Linux 2.6-10.rc3 8xx - Only 3 characters are printed well in __ init start_kernel() upon kernel booting - why ?

[David Jander]

On Sunday 16 January 2005 20:54, Povolotsky, Alexander wrote:
>[...]
> > to prove it I added printk("ALEX\n"); in __init start_kernel() prior to
> > printk(linux_banner);
> >
> > ...
> > lock_kernel();
> > page_address_init();
> > printk("ALEX\n");
> > printk(linux_banner);
> > setup_arch(&command_line);
> > setup_per_cpu_areas();
> > ...
> >
> > after gunzip
> > done.
> > Now booting the kernel
> > ALEÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÀÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÀ8ÀÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÀXÀÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÀxÀÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÀ~ÀÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÀ¸Àÿÿÿÿÿÿ
> >ÿ ÿÀØÀÿÿ
> > <more garbage>
> > <hangs>
> >
> > Why would first 3 characters come out right ?
> > Any ideas ?

My fairly uneducated guess: The system hangs before the last character comes 
out of the uart buffer. Try adding a delay just after printk.
The garbage could be anything produced by a piece of hardware gone wild.

Greetings,

-- 
David Jander
Protonic Holland.