Re: System hangs when exceeding a certain initramfs size

[Lee Nipper <lee.nipper@gmail.com>]

On Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 04:02, Frank Prepelica
<Frank.Prepelica@ubidyne.com> wrote:
>
> I experience the issue when the kernel image (including the initramfs)
> exceeds a
> certain size (>6MB) that after unpacking the kernel the systems hangs
> at:
>
> bootm 2000000 - 3000000
> ## Booting image at 02000000 ...
> =A0 Image Name: =A0 Linux-2.6.29
> =A0 Created: =A0 =A0 =A02009-11-04 =A014:25:01 UTC
> =A0 Image Type: =A0 PowerPC Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
> =A0 Data Size: =A0 =A06798037 Bytes =3D =A06.5 MB
> =A0 Load Address: 00000000
> =A0 Entry Point: =A000000000
> =A0 Verifying Checksum ... OK
> =A0 Uncompressing Kernel Image ... OK
> =A0 Booting using the fdt at 0x3000000
> =A0 Loading Device Tree to 00ffc000, end 00ffefff ... OK
>
>
> I've found some hints regarding this problem (load_address in the
> wrapper script)
> but this doesn't works for me.
>
> I'm using Kernel v2.6.29 and U-Boot v1.3.0 on a customized MPC8313ERDB
> board
>

I think it's possibly because the expansion of the compressed image
extends into the region where u-boot puts the device tree (0x00FFC000).
I remember seeing this situation with 2.6.31 when using a large initramfs.

If this _is_ this case, it would be useful if there were a way to
protect against clobbering a loaded device tree with kernel/initramfs.

ln