Xilinx ML300 u-boot question

Xilinx ML300 u-boot question

[Mike Wellington]

Does anybody know what parameters I should use to
load u-boot, using u-boot.    That's right, I want to
build a generic u-boot that goes on the Microdrive of
a Xilinx ML300 development board.  I have several of them
to manage.  I want the generic u-boot to go and download
a machine-specific u-boot that I can change on my workstation
without having to write it to the microdrive.

Or can I just have u-boot start the kernel with no parameters
and have all the initial args for the kernel built into the
kernel?

-mike wellington
  wellington@lucent.com


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RE: Xilinx ML300 u-boot question

[VanBaren, Gerald (AGRE)]

You can build custom kernels with built-in values instead of using the boot line to set the values.  That would be simpler than chaining u-boot because u-boot expects a bare machine on start up.  To chain u-boot, you basically would have to make a "run from RAM" u-boot -- while not impossible, it takes time and effort and isn't a supported configuration (i.e. Wolfgang won't answer your questions in his usual thorough manner ;-).

You should be able to use the command language built into u-boot to select linux bootline parameters.  You must be able to detect differences in the target systems in order to load a custom u-boot or linux -- why not use that with the u-boot conditional commands to select or build up the proper linux bootline?

gvb


> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-linuxppc-embedded@lists.linuxppc.org
> [mailto:owner-linuxppc-embedded@lists.linuxppc.org]On Behalf Of Mike
> Wellington
> Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 11:29 AM
> To: linuxppc-embedded@lists.linuxppc.org
> Subject: Xilinx ML300 u-boot question
>
>
>
> Does anybody know what parameters I should use to
> load u-boot, using u-boot.    That's right, I want to
> build a generic u-boot that goes on the Microdrive of
> a Xilinx ML300 development board.  I have several of them
> to manage.  I want the generic u-boot to go and download
> a machine-specific u-boot that I can change on my workstation
> without having to write it to the microdrive.
>
> Or can I just have u-boot start the kernel with no parameters
> and have all the initial args for the kernel built into the
> kernel?
>
> -mike wellington
>   wellington@lucent.com
>
>


** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/

Re: Xilinx ML300 u-boot question

[Mike Wellington]

Gerald (et al) -

1)  kernel configuration  - tried changing the default
kernel command line, but that didn't work.  The kernel
started up, but did not set its "ip=" parameters as I
specified.  This method would work fine, but I'd prefer
to not have to keep a separate kernel around for each
machine.

2) conditional execution commands from u-boot - this sounds
like a good option, I don't know anything about these commands.
I guess I can distiguish one from another via the IP address.
I'll persue this.  And thanks for saving me from wasting my
time trying to make a RAM only u-boot.

-mike wellington
  wellington@lucent.com
  platforms@bithead.com


VanBaren, Gerald (AGRE) wrote:
> You can build custom kernels with built-in values instead of using the boot line to set the values.  That would be simpler than chaining u-boot because u-boot expects a bare machine on start up.  To chain u-boot, you basically would have to make a "run from RAM" u-boot -- while not impossible, it takes time and effort and isn't a supported configuration (i.e. Wolfgang won't answer your questions in his usual thorough manner ;-).
>
> You should be able to use the command language built into u-boot to select linux bootline parameters.  You must be able to detect differences in the target systems in order to load a custom u-boot or linux -- why not use that with the u-boot conditional commands to select or build up the proper linux bootline?
>
> gvb
>
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: owner-linuxppc-embedded@lists.linuxppc.org
>>[mailto:owner-linuxppc-embedded@lists.linuxppc.org]On Behalf Of Mike
>>Wellington
>>Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 11:29 AM
>>To: linuxppc-embedded@lists.linuxppc.org
>>Subject: Xilinx ML300 u-boot question
>>
>>
>>
>>Does anybody know what parameters I should use to
>>load u-boot, using u-boot.    That's right, I want to
>>build a generic u-boot that goes on the Microdrive of
>>a Xilinx ML300 development board.  I have several of them
>>to manage.  I want the generic u-boot to go and download
>>a machine-specific u-boot that I can change on my workstation
>>without having to write it to the microdrive.
>>
>>Or can I just have u-boot start the kernel with no parameters
>>and have all the initial args for the kernel built into the
>>kernel?
>>
>>-mike wellington
>>  wellington@lucent.com
>>
>>
>
>
>


** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/

Re: Xilinx ML300 u-boot question

[Peter Ryser]

Mike,

for TFTP boot normally the HW MAC address of the target device is used
for identification. On the ML300 the HW MAC address is stored inside the
IIC EEPROM. Since accessing this EEPROM is not yet supported in the
pusblished U-Boot port for ML300 the MAC address is hardcoded in
board/xilinx/xilinx_enet/emac_adapter.c.

So, to get a machine specific u-boot for every board change the MAC
address and recompile. I'm not sure that you would need the secondary
u-boot then as you could then directly load the Linux kernel in the
second step.

- Peter


Mike Wellington wrote:

>
> Does anybody know what parameters I should use to
> load u-boot, using u-boot.    That's right, I want to
> build a generic u-boot that goes on the Microdrive of
> a Xilinx ML300 development board.  I have several of them
> to manage.  I want the generic u-boot to go and download
> a machine-specific u-boot that I can change on my workstation
> without having to write it to the microdrive.
>
> Or can I just have u-boot start the kernel with no parameters
> and have all the initial args for the kernel built into the
> kernel?
>
> -mike wellington
>  wellington@lucent.com
>
>
>
>


** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/

Re: Xilinx ML300 u-boot question

[Mike Wellington]

Peter-
   That solves part of the problem.  I'd still have to either
download a new u-boot via XPS or copy it to the MicroDrive
every time I changed u-boot.  I'll do it this way for now,
but it would be better if I built two different u-boots
that are made to execute from different RAM locations.  Then
I can download the (changeable) second-stage u-boot via tftp.

-mike wellington
  wellington@lucent.com
  platform@bithead.com


Peter Ryser wrote:
>
> Mike,
>
> for TFTP boot normally the HW MAC address of the target device is used
> for identification. On the ML300 the HW MAC address is stored inside the
> IIC EEPROM. Since accessing this EEPROM is not yet supported in the
> pusblished U-Boot port for ML300 the MAC address is hardcoded in
> board/xilinx/xilinx_enet/emac_adapter.c.
>
> So, to get a machine specific u-boot for every board change the MAC
> address and recompile. I'm not sure that you would need the secondary
> u-boot then as you could then directly load the Linux kernel in the
> second step.
>
> - Peter
>
>
> Mike Wellington wrote:
>
>>
>> Does anybody know what parameters I should use to
>> load u-boot, using u-boot.    That's right, I want to
>> build a generic u-boot that goes on the Microdrive of
>> a Xilinx ML300 development board.  I have several of them
>> to manage.  I want the generic u-boot to go and download
>> a machine-specific u-boot that I can change on my workstation
>> without having to write it to the microdrive.
>>
>> Or can I just have u-boot start the kernel with no parameters
>> and have all the initial args for the kernel built into the
>> kernel?
>>
>> -mike wellington
>>  wellington@lucent.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>


** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/