[cobalt-developers] Alternative BOOT method (GRUB)

[Paul <pschulz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings,

Background: 

Our company has received a Raq4 on loan from Sun Australia to trial
some software on. The conditions are that the machine is return as we
received it. This means that I cannot risk upgrading the ROM, so I'm
looking at alternative methods for booting 2.4.x kernels (which
requires the ROM upgrade). (See
http://traumatized.org/linux/cobalt/kernel.php for info on installing
Slackware with 2.4.x kernels.)

Questions:

Is it possible to use GRUB (or parts of it) to boot a 2.4.x kernel on
a Raq4? (or are ther other methods?)

  ROM (bfd) 
	-> /boot/vmlinux.gz (a renamed and compressed GRUB stage2)
	-> /boot/bzImage

  The configuration file for GRUB is /boot/grub/menu.lst (see below).

So far: 

- GRUB compiles on the Raq4 without complaints.
- The machine boots and hangs with the following: 

Console: 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press spacebar to enter ROM mode
Booting default method - From disk

First stage kernel: Decompressing - done
Second stage kernel: Decompressing - done
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The LCD reports:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
[.== Decompres- ]
[`== sing...    ]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would like to know whether what I am doing is indeed possible or
just really stupid.

Paul
=========================================================================

The GRUB menu.lst file:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
# GRUB Boot Menu Configuration File for the Raq4
# Paul Schulz
# Foursticks, Dec 2001

# Serial options
serial --unit=0 --speed=115200 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1
terminal serial

# By default, boot the first entry.
default 0

# Boot automatically after 30 secs.
timeout 10

# For booting Linux
title GNU/Linux
kernel (hd0,0)/boot/bzImage root=/dev/hda1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

                Paul Schulz - Software Engineer [codito, ergo sum]
        Foursticks Pty Ltd - 2/259 Glen Osmond Road, Frewville, SA 5063
    Phone: +61 8 8338 5500   Fax: +61 8 8338 5511   Mobile: +61 401 981 301
       Email: pschulz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx           Web: www.foursticks.com