Just a small note to push everyone who cares to the Efika Firmware Update Platform Support page.

We noticed some problems with the original firmware as shipped in the initial batch of systems - this was fixed in subsequent production runs but the firmware was never published for anyone else since it was such a minor set of problems that nobody really noticed (Linux managed to gloss over it with a hack). The ONLY user-facing difference is that AC97 is properly enabled on boot, so the /* EFIKA HACK */ in the Linux kernel driver can be removed with the new firmware. This should improve acceptance and development of that driver if users and developers wish that, and reduces Linux requirement on such hacks for "firmware glitches" (and obseletes 5 lines in efika.forth)

Anyway, to unify all the boards under the same firmware revision, we're publishing the 20070122 firmware update, so that we can get people on the same, common firmware level.

You can find it here; and it's listed in the Platform Support box on the front page where everyone can see it when they drop onto the site :)

http://www.powerdeveloper.org/platforms/efika/firmware

Note, this is not the firmware everyone craves with yaboot and all that stuff, but it does mean we can start to clean things up for everybody.

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Matt Sealey

Thanks for publishing this. No more AC97 hack. :)

finally! thanks a lot! :-)

EDIT: works perfectly!

No need to use a disk or USB device. Just drop it onto a tftp server and then :

boot eth:ip_of_server,ip_of_client,update_e_20070122,ip_of_router update_e_20070122

and it runs

Welcome to Pegasos BIOS Update

WARNING: THIS TOOL CAN RENDER YOUR SYSTEM USELESS
YOU BETTER READ THE MANUAL CAREFULLY

Running on machine type 1
<ENTER> to start, any other key aborts
DO NOT INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

Updating...*................Done.
Bye.
Program EFIKA 5K2 Boot Strap [RELEASE BUILD] (c) 2002-2007 bplan GmbH (BUILD 20070122 84240)
Running on CPU PVR: 0x80822014
Running on system SVR: 0x80110022
BIOS Code position: 0xFFF040D0
Setup System Config... Done.
Setup Memory Config... Done.
Setup PCI... Done.
Setup ATA... Done.
Setup USB... Done.
Setup ETH... Done.
Setup AC97... Done.
Memory Test skipped (Warmboot detected)
cpu0: PowerPC,G2 CPUClock 396 Mhz BUSClock 132 Mhz (Version 0x8082,0x2014)
channel 0 unit 0 : ata | IC25N015ATDA04-0 | DA2OA70A
ATA device not present or not responding
Welcome to SmartFirmware(tm) for bplan EFIKA5K2
Version 1.3 (20070122084838)
SmartFirmware(tm) Copyright 1996-2001 by CodeGen, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Pegasos BIOS Extensions Copyright 2001-2007 by bplan GmbH.
All Rights Reserved.
ok

Dennis?

Are you still alive?

R&B :)

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http://bbrv.blogspot.com

http://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc-testresults/2 ... 01254.html

did that on an EFIKA

Great!

Then, you will really like the new EFIKA coming with more memory...

R&B :)

_________________
http://bbrv.blogspot.com

what happened with the update? the link ( http://www.powerdeveloper.org/asset/by-id/48 ) is broken :(

Oops. My mistake. I will put this back from backup ASAP.

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Matt Sealey

Thanks for your quick reply! :D
I just downloaded the update :)
I'll try it tonight :)

:( The update is not working. It loads something, and I think I can see some red letters before it immediately reboots. The boot screen still says "Version 1.3 (20061107101950)"
...

I have the same problem. The output is
Any tips?

We're working on a response to this, please stand by..

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Matt Sealey

Anything new about the update?

No sorry. I'm at a loss as to why it would not work.

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Matt Sealey