Re: [Etherboot-developers] Bootrom hang at booting local - any ideas?

[<ebi...@ln...>]

Richard Chan <csh...@ds...> writes:

> Folks, I have a bootrom which cannot boot the local
> system. It hangs completely after
> pressing "L". Network boot works fine and floppy boot works 
> (both "N" and "L").
> 
> System: Etherboot 5.0.4 and an epic100 card (SMC EtherPower II/10/100) with
> a 512kbit flash memory chip (I couldn't find anything smaller -
> did you know that small size flash memories <= 256kbits seem
> to be endangered species?) I'm pretty sure it doesn't clash with
> anything else in himem as I removed all other cards.
> 
> I get the message
> 
> ROM segment 0xca80 length 0x5800 reloc 0x94000
> 
> If I press "N" it works, "L" justs hangs the system.
> Any idea how to debug why this isn't working?

Basically "L" just returns to the BIOS so something more
can be done.  If there isn't anything in your boot order or
you have a buggy BIOS, or quite unlikely etherboot doesn't
follow some BIOS spec 

> BTW using a floppy I get
> 
> ROM segment 0x8000 length 0x4000 reloc 0x94000
> 
> and both "N" and "L" work.

For floppy boot "L" means something completely different.

> Strange that the lengths are different (0x4000->0x5800). 
> The bootrom is burned using epic100.rom (16384 bytes)
> exactly as created.
> 
> P.S. Who sells 256kbit/128kbit 32DIP flash memory?

32 pin DIP is quite common for stock BIOS flash chips
so it should be available, at least in the larger sizes.

Eric