Subject: Hpcboot bug (and workaround)
To: None <port-hpcsh@netbsd.org>
From: Javi <jaorani@gmail.com>
List: port-hpcsh
Date: 04/30/2005 04:40:14
Hello, I'm new to this list. I own a HP Jornada 620lx and it's great
to see it running an updated OS, it can expand it's quite limited
possibilities with this WinCE, specially becouse it is an old 2.0
version and it's hard to find working software for it.

So I downloaded your great hpcboot200.exe and I got a netbsd-GENERIC
kernel running and working without problems, but I had some problems
with the installation kernels, those with a miniroot image embedded on
them. If you try to boot one of this kernels directly with hpcboot the
machine will just reboot with an address error in WinCE again. But,
strangely, if you check the md boot option without writing any file on
it and you try to boot the kernel, it will stop and will complain
about missing miniroot (as is normal) but after having done this, you
check the wd boot option again (or any other) and click on boot, the
kernel load and start correctly with the embedded miniroot fully
functional and working.

I know that this is not an important bug becouse once you disklabel
your cf and install the base system you don't need the embedded
miniroot any more, but it can be useful to install the system if you
don't have a cf reader.

Another point I would like to ask, is that if it would be possible to
use this bootloader to boot a linux kernel, becouse there is another
project at www.jlime.com that has done great progress with this
machine, but unfortunatetly, they lack a working bootloader for WinCE
2.0 version (there are son 620lx with 2.11 and it works on them) I
have tried to boot several linux's kernels compiled from the sources
of this project with your hpcboot200 without succes, I always get one
of those address error when it boots, or it hangs the machine. So if
I'm not asikng too much Could you try to make something to fix it and
also get it working with linux kernels? I could make the tests on my
machine and submit you the results if  needed. However, if this
petition don't like you, thank you anyway for all your great work on
the netbsd system.