doesn't boot when linkaddr=0x0090.0000

[cp <carlojpisani@gmail.com>]

hi
I am new to this list. Hope this is the right place to ask.

I am working with a PPC405GP board, and as far as I understand, the
support for ppc40x platforms like Acadia and Walnut were dropped with
kernel 5.8.0, so this seems like a pretty straightforward question,
but extensive experiments from kernel 4.11 to kernel 5.7.19 haven't
shown a really clear, up-to-date answer.

In k4.11 .. k5.7.19, when the kernel size is bigger than 8 MB, the
final kernel doesn't boot but rather arch/powerpc/boot/main.c dies
before the first message from the kernel shows up.

Why?

Digging deeper I see the relation between the kernel size and link_addr

        # Round the size to next higher MB limit
        round_size=$(((strip_size + 0xfffff) & 0xfff00000))

        round_size=0x$(printf "%x" $round_size)
        link_addr=$(printf "%d" $link_address)

and this is where link_addr is involved

        text_start="-Ttext $link_address"

My kernels are compiled for cuboot, and the code that invokes "kentry"
is entirely located in arch/powerpc/boot/main.c

I instrumned that module, and this is what I see on the condole

The following is the same kernel, compiled with the same .config, but
with two link_addr values

A) with link_addr=0x0080.0000
image loaded from 0x00800000
SP=0x03eb1b80
kernel_size = 7411084 bytes
copying 256 bytes from kernel-image at 0x0080f000 to elfheader
elf_info.loadsize = 0x00700e68
elf_info.memsize  = 0x0074234c
allocating 7611212 bytes for the new kernel
copying ...
from = 0x0081f000
to = 0x00000000
size = 7343720
flush_cache, 32Mbyte flushed
cmdline: uboot bootargs overridden
cmdline=[console=ttyS0,115200 root=/dev/sda2 rootfstype=ext2 rw
init=/sbin/init ]
Finalizing device tree... flat tree at 0xf23b80
ft_addr=0xf23b80
my tp1: success
kernel booting ....
(it boots)

B) with link_addr=0x0080.0000
image loaded from 0x00900000
SP=0x03eb1b80
kernel_size = 7411084
copying 256 bytes from kernel-image at 0x0090f000 to elfheader
elf_info.loadsize = 0x00700e68
elf_info.memsize  = 0x0074234c
allocating 7611212 bytes for the new kernel
copying ...
from = 0x0091f000
to = 0x00000000
size = 7343720
flush_cache, 32Mbyte flushed
cmdline: uboot bootargs overridden
cmdline=[console=ttyS0,115200 root=/dev/sda2 rootfstype=ext2 rw
init=/sbin/init ]
Finalizing device tree... flat tree at 0x1023b80
ft_addr=0x1023b80
my tp2: success
my tp3: success
invalidate_cache 0x00000000+0x02000000
my tp4: (point of no return)
calling kentry()...
kernel booting ....
(it dies at this point, but without a debugger it's like watching
something fall into a black hole)

Any ideas?
I am lost ...

Carlo