I already mentioned it in the KDE thread, but it is worth mentioning on its own: the Freescale mpc5121e board boots openSUSE 11.0 and works from the HDD now. NFS is no more necessary, speeding up sw loading a lot.

If anybody is interested, the installation process is documented at http://en.opensuse.org/MPC5121eADS and I can provide a kernel for installation and use. It is based on the 2.6.24.6 Linus sources + BSP patches + squashfs patch.

_________________
CzP
http://czanik.blogs.balabit.com/

Hi,
I'm having troubles following instruction at http://en.opensuse.org/MPC5121eADS. I'm using an ADS512101 rev 3 board (no HDD).

I generated the initramfs. The system starts up, but it seems no openSUSE install procedure is going on.

Could you help me?

Thank you,
Antonio

yes, how can i get a board... ? :-)

Here are the files I used:

Kernel, Initrd, Device Tree
Modules

The kernel is based on the Denx GIT tree plus the squashfs patch, has everything compiled in, and works both on rev 3.2 and all rev 4.0 boards, actually better, than the one in the BSP :-) The included initrd is only there to be used during installation.

I also have a 'cheat' file for boot parameters: Let me know, if you run into any trouble!

_________________
CzP
http://czanik.blogs.balabit.com/

Peter,

Do you have any video? Would be nice to see OpenSuse running in a MPC5121e!!

Not yet, as I don't have a camera. But if you know EFIKA, it is mostly comparable. 4x the RAM obviously helps in many situations.

_________________
CzP
http://czanik.blogs.balabit.com/

Hi,
thank you for your help, I'm still unable to install openSUSE. Now the installation kicks off, but I have issues on loading required modules. These are my steps:
======================================================================

>>> openSUSE installation program v3.1.34 (c) 1996-2008 SUSE Linux Products GmbH <<<

Starting udev... udevd-event[117]: node_symlink: device node '/dev/rtc' already exists, link to '/dev/rtc0' will not overwrite it
ok
Loading basic drivers... ok
>>> Linuxrc v3.1.34 (Kernel 2.6.24.6-genesi-081008-a) <<<

Main Menu

1) Settings
2) System Information
3) Kernel Modules (Hardware Drivers)
4) Start Installation or System
5) Verify Installation CD-ROM/DVD
6) Eject CD
7) Exit or Reboot
8) Power off

> 4

Start Installation or System

1) Start Installation or Update
2) Boot Installed System
3) Start Rescue System

> 1

Choose the source medium.

1) CD-ROM
2) Network
3) Hard Disk

> 2

Choose the network protocol.

1) FTP
2) HTTP
3) NFS
4) SMB / CIFS (Windows Share)
5) TFTP

> 2

Automatic configuration via DHCP?

1) Yes
2) No

> 2

Enter your IP address> 192.168.80.163

Enter your netmask. For a normal class C network, this is usually
255.255.255.0 [255.255.255.0]> 255.255.255.0

If you need a gateway to reach the server, enter the IP address of the
gateway. If you do not need a gateway, enter your own IP address
[192.168.80.163]> 192.168.80.1

Enter the IP address of your name server. If you do not use a name server,
press ESC [192.168.80.163]> ^[

Enter the IP address of the HTTP server [192.168.80.156]> 195.135.221.130

Enter the directory on the server [openSUSE/]> /factory/repo/oss/

Do you need a username and password to access the HTTP server?

1) Yes
2) No

> 2

Use a HTTP proxy?

1) Yes
2) No

> 2
modprobe: FATAL: Could not load /lib/modules/2.6.24.6-genesi-081008-a/modules.dep: No such file or directory

modprobe: FATAL: Could not load /lib/modules/2.6.24.6-genesi-081008-a/modules.dep: No such file or directory

modprobe: FATAL: Could not load /lib/modules/2.6.24.6-genesi-081008-a/modules.dep: No such file or directory

Loading Installation Systemmodprobe: FATAL: Could not load /lib/modules/2.6.24.6-genesi-081008-a/modules.dep: No such file or directory

- failed

*** No repository found.

Choose the network protocol.

1) FTP
2) HTTP
3) NFS
4) SMB / CIFS (Windows Share)
5) TFTP

>

=====================================================================

If I browse to the installer "Kernel Modules" menu I can not load any module, since it seem these are not tailored to mpc5121e:

======================================================================

Kernel Modules (Hardware Drivers)

1) Load ppc Modules
2) Load USB Modules
3) Load FireWire Modules
4) Load File System Modules
5) Load Unknown Modules
6) Show Loaded Modules
7) Unload Modules
8) Add Driver Update
9) Show Driver Updates

> 1

Load ppc Modules

1) pcnet32 : AMD PCI PCnet32 (PCI bus NE2100)
2) acenic : Alteon AceNIC/3C985/NetGear GA620
3) e100 : Intel PRO/100 / EtherExpr. PRO/100
4) e1000 : Intel PRO/1000
5) e1000e : Intel PRO/1000 PCI-E Gigabit
6) ixgb : Intel(R) PRO/10GbE
7) igb : Intel Gigabit Ethernet
8) ixgbe : Intel(R) 10 Gigabit PCI Express
9) bnx2x : Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM57710
10) tg3 : Broadcom Tigon3 Ethernet
11) olympic : IBM Olympic chipset PCI Token Ring
12) s2io : S2IO 10GbE Server
13) qla3xxx : QLogic ISP3XXX
14) netxen_nic : NetXen Multi port (1/10) Gigabit
15) mace : MACE, old PowerMacs
16) bmac : BMAC, old PowerMacs
17) sungem : Sun GEM, for new PowerMacs
18) tulip : DEC Tulip (DC21x4x) PCI
19) 8139too : RealTek RTL8139
20) mv643xx_eth : Marvell MV643XX
21) via-rhine : VIA VT86c100A Rhine-II
22) libphy : PHY library
23) fec_mpc52xx_phy : Efika MPC52xx PHY
24) bestcomm-fec : Efika MPC52xx bestcomm
25) fec_mpc52xx : Efika MPC52xx
26) pdc202xx_new : Promise PDC20268+ IDE
27) pdc202xx_old : Promise (Older Controllers) IDE
28) pata_cmd64x : CMD64x series PATA
29) pata_mpc52xx : mpc52xx PATA
30) pata_sil680 : SI680 PATA QS20
31) pata_sl82c105 : W82C105 PATA IDE
32) ahci : AHCI SATA driver
33) sata_sil24 : Silicon Image 3124/3132 SATA
34) pata_via : VIA PATA
35) aec62xx : AEC62xx IDE
36) cmd64x : CMD64x IDE
37) via82cxxx : VIA IDE
38) sym53c8xx : Symbios 53c8xx
39) lpfc : Emulex LP fibrechannel storage
40) qla4xxx : QLogic ISP 4XXX iSCSI
41) aic7xxx : Adaptec 274x/284x/294x
42) advansys : AdvanSys
43) mesh : MESH SCSI driver
44) mac53c94 : mac53c94 SCSI early PowerMacs
45) ide-cd_mod : ATAPI CD-ROM Driver
46) st : SCSI Tape Driver
47) sd_mod : SCSI Disk Driver
48) sr_mod : SCSI CD-ROM driver
49) scsi_debug : Simulate a host adapter
50) iscsi_tcp : iSCSI/TCP data-path
51) libiscsi : iSCSI library functions
52) scsi_wait_scan : wait for SCSI scan to complete

> 23
Trying to load module "libphy"...

During loading, you may want to watch the kernel messages on virtual console 4
(ALT-F4). Use ALT-F1 to switch back to this menu.

*** Failed to load module "libphy".

Kernel Modules (Hardware Drivers)

1) Load ppc Modules
2) Load USB Modules
3) Load FireWire Modules
4) Load File System Modules
5) Load Unknown Modules
6) Show Loaded Modules
7) Unload Modules
8) Add Driver Update
9) Show Driver Updates

>

============================================================================

Sorry, I'm not really experienced, expecially with openSUSE. For example, you added a link to a Modules package, but I could not figure out how to use it! Thank you,

Antonio

All the modules necessary for using the installer or booting the installed system are compiled in. You can safely ignore the modules related error messages. Once the system is installed, you can extract the modules to gain some additional functionality.

The uploaded initrd (uinitrd_110) is for the openSUSE 11.0 release. It should work with 11.1-factory (at least worked fine a few weeks ago), but as factory is a moving target, there is no guarantee. I'll soon upload the latest factory initrd converted for u-boot.

Also the installer makes now very strict tests to ensure, that all installation sources are properly signed. This can fail, when initrd and the repo are out of sync. To work this around, one can use the following boot argument:

_________________
CzP
http://czanik.blogs.balabit.com/

The latest (untested) initrd is available at: http://genesi.hu/uinitrd_111

Once I'm ready with some EFIKA tests, I'll check it out.

_________________
CzP
http://czanik.blogs.balabit.com/

Peter, you are the only person that I know of that is actually using the MPC5121e, and what's more, building an operating system for it.
Could you please post here some details about its performance, and most of all, your opinion on the chip? Are you able to use the PowerVR and AXE cores?
What's this "http://git.denx.de/linux-mpc512x.git/" thingie? Is it the source of updated drivers and kernels?

@jcmarcos

There are a few more people. Peter works for Genesi on this board, as well as others. There are at least a dozen other folks that have boards. We know because we shipped them. We will try to explain a bit more about this, but we can only take the conversation so far.

The ADS board was designed and produced by STx. There were six versions of the board (2.0, 2.5, 3.1, 3.2, 3.5 and 4.0). Prior to that there was a chip validation system. The 4.0 board was shipped with v1.5 and v2.0 of the 5121e. As you might suspect, this is a very high number of board revisions. It should not take so long to stabilize a board design. There were are number of reasons for this, some we can discuss and some we cannot.

There are three 'cores' - the e300, the AXE (200MHz) and the MBX Lite (_Lite_). All the documentation associated with the MBX is proprietary and beyond what can be shared in discussion here. The AXE engine is documented and available through the Freescale website. We developed assembly level code for the AXE engine. As of yet, Freescale has only released this code to specific customers. That is their prerogative. This is also true for the MBX and Flash Lite drivers that run on the chip. Both still need work.

Here is what we can say:

1. A PowerVR driver for this chip is not generally available.

2. Solid code using the AXE is not available (a sound driver has had a beta release).

3. The performance is better in some measure because there is more RAM which means there is less swapping and the IDE speed is a lot faster, but all the performance advantages are lost with the I/O.

We predict this chip will be successful eventually, but it will take more work. Programming for it presents many challenges. Fortunately, as mentioned in another thread there has been a management change that will create a vast improvement in the opportunity for success. Sometimes it is the people and not the technology itself that create the problems. We were extremely excited about the prospects for this chip 12-18 months ago and we shared our enthusiasm here and in other Forums. For those of you that feel mislead, we are regretful. Be assured we have wasted many, many valuable man-months trying to bring this chip's performance for consumer applications in line with its promotion (vs. embedded use for which the chip is fine). Ultimately, there was an accounting at Freescale and the people responsible for the bulk of the problems are gone. Let's see what happens next.

R&B :)

_________________
http://bbrv.blogspot.com

Updated to the initrd of the RC1 DVD. Right now I'm still installing RC1 on my 5121e board, and did not run into any trouble until now. As I already wrote, please don't forget to use:

_________________
CzP
http://czanik.blogs.balabit.com/

I tested now using nfsroot. It seems to me, that there was one step forward and one step backwards:

- root on nfs is now automagically detected, there is no need to set it manually in well hidden parts of network settings

- NFS is umount-ed early in the shutdown process, even with STARTMODE='nfsroot'

_________________
CzP
http://czanik.blogs.balabit.com/

Seems to me, that OSADL is doing the dirty work, what Freescale should have done a long time ago: integrate 5121/5123 support into the mainline kernel. For those, who are interested: http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS6657 ... tml?kc=rss

If it ever succeeds, I'll port the next SuSE version, as it'll be just a kernel recompile instead of a lot of ugly patching and hand merging of BSP and SuSE kernel configurations...

_________________
CzP
http://czanik.blogs.balabit.com/

I hope you meant that OSADL is doing the clean work ;-)

Anyway, what OSADL plans to do is only the second best solution. The best would be to have Freescale on board from the very beginning and to develop together a state-of-the-art BSP that is directly suitable for inclusion into the mainline Linux kernel. Anything else is a waste of time and money.