[parisc-linux] rp2430 questions

[parisc-linux] rp2430 questions

[Gavin Hubbard]

Hi

I'm installing a dual-boot rp2430 system for one of our developers this weekend. Are there any parisc-linux issues I need to be aware of with regards to the crippled firmware e.g. known installation problems or gotchas?

Also, if we do a firmware upgrade to rp2470 in two or three months time will it require a complete rebuild or reinstallation of the linux OE to support the unlocked hardware?

Regards,

Gavin 

Re: [parisc-linux] rp2430 questions

[Grant Grundler]

On Thu, Dec 19, 2002 at 01:51:18PM +1300, Gavin Hubbard wrote:
> Hi
> 
> I'm installing a dual-boot rp2430 system for one of our developers
> this weekend. Are there any parisc-linux issues I need to be aware of
> with regards to the crippled firmware e.g. known installation problems
> or gotchas?

Nope. You will want to upgrade the kernel ASAP though.
Get the latest 2.4.19 kernel you can find.

> Also, if we do a firmware upgrade to rp2470 in two or three months time
> will it require a complete rebuild or reinstallation of the linux OE to
> support the unlocked hardware?

We don't have any rp2430's here to test such an upgrade.
But I can't imagine any difference besides the additional (faster?) CPU
(and more memory) getting recogized. Should your root disk get renamed,
it's possible to recovery from that pretty easily - I've done it
more than a few times.

grant

Re: [parisc-linux] rp2430 questions

[Grant Grundler]

On Thu, Dec 19, 2002 at 01:51:18PM +1300, Gavin Hubbard wrote:
> Are there any parisc-linux issues I need to be aware of...

I forgot to mention: HPUX and Linux must have seperate boot disks.
And read the boot/install HOW-TO that's referenced on esiee's website.
(as usual, www.parisc-linux.org has the links on the front page)

grant

Re: Re: [parisc-linux] rp2430 questions

[Gavin Hubbard]

> On Thu, Dec 19, 2002 at 01:51:18PM +1300, Gavin Hubbard wrote:
> > Hi
> > 
> > I'm installing a dual-boot rp2430 system for one of our developers
> > this weekend. Are there any parisc-linux issues I need to be aware of
> > with regards to the crippled firmware e.g. known installation problems
> > or gotchas?
> 
> Nope. You will want to upgrade the kernel ASAP though.
> Get the latest 2.4.19 kernel you can find.
> 
> > Also, if we do a firmware upgrade to rp2470 in two or three months time
> > will it require a complete rebuild or reinstallation of the linux OE to
> > support the unlocked hardware?
> 
> We don't have any rp2430's here to test such an upgrade.
> But I can't imagine any difference besides the additional (faster?) CPU
> (and more memory) getting recogized. Should your root disk get renamed,
> it's possible to recovery from that pretty easily - I've done it
> more than a few times.

Thanks Grant

The other difference is the PCI controller support - the rp2430 has two working PCI slots and two disabled slots which are enabled by the upgrade.

Since I don't actually know how the device disabling is done in hardware, I'm not convinced that parisc-linux will come up smoothly after I install the upgrade (I'm not worried about HP-UX - it will be fine). Can anyone shed light on this?

Regards,

Gavin

Re: [parisc-linux] rp2430 questions

[Grant Grundler]

On Thu, Dec 19, 2002 at 03:08:15PM +1300, Gavin Hubbard wrote:
> The other difference is the PCI controller support - the rp2430 has two
> working PCI slots and two disabled slots which are enabled by the upgrade.

ok. I didn't know that.

> Since I don't actually know how the device disabling is done in hardware,
> I'm not convinced that parisc-linux will come up smoothly after
> I install the upgrade (I'm not worried about HP-UX - it will be fine).

Well, if you really end up with the equivalent to an rp2470, then
I can assure you there is a kernel out there that will work since
that's what several developers are using (including myself).

> Can anyone shed light on this?

I suspect the rp2430 PDC simply doesn't report one (or two) of the
PCI bus controllers. Neither HPUX nor parisc-linux will see those slots.
Very simple to implement and requires no HW changes.

grant