2.6.28-rc1: NVRAM being corrupted on ppc64 preventing boot (bisected)

[Dave Kleikamp]

On Thu, 2008-10-30 at 17:05 -0400, Josh Boyer wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 31, 2008 at 07:52:02AM +1100, Paul Mackerras wrote:
> >Mel Gorman writes:
> >
> >> On some ppc64 machines, NVRAM is being corrupted very early in boot (before
> >> console is initialised). The machine reboots and then fails to find yaboot
> >> printing the error "PReP-BOOT: Unable to load PRep image". 
...
> >Eek!
> >
> >Which ppc64 machines has this been seen on, and how were they being
> >booted (netboot, yaboot, etc.)?
> >
> >Is it just the Powerstations with their SLOF-based firmware, or is it
> >IBM pSeries machines as well?
> 
> I'm pretty sure it was with pSeries machines.  I saw reports of POWER5
> being effected (p520 and p710).  I believe one of them resolved the
> issue by upgrading firmware on the machine.

This is true of a p720 (CHRP IBM,9124-720) that I was testing on.  With
upgraded firmware, the problem is gone.

-- 
David Kleikamp
IBM Linux Technology Center