FreeBSD on Cobalt Raq 4 (AMD)

From: Frank Knobbe (frank_at_knobbe.us)
Date: 09/24/03

  • Next message: Byron Servies: "Re: FreeBSD on Cobalt Raq 4 (AMD)" 
    To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 17:56:28 -0500

    Greetings,

    I've got a Cobalt Raq 4 here which is AMD (K6) based and has Linux
    installed. Instead of using it as a foot stool, I'd like to put FBSD on
    it and put it to real use. I'm aware of the NetBSD-on-Raq CD stuff which
    only works on non Intel Raqs.

    The boot process seems to be the only hurdle. The box has Grub in the
    ROM and uses it to boot /boot/vmlinux. So BSD boot sector won't fly.

    My assembler is a bit rusty (no Intel hacking, only 65xx and 68xxx, and
    that quite some time ago :) If someone would like to assist in
    customizing the boot loader to boot BSD on that thing, please let me
    know. The rest of the box should be no problem for BSD (I2C bus, PCI
    bus, IDE and SCSI i/f, Dual Intel EtherExpress Pro).

    I tried to hack together a custom version of boot1.s and boot2.c so that
    Grub loads it (in place of vmlinux), and the loader then relocates,
    creates the boot environment and then loads the BSD kernel. I've gotten
    as far as it getting loaded and then faulting :/ I'm probably not
    relocating the code right or don't init the registers correctly or
    something. Any help here is appreciated. The idea is to have an
    executable (which grub will load to 0x100000) that relocates, created
    the boot environment and then loads the BSD kernel to 0x100000.

    Is -Hackers the right list or should this be moved to -Hardware? I'm
    more than happy to host a small list myself if there is interest in
    developing a loader for that Raq. I believe there are others out there
    that want to put FBSD on a Cobalt Raq 4....

    Please me know if you are interested.

    Thanks,
    Frank

  • Next message: Byron Servies: "Re: FreeBSD on Cobalt Raq 4 (AMD)"

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