Hi Chris,

On Sat, 3 Feb 2001, Chris Gilbert wrote:
> Now that we know that the new bootloader works on the kinetic, do you have a 
> list of other machines it works on? (note that for the kinetic you need the 
> latest version from:
> ftp://130.89.65.13/pub/

Yep ... that's correct... I'm currenly thinking of maybe moving the kernel
up in the SDRAM when on a Kinetic, but i've got to have a look since that
can give additional problems; maybe i need to ``invent'' a DRAM report for
it. The current code allways assumes its in the lowest DRAM block so that
has to be messed around with... Still very happy we've got it working at
last at the Kinetic .... now still the screencolor and the wierd debug
kernel stuff....

My TODO list is now :

  - make the bootloader a bit more user friendly ? ideas ?

  - look at a relocation of the kernel in SDRAM on Kinetic machines and
    implement memory classes ? slow/fast and DMA/no-DMA ?

  - fixing that strange red text colour on booting

  - changing the bootconfig structure to give a more acurate status of the
    machine including support for more DRAM/SDRAM/VRAM blocks

  - not very important but still : fixing that strange slow printing
    before page swapping L1/L2 pages when running debugged kernels...
    Might give a clue/hint to a hidden bug somewhere.

  - look for a posible 2nd stage bootloader (long term)

  - ..... (fill in yourself...)


> I'm wondering if the best way to tackle having the 2 different bootloaders is 
> to have a new kernel option that uses the code that you've got over the 
> existing code.  That way we can move away from the old version, and if it 
> breaks for the new one you can move back.  Probably call the new option 
> NEWBOOT, or perhaps we should make it the default, and make people put in an 
> option OLDBOOT ?

Hmm... well as long as there is noone reporting a boot-failure it could be
safe to switch over to the new one for the ARM[6,7,SA] Acorn derivatives
.... however i would like more ppl to test it first....

Status so far for all ARM[6,7,SA] Acorn derivative's :
  machine		once	support	confirmed/comment
  -----------------------------------------------------------------
  A7000(+)		YES	X	Please test again
  RSt. R7500(+)		???	??	Isn't this a A7000 ?
  ARM6 RiscPC		???	X	Should run (where is it!)
  ARM7 RiscPC		YES	X	YES, developpers machine
  SA RiscPC		YES	X	YES (see next)
  SA Kinetic RiscPC	YES	X	YES
  NC's			YES	X	Port busy but should work
  RSt. Networx (HD)		??	Unknown
  MicD. Omega,			??	Unknown
  MicD. Mico	  		??	Unknown

RiscPC's tested with and without 2Mb VRAM ... would also like some results
with RiscPC's with 1Mb VRAM or no VRAM ...

So i would like ppl with all different kinds of machines to test the new
bootloader (needs the new rpc_machdep.c at minimum) and report the results
/ problems ?

Hopefully no new problems will emerge and if they do they will only fix
hidden flaws!! so please fire them up !! In that way i can also try to
concentrate on other issue's.

Cheers and thanks in advance,
Reinoud