From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Tue, 5 Mar 2002 12:35:15 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Tue, 5 Mar 2002 12:35:06 -0500 Received: from web14604.mail.yahoo.com ([216.136.224.84]:32270 "HELO web14604.mail.yahoo.com") by vger.kernel.org with SMTP id ; Tue, 5 Mar 2002 12:34:55 -0500 Message-ID: <20020305173454.67635.qmail@web14604.mail.yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 09:34:54 -0800 (PST) From: Chr H-N Subject: Kernel hangs after "Loading Linux ...." but before "Uncompressing Linux" To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject : Kernel hangs after "Loading Linux ...." but before "Uncompressing Linux" CC reply to : chn65@yahoo.com Scenario : Building a RAMDISK for linux root file system. I want to boot up a Linux kernel with an initial ramdisk and root=/dev/ram0. It works fine ... in most cases. As I change the contents of the RAMDISK and try with new ones, I sometimes get stuck in the booting phase: It hangs after writing "Loading Linux" and a varying number of dots. It does not display "Uncompressing Linux". I use the same kernel all the time. I only change the contents of my ramdisk.gz file and run lilo. -------------------------------------------- My lilo entry looks like this: image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18 label=RAM_disk initrd=/boot/ramdisk.gz root=/dev/ram0 vga=1 Yes I have initrd support in the kernel, and gave it 256M to play with. My machine has 768M. I want a ramdisk of some hundred megs to get optimum speed. It is realistic after all. And the hard disk file system I have /boot/ on is also below cyl 1024: Disk /dev/hde: 255 heads, 63 sectors, 7476 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hde1 1 709 5695011 83 Linux -------------------------------------------- Can there be a problem when the size of the ramdisk gets too big? I tried this: Having a working version: Zipped size = 9769185 bytes The same version adding linux-2.4.18.tar.gz (approx 30 megs) to the ramdisk: Not working! It writes almost two lines of dots before it stops and does no more. Zipped size = 39899378 bytes As I see it, I have a working RAM disk image. Then I add one big file, and it breaks the boot. Strange from an end-user's point of view ... I even tried the following: Copy the /etc/termcap file over the /boot/ramdisk.gz file, so the contents is invalid. This has the expected result that the kernel boots but complains about the disk. Now for a systematic test: dd if=/dev/zero of=/boot/ramdisk.gz bs=1024 count=variable number run lilo afterwards every time 15 MB ramdisk boots but complains about not possible to mount root 31 MB ramdisk (all zeroes) writes almost four lines of dots after "Loading ...", and then reboots! A valid zip file instead of the /dev/zero-based one (trying the 30MB linux-2.4.18.tar.gz) as the ram disk image - hangs after almost four lines of dots. I understand that these files would never be valid RAM disk images, I only used them for testing if size has anything to do with it. And it has, it seems. -------------------------------------------- The kernel never gets to check the root file system (it never gets uncompressed). All lilo entries use the same kernel, only the RAM disk entry has problems, the others work fine. The kernel is compiled with the "make dep clean install modules modules_install" command. The kernel options are the ones I "always" use. I have seen this with other kernel versions too. Thus - the contents and validity of the ramdisk doesn't matter - unless it is checked by the loader (not likely). - it is not a kernel version problem. - it seems that size does matter. I have noticed that there were previous threads about this issue, so it must be a known problem. Kind regards Christian Hildebrandt-Nielsen __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! http://mail.yahoo.com/