From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-path: Received: from majordomo by infradead.org with local (Exim 3.03 #1) id 12WPTq-0007TT-00 for mtd-list@infradead.org; Sat, 18 Mar 2000 20:05:50 +0000 From: "Dvir Oren" To: MTD , David Woodhouse Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2000 22:05:11 +0200 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Questions about MTD Message-Id: Sender: owner-mtd@imladris.demon.co.uk List-ID: I'm trying to use the MTD drivers to boot off a DiskOnChip 2000, and ran into the following problems: 1. The flash has to be formatted with nftl_format in order for the MTD drivers to write successfully to the flash. However, when I run nftl_format, it destroys the bios extension that allows booting from the flash. I then try to run nftl_format /dev/mtd0 49152, to skip the first 48K, which hold the bios extension. However, this seems to cause some problems: a. nftl_format in fact does not erase the first 48K, however it does delete the partition table. As I understand it, the disk partition is in the first 512 bytes, so how can that be? b. When I try to create the partition, there are a lot of file system errors, possibly because I formatted starting at 49152. It seems like nftl_format doesn't set the start of the device from after the first 48k, which will then conflict. 2. doc_loadbios doesn't seem to do what it's supposed to do. However, it does destroy the flash, allowing me to docpmap /e the flash, which will lead me to the next... 3. erase seg faults. Is erase supposed to do what docpmap /e does? 4. Some odd problems when trying to dd the first 48k. The partition table is not saved after removing the nftl module. Only after writing it a second time does it get saved. 5. One thing I don't understand: even though everybody talks about the first 48k being the firmware, the firmware itself is less than 48k. How does that work? And what about the first 512bytes of the partition table? Can anybody help? Has anybody succeeded in booting off a DiskOnChip 2000 using the MTD drivers? BTW: The lilo I posted here a few weeks ago which was patched to work with MTD, probably will not work correctly. I'll post here a new one soon,. if it interests anyone. I was partially able to load LILO off /dev/nftla, however only from the MBR (not /dev/nftla1) - it seems like nftl_format destroys the MBR, or something like that. I was not able to create a full boot from the flash, since the file system keeps getting trashed. --------- Dvir Oren Lucid VON Ltd. 9 Saloniki St., Tel-Aviv Israel Tel: +972 3 644 3038 Fax: +972 3 644 3039 To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe mtd" to majordomo@infradead.org