System hangs when exceeding a certain initramfs size

[Lee Nipper]

On Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 04:02, Frank Prepelica
<Frank.Prepelica at ubidyne.com> wrote:
>
> I experience the issue when the kernel image (including the initramfs)
> exceeds a
> certain size (>6MB) that after unpacking the kernel the systems hangs
> at:
>
> bootm 2000000 - 3000000
> ## Booting image at 02000000 ...
>   Image Name:   Linux-2.6.29
>   Created:      2009-11-04  14:25:01 UTC
>   Image Type:   PowerPC Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
>   Data Size:    6798037 Bytes =  6.5 MB
>   Load Address: 00000000
>   Entry Point:  00000000
>   Verifying Checksum ... OK
>   Uncompressing Kernel Image ... OK
>   Booting using the fdt at 0x3000000
>   Loading Device Tree to 00ffc000, end 00ffefff ... OK
>
>
> I've found some hints regarding this problem (load_address in the
> wrapper script)
> but this doesn't works for me.
>
> I'm using Kernel v2.6.29 and U-Boot v1.3.0 on a customized MPC8313ERDB
> board
>

I think it's possibly because the expansion of the compressed image
extends into the region where u-boot puts the device tree (0x00FFC000).
I remember seeing this situation with 2.6.31 when using a large initramfs.

If this _is_ this case, it would be useful if there were a way to
protect against clobbering a loaded device tree with kernel/initramfs.

ln