[Cbe-oss-dev] Problem with rebuilding latest Linux Kernel for PS3

[Geoff Levand]

On 07/26/2008 11:21 AM, John Cunha wrote:
> Hi Geoff
>  
> As I said previously today, I've been trying to rebuild and use
> different kernels on the PS3 for a while now and never with any success.
> The usual problems are that the kernel seems to build with success but
> the machine fails to reboot successfully using the newly build kernel.

Is it the kernel itself or a bad install?
  
> I tried to build this kernel without the patch.
> Below are the exact steps I took and any notable screen warnings:
>  
> - Unpack the source file :
>        tar xjf linux-2.6.26.tar.bz2
> - Descend into directory
> - Create a local file called 'localversion' containing the text :
>        -20080726
> - make mrproper
> - Copy config file:
>        cp arch/powerpc/configs/ps3_defconfig .config
> - Compile config:
>        make oldconfig
>   (Note : During 'make oldconfig' I was prompted to answer some
> questions (all of which I just pressed 'return'):
>       Forced module loading (MODULE_FORCE_LOAD) [N/y/?] (NEW)
>       /dev/kmem virtual device support (DEVKMEM) [Y/n/?] (NEW)
>       Hardware monitoring support (THERMAL_HWMON) [N/y/?] (NEW)
>       Framebuffer foreign endianness support (FB_FOREIGN_ENDIAN) [N/y/?]
> (NEW)
>       Cypress C67x00 HCD support (USB_C67X00_HCD) [N/m/?] (NEW)
>       ISP 1760 HCD support (USB_ISP1760_HCD) [N/m/?] (NEW)
>       USB Wireless Device Management support (USB_WDM) [N/m/?] (NEW)
>       iSight firmware loading support (USB_ISIGHTFW) [N/m/?] (NEW)
>       Accessibility support (ACCESSIBILITY) [N/y/?] (NEW)
>       Debug object operations (DEBUG_OBJECTS) [N/y/?] (NEW)
>  
> - Build the kernel:
>         make -j2
> - Make and install modules
>         make modules_install
> - Make the kernel 
>         make install
>    (Note: during 'make install' I got the following warnings:)
>        WARNING: No module uhci-hcd found for kernel 2.6.26-20080726,
> continuing anyway
>        WARNING: No module ps3disk found for kernel 2.6.26-20080726,
> continuing anyway
>        WARNING: No module ps3rom found for kernel 2.6.26-20080726,
> continuing anyway
>        WARNING: No module ps3disk found for kernel 2.6.26-20080726,
> continuing anyway

This means the kernel config does not match your distro's install script.
In this case you must not use 'make install'. Try:

  cp vmlinux.strip /boot/vmlinux

or

  cp vmlinux /boot

Then from kboot try:

  /boot/vmlinux video=safe root=/dev/ps3da3

>  
> - Adapted the bootloader startup files by adding the new installed
> kernel. Executeed these commands:
>     * echo "default=custom" > /tmp/yaboot.conf.new
>     * cat /boot/etc/yaboot.conf >> /tmp/yaboot.conf.new
>     * cat >> /tmp/yaboot.conf.new << EOF
>     * >
>     * > image=/vmlinux-2.6.26-20080726
>     * >         label=custom
>     * >         read-only
>     * >         initrd=/initrd-2.6.26-20080726.img
>     * >         append="video=ps3fb:mode:138 rhgb quiet root=/dev/ps3da3"
>     * >
>     * > EOF
>     * mv -f /tmp/yaboot.conf.new /boot/etc/yaboot.conf
>     * cp -f /boot/etc/yaboot.conf /boot/yaboot/yaboot.conf

In general, this entry seems screwed up.  Is your root really
on /dev/ps3da3?  I doubt you need an initrd.

I recommend you just get it to boot from the kboot command line
first, then add a conf file entry.

-Geoff