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authorSrikant Patnaik2015-01-13 15:08:24 +0530
committerSrikant Patnaik2015-01-13 15:08:24 +0530
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+ Information about the Linux/PPC kernel images
+=====================================================================
+
+Please mail me (Cort Dougan, cort@fsmlabs.com) if you have questions,
+comments or corrections.
+
+This document is meant to answer several questions I've had about how
+the PReP system boots and how Linux/PPC interacts with that mechanism.
+It would be nice if we could have information on how other architectures
+boot here as well. If you have anything to contribute, please
+let me know.
+
+
+1. PReP boot file
+
+ This is the file necessary to boot PReP systems from floppy or
+ hard drive. The firmware reads the PReP partition table entry
+ and will load the image accordingly.
+
+ To boot the zImage, copy it onto a floppy with dd if=zImage of=/dev/fd0h1440
+ or onto a PReP hard drive partition with dd if=zImage of=/dev/sda4
+ assuming you've created a PReP partition (type 0x41) with fdisk on
+ /dev/sda4.
+
+ The layout of the image format is:
+
+ 0x0 +------------+
+ | | PReP partition table entry
+ | |
+ 0x400 +------------+
+ | | Bootstrap program code + data
+ | |
+ | |
+ +------------+
+ | | compressed kernel, elf header removed
+ +------------+
+ | | initrd (if loaded)
+ +------------+
+ | | Elf section table for bootstrap program
+ +------------+
+
+
+2. MBX boot file
+
+ The MBX boards can load an elf image, and relocate it to the
+ proper location in memory - it copies the image to the location it was
+ linked at.