DSL Embedded :: trouble on booting from CF2 Card

Hallo forum,

I have created a CUPS-Printserver with Ubuntu and It's running very good, but this server is a old IBM-Netfinity3000 and he needs a lot of ( power == money ).

So I decide to implement this CUPS Server on a Thin client.

Hardware

Quote

System: LICA Thin client 233 MHz GEODE™ National SemiC.. (from ebay for 10€ needs only 25 Watt)
unplug the existing DiskOnChip2000 ROM 16KB (maybe later I can flush back the system to DiskOnChip ??)
install a CF card reader on IDE0 for booting on this device ( runnig DSL on a 128KB card )
Test this system with DSL Live-CD was ok,
ok fluxbox and jwm are running.
ok connect to internet is ok

This old system can run DSL

I created a Image on the CF card for booting from this device. But now I get in trouble

When I try to boot with normal mode from this CF-card, I get a kernel panic.
When I boot the system with failsafe I'm able to start DSL manually also with fluxbox, but sure, I get some errors.

I'm not the profi to manage this problem.

Quote

..
accessing system on /dev/hda... (The CF Card for boot)
...
Trouble starts on this section
....IDE0 : reset : success
hda : read_intr: status=0x51 {DriveReady Seekcomplete Error 3 }
hda : read_intr: error=0x14 {DriveStatusError SectorID not found}
This errors are repeated many times ( )
...
FAT: unable to read bootsector
...
EFS: cannot read volume header

Now I have to make the settings manually
>>> XVESA server
>>> USB Mouse => no
>>> IMPS2 Mouse => yes
>>> 640 x 480
>>> 24 Bit
>>> key ==> de

System runs !?!?

Why this ? Because i'm able to boot from this CF device.
Where is my problem ?

every help is welcome

I think I can throw a little light on the problem. I have been leading some others on a similar quest to use old thin clients. One of the boxes is a Neoware EON 4000 (or 2000/3000). It uses a Geode processor and the rest is fairly standard glue logic. Our project has been using Slackware 10 and we have a working image cut down to about 20MB for our project (CLI only). But in order to work properly the kernel must be recompiled with certain flags set to enable proper setup of the Geode CPU. Without the special flags the Geode runs VERY slow (if at all) and that is probably why you got the kernel panic. At least I don't think you have a hope of making work without recompiling the kernel...

If you want something that is true-blue IBM compatable, look for the IBM 8364 Netvista 2800 thin client. This is an excellent 266MHz box and even has an on-board CF socket for booting from a 256MB or smaller CF card. One word of warning, the very last BIOS IBM made disabled the CF boot. If you can't find the "workstation boot" options in the BIOS, you will need to downgrade the BIOS to a previous version.

But our project is going ahead with the Neoware thin clients and the Geode-specific kernel isn't that big a problem. I will keep playing with the IBM 8364 and maybe I'll get DSL running on one of them....

Doug.

Hi Nonas,

great to here that there is hope

,
I'm a newbie on linux and I make test with some different systems.
Is it possible to test your working image on my maschine ?

Where do I get more information about your project ?

Franz

We haven't put anything on the web yet and I'm not real sure it would be very useful to you. Our emphasis has been on cutting down the system and leaving just the minimum we need for our amateur radio packet node project. No X, no printers, no Samba, etc. The important notice was that your problem is due to the Geode CPU. But I'll make an effort today at our workshop to arrange making an image available. But in order to make it useful you'll probably have to swap the kernel into a different Syslinux boot image. When something is ready for download I'll post the URL here. Until then you could look to see if there are any other Geode specific Linux kernel images available. I'm pretty sure the Geode runs as an i386 once you get the registers setup right during boot. So all the other i386 Linux software should work with the right kernel. I guess I have to ask my friends about that too. There is too much I don't know about Linux.
Doug.

Hi Doug,

thanks for your tips on Geode CPU. I have found some interesting links on the web for example this.
Sure your project ist not really helpful for me, but I think it could help me to test the system kernel for get this box to run.
It would be very cool by your team to let me test this kernel. When it was possible please also to let me know which flags have to been set on kernel.

The next step for me is to get knowledge how to compile a kernel. So i can do this "settings" on the kernel.

My aim also is only to get a small system as CUPS-server (.. USB printer support should run and the needed software to control this by http). Nothing more...no X or other nice linux tool's are needed.

I have two of this boxes, the next little project will be a firewall when I get the CUPS server on running.

have a nice weekend
Franz

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