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From: Jim F. <fre...@Za...> - 2001-03-20 17:28:30
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hi ken, i just realized that i can't place my firmware payload immeadiately after the .rom executable, because of the space requirement for the stack ... so, i alter my proposal append a 3096 buffer to the .rom executable, and then the firmware payload. -jim fredette -----Original Message----- From: Ken Yap [mailto:ke...@nl...] Sent: Monday, March 19, 2001 9:58 PM To: eth...@li... Cc: Jim Fredette; Vikram Biyani; Tomasz Barszczak; Olaf Manczak; Shankar Iyer; Betsy Zeller Subject: Re: [Etherboot-users] etherboot 32K size limitation >hi, >i have run hard against the 32K byte size limitation for an etherboot rom >image size while trying to add support for an ethernet card; the main >problem is that the particular ethernet chip on this card requires its 73K >worth of firmware to be downloaded from the driver; which means, that the Further discussion directed to etherboot-developers where it belongs. With the current approach, there is a limit of close to 64kB on the Etherboot code due to the way the real mode and protected mode code share a stack. Etherboot does not run totally in protected mode, it has to switch to real mode for some services, like console output, memory sizing, etc. These are in first32.S. You can read all about the way the stack is shared in the latest developer manual at etherboot.sourceforge.net/doc/html/devman.html To remove this limit you would have to make radical changes in the way real mode services are called from protected mode. loader.S is not the real problem (sorry bad pun), again read the developer manual, once it has done its job, it's not a concern. |
