From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: with ECARTIS (v1.0.0; list linux-mips); Wed, 18 Jan 2006 01:06:47 +0000 (GMT) Received: from rwcrmhc13.comcast.net ([204.127.198.39]:41702 "EHLO rwcrmhc12.comcast.net") by ftp.linux-mips.org with ESMTP id S8133560AbWARBG3 (ORCPT ); Wed, 18 Jan 2006 01:06:29 +0000 Received: from [192.168.1.4] (pcp04414054pcs.nrockv01.md.comcast.net[69.140.185.48]) by comcast.net (rwcrmhc13) with ESMTP id <2006011801100201500afot6e>; Wed, 18 Jan 2006 01:10:03 +0000 Message-ID: <43CD9568.1000707@gentoo.org> Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 20:10:00 -0500 From: Kumba User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5 (Windows/20051201) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: linux-mips CC: zhuzhenhua Subject: Re: how to emdedded ramdisk.gz in vmlinux for linux-2.6.14? References: <0F31272A2BCBBE4FA01344C6E69DBF501EAB1B@thoth.ivivity.com> <43CC39A0.8080704@gentoo.org> <1137515220.11738.2.camel@localhost.localdomain> In-Reply-To: <1137515220.11738.2.camel@localhost.localdomain> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Return-Path: X-Envelope-To: <"|/home/ecartis/ecartis -s linux-mips"> (uid 0) X-Orcpt: rfc822;linux-mips@linux-mips.org Original-Recipient: rfc822;linux-mips@linux-mips.org X-archive-position: 9958 X-ecartis-version: Ecartis v1.0.0 Sender: linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org Errors-to: linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org X-original-sender: kumba@gentoo.org Precedence: bulk X-list: linux-mips Marc Karasek wrote: > Is this a better solution than having the ramdisk embedded? This is embedding the ramdisk. Only in a different way. > It seems that most of the MIPS development is embedded designs and this > could be a problem if it is not : > > 1) Easier Not exactly easier, initially. I spent near a few weeks figuring initramfs out. The kernel is rather picky on certain things. The main point is you need /init, and if it's a script, then the very first line must be a hashbang (!#/bin/blah). Those two gave me headaches for awhile. Other oddities can occur that make initramfs a bit of a pain initially. > or > 2) Faster Faster by what? initramfs is unique because it resides on a level above the arches, so it tends to be a sort of universal ramdisk. SGI Origin system couldn't use ramdisks originally because of their memory structure. They can, however, use initramfs. I maintained patches for a time (up until ~2.6.13) that added embedded ramdisk support back into the kernel, but now that I have initramfs down pretty well (a tool does the grunt work for my needs, actually), I'm not going to maintain those patches any longer. --Kumba -- Gentoo/MIPS Team Lead Gentoo Foundation Board of Trustees "Such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere." --Elrond