Subject: Re: New bootloader for testing.... - SA compatible ! (+bug fixes)
To: None <port-arm32@netbsd.org>
From: Reinoud Zandijk <imago@kabel065011.kabel.utwente.nl>
List: port-arm32
Date: 12/05/2000 02:44:58
Hi all,

i've uploaded a new version of the new bootloader (20001205) that now
supports StrongARMs and has far better screen functionality (!).... 

In this version i also fixed numerous bugs in the loader itself and i'm
very curious if it loads on a A7000/NC now too ... 

> There are 3 things that really need work :
>   - the screen code.... for some reason i am doing something wrong but i
>     havent found the time to really dig into the vidcconsole code to get
>     the scrolling right and the colour sensible :)

Hehe... well the colour is a bit strange but at least when the screensize
is a multiple of pages (640*480, 1024*768, 1280*1024) @ 256 colours it
works now ...  It doesn't like 800x600 for in that mode the screensize of
that mode isnt a multiple of pages ... dont know yet how to fix that one
yet.

Also as allready reported, swithing virtual consoles brings back the white
! ... at least one clue that probably the VIDC palette is wrong on entry
now ...

It scrolls OK now and the cursor works OK now too :))

>   - debug kernels : i'm sorry but they dont work as yet :(( ... some
>     issue's with symbol table loading

I havent been able to get the symboltables functioning yet... it now runs
`-g' code but before the kernel switches to the new L1 pages it runs VERY
slow for some wierd reason ... dunno why that is though yet ... after
switching it runs fine though...

The new release is the bootloader, a RiscPC kernel, an A7000 kernel and
the new rpc_machdep.c in the /pub/NetBSD-test-20001205 directory of
ftp://130.89.65.13/

As said before : for sanity's sake please test a set and not mixtures ....
since they are dependend on eachother ...

Happy testing,
Cheers,
Reinoud