16:03:46 +0200
Oscar Molin <[email protected]> wrote:

> >> USB sticks are detected but can't be mounted.
> >
> > Why? There is no reason it shouldn't work. What's the error message?
> > [...]
> 
> I am unused to netbsd but I think there is some other problem here.
> sd0 is indeed found when the kernel starts, however it's not available
> under /dev/ at all and therefore can't be mounted or queried with
> disklabel.

Indeed, you're right! The device nodes for sd0 are missing. But the
commands like mount(8) or disklabel(8) need them to access the driver.


> Just as with the USB disk, wd1 is found when the kernel starts but is
> not under /dev/.

Yes, same problem.

The install kernel comes with a small memory-based file system, which
only has a few device nodes. I will fix that immediately and include
wd1 and sd0.

Thanks for pointing that out! I didn't notice yet, as I never needed
sd0 or wd1 during installation.


> >> Networking doesn't work either.
> > [...]
> 
> There must be something else causing all this.
> Maybe PPCboot loader initializes some periphials like wd1, sd0, sk and
> such and leaves it in a state where the devices don't work?

PPCBoot knows nothing about USB, SATA or the NIC. It lets them
completely alone. I know it, because I have seen the source.

BTW, which version of PPCBoot is installed on your CS-407e? I've got:
  PPCBoot 2.0.0 (Mar  1 2005 - 15:31:41)


The problem with wd1 and sd0 is explained above. It's just SKnet, which
behaves strange. What is the version of your PHY? When booting the
install kernel it prints:

skc0 at pci0 dev 15 function 0: irq 18
skc0: Marvell Yukon Lite Gigabit Ethernet rev. (0x9)
sk0 at skc0 port A: Ethernet address 00:11:32:xx:xx:xx
makphy0 at sk0 phy 0: Marvell 88E1011 Gigabit PHY, rev. 5
makphy0: 10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, 1000baseT, 1000baseT-FDX, auto

So the Yukon Lite GigE is V9, we already compared that.
But the PHY is V5 here. And yours?


> I don't really feel like burning altboot to ROM quite yet to try
> without it though.

No, you must never replace PPCBoot with altboot! Just write it to an
empty location in flash and change the bootcmd variable to start
altboot automatically, as explained in detail on
  http://www.netbsd.org/ports/sandpoint/instSynology.html

When you overwrite PPCBoot at 0xfff00000, then you have turned your NAS
into a brick and need JTAG to reflash and revive it. :)

-- 
Frank Wille