CCing the linux-sunxi group. On Mon, 2014-06-16 at 17:58 -0400, Lennart Sorensen wrote: > On Sun, Jun 15, 2014 at 08:02:03PM +0200, Karsten Merker wrote: > > Source: partman-base > > Version: 173 > > Severity: important > > > > Upon testing a locally built debian-installer based on linux > > 3.15-1 (from experimental) on an Allwinner sunXi-based armhf > > system, I have found that the system does not boot anymore after > > partman has written a new partition table to the SD card from > > which the system loads u-boot. > > > > Kernel 3.15-1 is the first kernel in Debian that contains an > > MMC/SD driver for this platform, i.e. with older versions > > partitions could only be created on an attached SATA disk but not > > on the SD card, so this problem has not shown up earlier. > > > > In my first attempt, the partition table has been created by the > > "guided partitioning" option in d-i, which has created the > > following layout: > > > > Disk /dev/sdd: 15 GB, 15718510080 bytes > > 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1911 cylinders, total 30700215 sectors > > Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes > > > > Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System > > /dev/sdd1 * 2048 499711 257008 83 Linux > > Warning: Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary. > > /dev/sdd2 499712 29306879 14402272 83 Linux > > Warning: Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary. > > /dev/sdd3 29308926 30701567 698827 5 Extended > > Warning: Partition 3 does not end on cylinder boundary. > > /dev/sdd5 29308928 30701567 698827 82 Linux swap > > Warning: Partition 5 does not end on cylinder boundary. > > > > The layout itself appears ok as the first partition starts at > > sector 2048, i.e. at 1MB offset, but comparing the state of the > > first MB of data on the device before and after partman has > > written the partition table shows that not only the partition > > table has been written, but also the area from offset 0x2000 up > > to 0x25ff has been zeroed out. On all Allwinner sunXi-based > > systems this area contains the u-boot SPL, without which the > > system cannot boot anymore. > > > > A second attempt with manual partitioning showed the same > > behaviour, i.e. it appears to be a general partman problem and > > not specific to partman-auto. > > > > Partman should only write the partition table but should not > > touch the area between the partition table and the beginning > > of the first partition as this area is used by bootloaders. > > It sure would be nice if CPU makers would stop putting their boot code > where the GPT goes. Do none of them EVER think their device will want > to use a disk bigger than 2TB?
Hrm, that is rather unfortunate. I think we have some flexibility in positioning for some of the bits which need to go onto the mmc. I don't know if the specific bit which conflicts with GPT is one of them though, but maybe things can be shuffled around. (I'm not all that hopeful, but worth checking) Ian. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
