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ARM Linux 2.1.78
================
** The ARM support contained within is NOT complete - it will not build. **
** If you want to build it, then please obtain a full copy of the ARM **
** patches from ftp://ftp.arm.uk.linux.org/pub/armlinux/kernel-sources/v2.1 **
Since this is a development kernel, it will not be as stable as the 2.0
series, and can cause very nasty problems (eg, trashing your hard disk).
When running one of these kernels, I advise you to back up the complete
contents of all your hard disks.
Contributors
------------
Here is a list of people actively working on the project (If you
wish to be added to the list, please email me):
Name: Russell King
Mail: linux@arm.uk.linux.org
Desc: Original developer of ARM Linux, project co-ordinator.
Name: Dave Gilbert
Mail: linux@treblig.org
Desc: A3/4/5xx floppy and hard disk code maintainer.
Name: Philip Blundell
Mail: Philip.Blundell@pobox.com
Desc: Architecture and processor selection during make config.
Todo list
---------
This is the list of changes to be done (roughly prioritorised):
* fully test new A5000 & older MEMC translation code
* fully test new AcornSCSI driver.
* reply to email ;)
Bugs
----
Fixed bugs in this version 2.1.76:
Modules believed to be buggy (please report your successes/failures):
* AcornSCSI believed to occasionally corrupt hard drives.
* All NCR5380-based SCSI devices [Cumana I, Oak, EcoSCSI] are slow,
and may not allow write access.
* A5000 and older machine kernel builds may not be as stable as they were.
Notes
=====
Compilation of kernel
---------------------
In order to compile ARM Linux, you will need a compiler capable of
generating ARM ELF code with GNU extensions. GCC-2.7.2.2 is good.
To build ARM Linux natively, you shouldn't have to alter the ARCH = line in
the top level Makefile. However, if you don't have the ARM Linux ELF tools
installed as default, then you should change the CROSS_COMPILE line as
detailed below.
If you wish to cross-compile, then alter the following lines in the top
level make file:
ARCH = <whatever>
with
ARCH = arm
and
CROSS_COMPILE=
to
CROSS_COMPILE=<your-path-to-your-compiler-without-gcc>
eg.
CROSS_COMPILE=/usr/src/bin/arm/arm-linuxelf-
Do a 'make config', followed by 'make dep', and finally 'make all' to
build the kernel (vmlinux). A compressed image can be built by doing
a 'make zImage' instead of 'make all'.
Bug reports etc
---------------
Please send patches, bug reports and code for the ARM Linux project
to linux@arm.uk.linux.org. Patches will not be included into future
kernels unless they come to me (or the relevant person concerned).
When sending bug reports, please ensure that they contain all relevent
information, eg. the kernel messages that were printed before/during
the problem, what you were doing, etc.
For patches, please include some explaination as to what the patch does
and why (if relevent).
Modules
-------
Although modularisation is supported (and required for the FP emulator),
each module on an arm2/arm250/arm3 machine when is loaded will take
memory up to the next 32k boundary due to the size of the pages. Hence is
modularisation on these machines really worth it?
However, arm6 and up machines allow modules to take multiples of 4k, and
as such Acorn RiscPCs and other architectures using these processors can
make good use of modularisation.
ADFS Image files
----------------
You can access image files on your ADFS partitions by mounting the ADFS
partition, and then using the loopback device driver. You must have
losetup installed.
Please note that the PCEmulator DOS partitions have a partition table at
the start, and as such, you will have to give '-o offset' to losetup.
Kernel initialisation abort codes
---------------------------------
When the kernel is unable to boot, it will if possible display a colour
at the top of the screen. The colours have the following significance
when run in a 16 colour mode with the default palette:
Stripes of White,Red,Yellow,Green:
Kernel does not support the processor architecture detected.
Request to developers
---------------------
When writing device drivers which include a separate assember file, please
include it in with the C file, and not the arch/arm/lib directory. This
allows the driver to be compiled as a loadable module without requiring
half the code to be needlessly compiled into the kernel image.
In general, try to avoid using assembler unless it is really necessary. It
makes drivers far less easy to port to other hardware.
ST506 hard drives
-----------------
The ST506 hard drive controllers seem to be working fine (if a little
slowly). At the moment they will only work off the controllers on an
A4x0's motherboard, but for it to work off a Podule just requires
someone with a podule to add the addresses for the IRQ mask and the
HDC base to the source.
As of 31/3/96 it works with two drives (you should get the ADFS
*configure harddrive set to 2). I've got an internal 20MB and a great
big external 5.25" FH 64MB drive (who could ever want more :-) ).
I've just got 240K/s off it (a dd with bs=128k); thats about half of what
RiscOS gets; but its a heck of a lot better than the 50K/s I was getting
last week :-)
Known bug: Drive data errors can cause a hang; including cases where
the controller has fixed the error using ECC. (Possibly ONLY
in that case...hmm).
1772 Floppy
-----------
This also seems to work OK, but hasn't been stressed much lately. It
hasn't got any code for disc change detection in there at the moment which
could be a bit of a problem! Suggestions on the correct way to do this
are welcome.
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