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kernel compile on cobalt raq2

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Link

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Jun 10, 2005, 10:30:21 AM6/10/05
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I've been trying to compile a kernel for my newly-acquired raq2
machine. I've been running into a lot of problems. I've tried several
2.4.x and 2.6.x kernels. I've tried from kernel.org and
linux-mips.org. With and without patches. Tried the patches from the
colo site. I've tried using the debian kernel source. On some kernels
I get compiler errors, others it will compile but things won't work
right, like the network will be flaky. I can go into detail if needed,
but what I'd really like is if someone could let me know what specific
one they've gotten to work, with or without patches. 2.4/2.6, doesn't
matter at this point. Then at least I'll have a known-good starting
point, and start troubleshooting from there if still needed.

Any help/advice would be really appreciated. I love the machine, just
need to know I can compile a kernel before I put it live.

Thanks
-Ryan

--
I have often wondered if the majority of mankind ever pause to reflect
upon the occasionally titanic significance of dreams, and of the
obscure world to which they belong. -- H.P. Lovecraft

Thiemo Seufer

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Jun 10, 2005, 1:20:11 PM6/10/05
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Link wrote:
> I've been trying to compile a kernel for my newly-acquired raq2
> machine. I've been running into a lot of problems. I've tried several
> 2.4.x and 2.6.x kernels. I've tried from kernel.org and
> linux-mips.org. With and without patches. Tried the patches from the
> colo site. I've tried using the debian kernel source. On some kernels
> I get compiler errors, others it will compile but things won't work
> right, like the network will be flaky. I can go into detail if needed,
> but what I'd really like is if someone could let me know what specific
> one they've gotten to work, with or without patches. 2.4/2.6, doesn't
> matter at this point. Then at least I'll have a known-good starting
> point, and start troubleshooting from there if still needed.

Does the debian kernel binary work? If yes, the corresponding source
would be the the starting point. A recompile of it with the debian
toolchain should produce the same kernel as distributed.


Thiemo


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Link

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Jun 13, 2005, 10:20:12 AM6/13/05
to
On 6/10/05, Thiemo Seufer <t...@networkno.de> wrote:
> Link wrote:
> > I've been trying to compile a kernel for my newly-acquired raq2
> > machine. I've been running into a lot of problems. I've tried several
> > 2.4.x and 2.6.x kernels. I've tried from kernel.org and
> > linux-mips.org. With and without patches. Tried the patches from the
> > colo site. I've tried using the debian kernel source. On some kernels
> > I get compiler errors, others it will compile but things won't work
> > right, like the network will be flaky. I can go into detail if needed,
> > but what I'd really like is if someone could let me know what specific
> > one they've gotten to work, with or without patches. 2.4/2.6, doesn't
> > matter at this point. Then at least I'll have a known-good starting
> > point, and start troubleshooting from there if still needed.
>
> Does the debian kernel binary work? If yes, the corresponding source
> would be the the starting point. A recompile of it with the debian
> toolchain should produce the same kernel as distributed.

The binary does work, but it's 2.4.18, which has a significant
security issue, if I remember correctly (ptrace bug, I think), so I
need higher than that, at least.

Thiemo Seufer

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Jun 13, 2005, 11:50:09 AM6/13/05
to
Link wrote:
> On 6/10/05, Thiemo Seufer <t...@networkno.de> wrote:
> > Link wrote:
> > > I've been trying to compile a kernel for my newly-acquired raq2
> > > machine. I've been running into a lot of problems. I've tried several
> > > 2.4.x and 2.6.x kernels. I've tried from kernel.org and
> > > linux-mips.org. With and without patches. Tried the patches from the
> > > colo site. I've tried using the debian kernel source. On some kernels
> > > I get compiler errors, others it will compile but things won't work
> > > right, like the network will be flaky. I can go into detail if needed,
> > > but what I'd really like is if someone could let me know what specific
> > > one they've gotten to work, with or without patches. 2.4/2.6, doesn't
> > > matter at this point. Then at least I'll have a known-good starting
> > > point, and start troubleshooting from there if still needed.
> >
> > Does the debian kernel binary work? If yes, the corresponding source
> > would be the the starting point. A recompile of it with the debian
> > toolchain should produce the same kernel as distributed.
>
> The binary does work, but it's 2.4.18, which has a significant
> security issue, if I remember correctly (ptrace bug, I think), so I
> need higher than that, at least.

Debian never provided official 2.4.18 kernels for Mips Cobalts. What I
want to know: Does the Debian Sarge kernel image (2.4.27) work on your
machine?

Harald Kapper

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Jun 21, 2005, 2:00:11 AM6/21/05
to
On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:48:51 +0200, Thiemo Seufer <t...@networkno.de> wrote:

>Debian never provided official 2.4.18 kernels for Mips Cobalts. What I
>want to know: Does the Debian Sarge kernel image (2.4.27) work on your
>machine?

hi
sorry for bothering again ;)

I now did three raq2 installs and the situation is quite the same as I
experienced before:
kernel-image-2.4.27-r5k-cobalt 2.4.27-8.040815-1
-> works virtually flawless for all boxes.

kernel-image-2.4.27-r5k-cobalt 2.4.27-10.040815-1
-> kills network-connectivity within minutes after it is started up.

I will happily provide those willing to debug / check if I'm insane with
ssh-login and a serial-console-login to one box.

I'm desperate is there anyone running -10 on a raq2 without trouble?

thanks for any help
Harald Kapper, icq# 36178328 http://kapper.net
managing director, owner, loeblichgasse 6
chief executive officer 1090 vienna, .at
tel +43 1 3195500-0, fax +43 1 3195502, h...@kapper.net
--------------mark---------------
The following Statement is False.
The previous Statement is True.
- Welcome to my World -

Link

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Jun 28, 2005, 8:50:10 AM6/28/05
to
On 6/21/05, Harald Kapper <h...@kapper.net> wrote:
>
> I now did three raq2 installs and the situation is quite the same as I
> experienced before:
> kernel-image-2.4.27-r5k-cobalt 2.4.27-8.040815-1
> -> works virtually flawless for all boxes.
>
> kernel-image-2.4.27-r5k-cobalt 2.4.27-10.040815-1
> -> kills network-connectivity within minutes after it is started up.

Ok, I did indeed get 2.4.27--r5k-cobalt 2.4.27-8.040815-1 working
properly, thanks for that. And you're right,
kernel-image-2.4.27-r5k-cobalt 2.4.27-10.040815-1 has the same
networking issue - machine eventually goes down.

I'm still unable to compile a kernel without problems. I tried the
debian kernel-source-2.4.27 package. The steps I took were: I did a
'make menuconfig', then copied the included defconfig-cobalt to
.config, ran make dep (no errors), then ran 'make vmlinux' and get the
following:

fork.c:410: error: syntax error before
"this_object_must_be_defined_as_export_objs_in_the_Makefile"

I then tried with 2.4.27 from kernel.org, and got it to compile by
adding #define LCD_MINOR 140 to lcd.h, otherwise it would error out.
But this kernel has the same issues as others, network eventually goes
down.

I imagine it has to be something simple I'm doing wrong, but I'm
missing it. I'm new to Debian, but not linux, but I'm also new to
non-x86 hardware. I know it CAN work, because there's working
kernels, I just haven't been able to find a way to make it work for
me.

Harald Kapper

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Jun 28, 2005, 9:10:12 AM6/28/05
to
hi again,
for those in need I put it up here:
http://ftp2.kapper.net/pub/cobalt/raq2/kernel-image-2.4.27-r5k-cobalt_2.4.27-8.040815-1_mipsel.deb

simply install it and put the package on hold, this should get us working
debian-raqs at least :)

off list I had at least eight people reporting the very same problem I see on
our boxes, I ask everybody to report their problems also to this list otherwise
noone is going to belive me here ;-)

best

Link

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Jun 29, 2005, 9:10:09 AM6/29/05
to
On 6/28/05, Harald Kapper <h...@kapper.net> wrote:
> hi again,
> for those in need I put it up here:
> http://ftp2.kapper.net/pub/cobalt/raq2/kernel-image-2.4.27-r5k-cobalt_2.4.27-8.040815-1_mipsel.deb
>
> simply install it and put the package on hold, this should get us working
> debian-raqs at least :)
>
> off list I had at least eight people reporting the very same problem I see on
> our boxes, I ask everybody to report their problems also to this list otherwise
> noone is going to belive me here ;-)

Ok, progress on getting a WORKING kernel to compile, for anyone that
needs it. I was able to compile the latest 2.4 kernel (2.4.31) and it
seems to be working properly, no network problems, etc. I used the
kernel source from kernel.org, and MANUALLY applied the
patch-2.4.24-cobalt from http://www.colonel-panic.org/cobalt-mips/. I
was never able to get it to work before because just running patch
would cause errors, so I went through to see what it was changing, and
just applied them manually (with vi). There wasn't as much as I
thought, it only took about 20 minutes, after which I tarred up
/usr/src/linux and saved it for future use. I then compiled the
kernel the non-debian way (make dep; make clean; make vmlinux), and
all went well.

So just letting everyone know, incase there's someone that needs the
info in the future....

Harald Kapper

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Jun 29, 2005, 9:50:11 AM6/29/05
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On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 09:02:20 -0400, Link <astra...@gmail.com> wrote:

>So just letting everyone know, incase there's someone that needs the
>info in the future....

hi
this is great news :)

would you share your patchset for 2.4.31 and a working config you use?

regards

Link

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Jun 29, 2005, 10:20:10 AM6/29/05
to
On 6/29/05, Harald Kapper <h...@kapper.net> wrote:
> would you share your patchset for 2.4.31 and a working config you use?

Yep, I put the patched files up here:

http://www.twistedslinky.org/~link/linux-patchset-2.4.31.tar.gz

That will be available for a while, but won't be a permanent location,
so if someone wants to put it up somewhere more stable, feel free.

The list of files are:
root@cobalt:/usr/src/temp# tar -czvf linux-patchset-2.4.31.tar.gz linux
linux/
linux/arch/
linux/arch/mips/
linux/arch/mips/cobalt/
linux/arch/mips/cobalt/pci.c
linux/arch/mips/cobalt/setup.c
linux/arch/mips/defconfig-cobalt
linux/arch/mips/ld.script.in
linux/arch/mips/lib/
linux/arch/mips/lib/rtc-no.c
linux/arch/mips/mm/
linux/arch/mips/mm/c-r4k.c
linux/drivers/
linux/drivers/net/
linux/drivers/net/tulip/
linux/drivers/net/tulip/eeprom.c
linux/drivers/net/tulip/media.c
linux/drivers/net/tulip/tulip_core.c
linux/include/
linux/include/linux/
linux/include/linux/udf_fs_sb.h
root@cobalt:/usr/src/temp#

Don't extract this in /usr/src if you don't want them to automatically
overwrite your existing ones, of course.

The config I used was the patched defconfig-cobalt (included), which
worked, and I went from there. So far I've added iptables and
encryption, no problems yet. Hopefully it works as easily for
everyone else as it has for me.

Link

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Jun 30, 2005, 1:20:09 PM6/30/05
to
Update to 2.4.31 kernel patches. I went through and applied the newer
patch from the colo site, which I hadn't done originally, and made a
patchfile that works with the 2.4.31 source from kernel.org. If
someone needs it or would like to try it out and let me know if it
works properly, it's available here:

http://www.twistedslinky.org/~link/patch-2.4.31-cobalt

It works on my system, but that's the same system it was made on, so
no telling....

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