Problem with Debian installer -- kernel fails to boot

[vehka]

I tried the Debian installer as per Martin Michlmayr's instructions (http://www.cyrius.com/debian/kirkwood/sheevaplug/install.html), and everything worked perfectly, except the after rebooting the newly installed system, the Sheeva freezes at

Starting kernel ...

Uncompressing Linux... done, booting the kernel.

I started the installer from a USB stick, and installed on a SDHC (a Transcend Class 6 16 GB) card.

I tried the installation two times, and tried booting the Sheevaplug multiple times.

I installed everything in a single partition (although the installer makes a separate boot partition in any case, contra what Martin says in the installation instructions).

Any ideas what is wrong? Should I try installing on another SD card?

Here's all the messages I get when trying to boot the Sheeva:

         __  __                      _ _
        |  \/  | __ _ _ ____   _____| | |
        | |\/| |/ _` | '__\ \ / / _ \ | |
        | |  | | (_| | |   \ V /  __/ | |
        |_|  |_|\__,_|_|    \_/ \___|_|_|
 _   _     ____              _
| | | |   | __ )  ___   ___ | |_
| | | |___|  _ \ / _ \ / _ \| __|
| |_| |___| |_) | (_) | (_) | |_
 \___/    |____/ \___/ \___/ \__|
 ** MARVELL BOARD: SHEEVA PLUG LE

U-Boot 1.1.4 (Sep 14 2009 - 15:36:37) Marvell version: 3.4.19

U-Boot code: 00600000 -> 0067FFF0  BSS: -> 006CFB00

Soc: 88F6281 A0 (DDR2)
CPU running @ 1200Mhz L2 running @ 400Mhz
SysClock = 400Mhz , TClock = 200Mhz

DRAM CAS Latency = 5 tRP = 5 tRAS = 18 tRCD=6
DRAM CS[0] base 0x00000000   size 256MB
DRAM CS[1] base 0x10000000   size 256MB
DRAM Total size 512MB  16bit width
Addresses 8M - 0M are saved for the U-Boot usage.
Mem malloc Initialization (8M - 7M): Done
NAND:512 MB
Flash:  0 kB

CPU : Marvell Feroceon (Rev 1)

Streaming disabled
Write allocate disabled


USB 0: host mode
PEX 0: interface detected no Link.
Net:   egiga0 [PRIME], egiga1
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
SDHC found. Card desciption is:
Manufacturer:       0x1e, OEM "AB"
Product name:       "SDC  ", revision 1.0
Serial number:      12617840
Manufacturing date: 8/2009
CRC:                0x00, b0 = 0

4313595 bytes read

1811960 bytes read
## Booting image at 00400000 ...
   Image Name:   Debian kernel
   Created:      2009-10-23  12:00:52 UTC
   Image Type:   ARM Linux Kernel Image (uncompressed)
   Data Size:    1811896 Bytes =  1.7 MB
   Load Address: 00008000
   Entry Point:  00008000
   Verifying Checksum ... OK
OK
## Loading Ramdisk Image at 00800000 ...
   Image Name:   Debian ramdisk
   Created:      2009-10-23  12:00:54 UTC
   Image Type:   ARM Linux RAMDisk Image (gzip compressed)
   Data Size:    4313531 Bytes =  4.1 MB
   Load Address: 00000000
   Entry Point:  00000000
   Verifying Checksum ... OK

Starting kernel ...

Uncompressing Linux... done, booting the kernel.

Thanks for any possible help,
Vehka

[danielsonchris]

Exact same situation for me as well this morning.  No solution yet.

[boerner]

I started the installer from a USB stick, and installed on a SDHC (a Transcend Class 6 16 GB) card.

I tried the installation two times, and tried booting the Sheevaplug multiple times.

I installed everything in a single partition (although the installer makes a separate boot partition in any case, contra what Martin says in the installation instructions).

I believe Martin's instructions are correct:

"Please note that you may have to replace /uInitrd and /uImage with /boot/uInitrd and /boot/uImage depending on the way you installed Debian. By default, Debian will create a separate boot partition, so the full path to the kernel is /uImage. However, if you choose to put everything on the same partition, you have to use /boot/uImage."

As this is the exact behavior I saw when I used the installer. It did in fact create a separate boot partition formatted as ext2 with the rest of the filesystem in another ext3 partition.

Perhaps then you have the uboot parameters incorrect?


 

[vehka]

I believe Martin's instructions are correct:

"Please note that you may have to replace /uInitrd and /uImage with /boot/uInitrd and /boot/uImage depending on the way you installed Debian. By default, Debian will create a separate boot partition, so the full path to the kernel is /uImage. However, if you choose to put everything on the same partition, you have to use /boot/uImage."

As this is the exact behavior I saw when I used the installer. It did in fact create a separate boot partition formatted as ext2 with the rest of the filesystem in another ext3 partition.

Perhaps then you have the uboot parameters incorrect?

No, I also have a separate boot partition with an ext2 filesystem. What I meant that even when I choose to put everything in the same partition, the installer still creates a separate boot partition. I did try booting with different arguments too, but to no effect. And I think the u-boot finds the images, based on the output I pasted in the first post?

[tbm]

Can you two please send me the output of "printenv" to tbm@cyrius.com.

Does it boot after issuing those commands:

setenv mainlineLinux yes
setenv arcNumber 2097
saveenv
reset

[vehka]

Tbm, emailed you the printenv information.

Setting the environment variables worked for me! Now it boots fine. Thanks for your help!

Cheers,
vehka

[slore]

same error to me

[Gothnet]

I had exactly the same problem and can confirm that setting the two uboot environment variables mentioned by tbm enabled the plug to boot again.

It happened to me after a recent apt-get dist-upgrade in which the kernel moved to 2.6.32. I wouldn't like to blame the update, and I wasn't aware that it could or did do anything to the uboot env, but I have no idea how else those variables could have been lost...

Anyway, I have a happy plug again.