Talk:Custom bootloader

An olpc.fth for DebXO

I am interested to run DebXO on a 1.5 machine. According to DebXO the olpc.fth in the release works for the XO-1. On the 1.5 the text of the boot console does not fit the display properly. Adjustments to the boot parameters in olpc.fth from the release follow. The viafb driver is specified. Given that the 1 and 1.5 models both have 1200x900 screens, misfitting of the console puzzles. If anyone can explain, that would be helpful. A suggestion to fix olpc.fth for the 1.5 would be even better. When a suitable olpc.fth is found, I can try to add the details such that the XO model is detected automatically. Regards, ... Peter E., Peasthope 17:03, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

\ " ro root=LABEL=DebXO video=viafb" to boot-file
" ro root=LABEL=DebXO video=viafb:1200x900 fbcon=font:SUN12x22" to boot-file

You appear to have combined Xorg configuration text with your olpc.fth, and this is not valid, but is harmless. Nothing after boot is processed. Your photograph seems incomplete. The differences in XO-1 and XO-1.5 are expected, since different frame buffer drivers are used by the kernel. I suggest using the DebXO talk page for this, as it isn't really a custom bootloader problem. --Quozl 22:59, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Xorg configuration text is gone. The best explanation I can offer is being too dull when posting and accidentally clicking in the xorg.conf window. The problem with the photo of the display appears to have been resolved at the server. Here is another copy of the photo.

Using the DebXO talk page implies, to me at least, that the fix should be in the DebXO kernel. For an ordinary PC, the boot process is customized by Grub. Here the equivalent is OFW. You suggest distinct kernels for 1 and for 1.5 or a kernel which specializes the boot console according to the hardware? Thanks, Peasthope 06:34, 27 February 2013 (UTC)

Using the DebXO talk page for your question is much more likely to gain the attention of people, such as Andres, or other users, who know how to configure DebXO. Your problem (that the DebXO kernel cannot render the boot console correctly) is entirely a DebXO problem, in that it does not occur with OLPC OS. Yes, you might well end up fixing it with changes to your boot script, but the boot script is provided by DebXO, so any changes should be in the context of DebXO not in the context of our general advice page about boot script customisation.

I said that different frame buffer drivers are used on XO-1 and XO-1.5 kernels. This is because there is different frame buffer hardware; the two models have different main processors and graphics processors. I didn't say that distinct kernels are required. While we use distinct kernels with OLPC OS, and with Tiny Core Linux, it is possible to combine both drivers into the one kernel. Perhaps this is what was done by Andres for DebXO 0.6. The DebXO page says that for XO-1.5 use, some editing of xorg.conf and olpc.fth is required, but there is no detail there. When you find out what is needed in olpc.fth to make it work, it should be written up on the DebXO page. Not the Custom bootloader page, unless it is of general use to more than one operating system build.

There is also a possibility that the problem you see is to do with the later firmware loaded by 12.1.0. Perhaps downgrading to the same firmware version tested with DebXO 0.6 is in order? --Quozl 00:10, 28 February 2013 (UTC)