[Cbe-oss-dev] Fixing kernel's "make rpm-pkg" in the PS3

[Geoff Levand]

Julio M. Merino Vidal wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> As I outlined in some past post, "make rpm-pkg" is broken in the  
> PS3.  The resulting .rpm package installs the arch/powerpc/boot/ 
> zImage file in /boot instead of the vmlinux image, and the former is  
> not meant to be used.
> 
> I have a patch that resolves the issue by making rpm-pkg install  
> vmlinux instead of zImage.  However, I'm not sure if it is correct  
> (hence not posting yet).  

Please post the patch as [RFC] so we have something we can discuss.
As I told you, I tried "make rpm-pkg", but it failed, so seeing your
patch will help.

Also, I plan to re-work the PS3 make targets to fit with the recent
changes in the boot makefile.

The questions I have are:
> 
> - Why can't the zImage be used?  I assume it is because these files
>    are meant for native boot loaders, not kboot.

Yes, kboot uses kexec, but kexec doesn't support the zImage file format.
I did a little work on kexec to support zImage, but it is not really
needed, so stopped that work for now.

> - Why does the ps3 tree generate a zImage (and zImage.ps3) if this
>    is unusable?  (See next.)

Currently it is just an intermediate file used to make otheros.bld.
otheros.bld can be programmed into the PS3's flash memory.

> - Is the zImage usable in some situation in the PS3?

If zImage support was added to kexec it could be used.

> - zImages are still valid for all other powerpc machines, right?

Yes, those that have support for it.

>    I mean, the requirement to boot vmlinux instead of zImage is a
>    PS3-specific thing?

If you mean with kboot, that is a kexec thing.  You can also boot
otheros.bld directly from flash, and that is very PS3 specific.

-Geoff