loading kernel large sized uImage via u-boot

Eran Yurman

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: AM3517

we are using memmove to copy a big kernel image (approx. size 16M Bytes ).
our kernel image is bigger than the public linux image and we're trying to load the kernal from flash memory to RAM via u-boot code (memmove) and it fails(CPU exception) upon sizes above 15.7M Byte.
smaller sized images are working fine.

We're using the following methods:
static int bootm_load_os(image_info_t os, ulong *load_end, int boot_progress)
memmove_wd ((void *)load, (void *)image_start, image_len, CHUNKSZ);
memmove (to, from, len);

We have also tried to split the uImage to smaller chunks and load them. The smaller chunks passed okay till the point where the total sum of their size reached the almost 16M size.

we are using Linux-2.6.32.

Please refer to attached power up log with uImage of 16.1M Bytes.
Also attached uImages with different sizes (14M and 15M passed loading stage, 16M failed).

Please advise,

Regards,
Eran

over 14 years ago

0 Vaibhav Bedia over 14 years ago

TI__Expert 5290 points

You probably missed attaching the log.

Is it the loading from the flash memory to RAM that is failing or is the the bootm command that is failing?

Regards,

Vaibhav

0 Eran Yurman over 14 years ago in reply to Vaibhav Bedia

Prodigy 40 points

8080.Bootm-prints2.txt

Thanks for the reply

Attached the log file,

The failing is at the copying of the image. (memmove) in the bootm command process.

Regards,

Eran

0 Vaibhav Bedia over 14 years ago in reply to Eran Yurman

TI__Expert 5290 points

Are you sure none of the images are getting over-written? Where is the filesystem loaded or is it over NFS?

Regards,

Vaibhav

0 Eran Yurman over 14 years ago in reply to Vaibhav Bedia

Prodigy 40 points

Hi,

The images are not overwritten. We are only loading one image of about of about 16M Bytes and we have a partition of 28M Bytes.

The filesystem is not loaded from the network. We have it flashed on the RAM.

Also tried modifying the loading address from 0x82000000 to 0x83000000 or 0x84000000 as you suggested, however this did not have any impact.

We think it possible that the Kernel restricts the size since its a build-in ramdisk.

Regards,

Eran

0 Vaibhav Bedia over 14 years ago in reply to Eran Yurman

TI__Expert 5290 points

Eran Yurman said:
its a build-in ramdisk.

Can you please give more details on how you are generating the images and the U-Boot env settings. Please check the kernel menuconfig options for increasing the ramdisk size.

Regards,

Vaibhav

0 Eran Yurman over 14 years ago in reply to Vaibhav Bedia

Prodigy 40 points

4606.uboot_env_settings.txt

Hi,

Attached is the u-boot environment settings. The uImage itself is generated by a makefile, but there is nothing wrong with it as slightly smaller sized images load fine with the u-boot. I will check later on about the kernel menuconfig and if changes to it are possible.

Thanks,

Regards,

Eran

0 Vaibhav Bedia over 14 years ago in reply to Eran Yurman

TI__Expert 5290 points

Eran,

Is there a specific reason why you are using an uncompressed image?

Going by the config file which you attached i am assuming that you are using the AM3517 EVM.

The U-Boot code for this sets the TEXT_BASE to 0x80e80000 i.e U-Boot starts from 0x80e80000. When copying a large image (like you are doing), U-Boot will get overwritten in the process. You can either use a compressed kernel image which does not over-write U-Boot or can change the TEXT_BASE in board/logicpd/am3517evm/config.mk.

Regards,

Vaibhav

0 bhargav adigarla11 over 9 years ago in reply to Vaibhav Bedia

Intellectual 270 points

Hi All,

I am facing same issue. large size kernel not coming up. small kernel works fine. Please help.

Thanks & Regards

Bhargav

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loading kernel large sized uImage via u-boot