INITRAMFS: junk in compressed archive

INITRAMFS: junk in compressed archive

[Bernhard Schauer]

Hi all!

Kernel 2.6.11.5 issue:

Passing .cpio.gz image with loadlin and initrd= kernel parameter. While
booting, the "checking if image is initramfs... it isn't (junk in
compressed archive)" message is shown.

To create the cpio.gz file I issued 

"find . | cpio -o -H newc | gzip -9 >../initram.gz".

What is going wrong while that procedure? I tried to find out what
exactly happens, found the method where it happens,... but can't track
it down to why it happens.

Is anyone out there knowing what that means? (I googled about that
issue, but can't find a solution also looked at Documentation/early-
userspace) Can someone please point me into the right direction?

best regards,

Bernhard Schauer
ACOUSTA

Re: INITRAMFS: junk in compressed archive

[Bernhard Schauer]

other question:

Is there any size-limit on initramfs image? I found out that after
reducing the image size it is loaded & /init executed as expected...

Re: INITRAMFS: junk in compressed archive

[Andreas Jellinghaus]

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 14:51:07 +0000, Bernhard Schauer wrote:

> other question:
> 
> Is there any size-limit on initramfs image? I found out that after
> reducing the image size it is loaded & /init executed as expected...

compressed size plus uncompressed size have be less than the total
ram available.

maybe a few checks a remissing? I get a kernel panic.
it would be nice if the kernel dropped the initrd, and
then did the usual no root fs -> kernel panic code.

Andreas

Re: INITRAMFS: junk in compressed archive

[H. Peter Anvin]

Followup to:  <1111762170.7238.3.camel@FC3-bernhard-1.acousta.local>
By author:    Bernhard Schauer <linux-kernel-list@acousta.at>
In newsgroup: linux.dev.kernel
>
> other question:
> 
> Is there any size-limit on initramfs image? I found out that after
> reducing the image size it is loaded & /init executed as expected...
> 

Kernel + compressed initramfs + uncompressed initramfs must fit in memory at
the same time.

	-hpa

Re: INITRAMFS: junk in compressed archive

[Jan Engelhardt]

>> Is there any size-limit on initramfs image? I found out that after
>> reducing the image size it is loaded & /init executed as expected...
>
>Kernel + compressed initramfs + uncompressed initramfs must fit in memory at
>the same time.

This sounds like kernel + squashfs-as-"oldstyle"-initrd is better. At least if 
you can live with a read-only fs on startup.



Jan Engelhardt
-- 
No TOFU for me, please.

Re: INITRAMFS: junk in compressed archive

[Bernhard Schauer]

> Kernel + compressed initramfs + uncompressed initramfs must fit in memory at
> the same time.

But that could not be the problem:
 
          initramfs   packed:  6,4 MByte
                    unpacked: 14,7 MByte
          kernel    unpacked:  2,2 MByte
         --------------------------------
                              23,3 MByte

128 MByte RAM on the PC (?) - the kernel tells that the RAM is
available.

An other interesting thing is that the "checking if image is
initramfs... it isn't (junk in compressed archive)" message disappeared
after using smaller initramfs (using the same method to compress
the .cpio.gz file!). 


Maybe my boot procedure is a problem(?):
I've to remote-boot DOS via RPL, load Novell Client for DOS, copy Linux
+ initramfs to ramdisk and call loadlin (version 1.6c) to start Linux.

Could there something remain in memory? The size of memory available to
the PC should still be enough to hold both systems and also the DOS -
Ramdisk in memory. 


Other Question: is (could) DOS-Ramdisk (be) available to Kernel? Maybe
as MTD?

regards

Bernhard Schauer