All, just thought it is not a bad idea to share the problems / solutions I had with this issue.
We have certain amount of 5501's, and just recently received a new order of 5 - which are affected by the problem. Most of the time we use Kingston 512MB CF cards. We install stripped version of Ubuntu 8.04 server, using GRUB as bootloader. In old versions of hardware, cards work perfectly fine. Now, on the "problematic" shipment, all boxes refused to detect the CF after the cold boot. 1. After a warm boot, most of them would detect the CF and boot up properly. 2. Had a couple of them which weren't able to detect the CF card even after a warm boot. To solve these problems we did the following: - updated all 5501's to 1.33c firmware - changed the bootloader from GRUB to LILO Now, all of those boxes work just fine. Only, on the faulty ones, the boot process is some 30-40 secs longer then on the regular ones. Firstly, the BIOS will take much more time to detect the CF card after a cold boot. Secondly, linux kernel will take much more time to boot up, since it has problems accessing the CF. Here is the dmesg output from one of those boxes: [ 51.590392] scsi0 : pata_amd [ 51.598723] scsi1 : pata_amd [ 51.604747] ata1: PATA max UDMA/100 cmd 0x1f0 ctl 0x3f6 bmdma 0xe000 irq 14 [ 51.618717] ata2: PATA max UDMA/100 cmd 0x170 ctl 0x376 bmdma 0xe008 irq 15 [ 56.796705] ata1: port is slow to respond, please be patient (Status 0x80) [ 61.652031] ata1: SRST failed (errno=-16) [ 66.827348] ata1: port is slow to respond, please be patient (Status 0x80) [ 71.678674] ata1: SRST failed (errno=-16) [ 99.975186] ata1.00: ATA-0: CF CARD 512MB, 20070131, max MWDMA2 [ 99.987101] ata1.00: 990864 sectors, multi 0: LBA [ 99.996765] ata1.00: Drive reports diagnostics failure. This may indicate a drive [ 100.011780] ata1.00: fault or invalid emulation. Contact drive vendor for information. [ 100.035090] ata1.00: configured for MWDMA2 [ 100.059068] ata1.00: configured for MWDMA2 [ 100.067299] ata1: EH complete [ 100.073908] scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access ATA CF CARD 512MB 2007 PQ: 0 ANSI: 5 Regards, Zlatko -----Original Message----- From: Eternity <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Steve Clark <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], soekris <[email protected]> Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:38:02 +0200 (CEST) Subject: Re: [Soekris] NET5501 Boot Problem > > After some testing I found out that Sandisk Ultra II 2GB Flash worked > perfect. In my old installations I used a smaller Sandisk that also > worked. Kingston flashcards are no good then. > > Chris > > On Fri, 18 Jul 2008, Steve Clark wrote: > > > Hello, > > > > Well I tried 1.33c on my 5501 with my Transcend TS4GCF266 CF and it > made things > > worst. I was unable to get FreeBSD to boot - it always hangs at > mountroot saying it > > can't find the root device. > > > > When the 5501 is cold booted I get about a 10-15 sec pause before it > recognizes the CF device > > with either 1.33c or 1.33b. With both 133.b and 133.c it will start > loading the FreeBSD kernel > > then there will be a long pause FreeBSD is trying to detect the hard > drive > > > > atapci0: <AMD CS5536 UDMA100 controller> port > 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6,0x170-0x177,0x376,0xe000-0xe00f at device 20.2 on > pci0 > > ata0: <ATA channel 0> on atapci0 > > ata1: <ATA channel 1> on atapci0 > > > > then it will continue on detecting other devices and when it gets to > the point to mount the root filesystem > > it says it can't find it. > > > > If at this point with 1.33b I press the reset button on the 5501 the > Transcend CF is immediately recognized and > > FreeBSD boots up to completion with no problems. > > > > With 1.33c if I press the reset button - there again is a long pause > during POST before the CF is recognized and > > again FreeBSD hangs at can't mountroot. > > > > I tried several time with 1.33c before downgrading the bios back to > 1.33b which then immediately boot up fine. > > > > There are voluminous specs for the Transcend CF online at the > Transcend web site. > > > > Steve > > > > Wim Vandeputte mailinglist only wrote: > >> That is a BIOS problem. > >> > >> You see this with 1.33c? Please send you info to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > >> On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 03:47:33PM -0400, Steve Clark wrote: > >> > >>> Wim Vandeputte mailinglist only wrote: > >>> > >>>> hey, > >>>> > >>>> This is actually the same error you see with FreeBSD and OpenBSD > when > >>>> the BIOS has problems recognising the CF. You can spot it when > there is > >>>> a 20 second delay when detecting the CF and when the bootloader > tries > >>>> any disk activity > >>>> > >>>> comBIOS ver. 1.33c 20080626 Copyright (C) 2000-2008 Soekris > Engineering. > >>>> > >>>> net5501 > >>>> > >>>> 0256 Mbyte Memory CPU Geode LX 434 Mhz > >>>> > >>>> Pri Mas SILICONSYSTEMS INC 1GB LBA Xlt 1015-32-63 1023 > Mbyte > >>>> > >>>> Slot Vend Dev ClassRev Cmd Stat CL LT HT Base1 Base2 Int > >>>> > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>> 0:01:2 1022 2082 10100000 0006 0220 08 00 00 A0000000 00000000 10 > >>>> 0:06:0 1106 3053 02000096 0117 0210 08 40 00 0000E101 A0004000 11 > >>>> 0:07:0 1106 3053 02000096 0117 0210 08 40 00 0000E201 A0004100 05 > >>>> 0:08:0 1106 3053 02000096 0117 0210 08 40 00 0000E301 A0004200 09 > >>>> 0:09:0 1106 3053 02000096 0117 0210 08 40 00 0000E401 A0004300 12 > >>>> 0:20:0 1022 2090 06010003 0009 02A0 08 40 80 00006001 00006101 > >>>> 0:20:2 1022 209A 01018001 0005 02A0 08 00 00 00000000 00000000 > >>>> 0:21:0 1022 2094 0C031002 0006 0230 08 00 80 A0005000 00000000 15 > >>>> 0:21:1 1022 2095 0C032002 0006 0230 08 00 00 A0006000 00000000 15 > >>>> > >>>> 1 Seconds to automatic boot. Press Ctrl-P for entering Monitor. > >>>> Using drive 0, partition 3. > >>>> Loading... > >>>> probing: pc0 com0 com1 pci mem[639K 255M a20=on] > >>>> disk: hd0+* > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>> OpenBSD/i386 BOOT 3.01 > >>>> > >>>> open(hd0a:/etc/boot.conf): Unknown error: code 102 > >>>> boot> reboot > >>>> Rebooting... > >>>> exit > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> POST: 012345689bcefghips1234ajklnopqr,,,tvwxy > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> comBIOS ver. 1.33c 20080626 Copyright (C) 2000-2008 Soekris > Engineering. > >>>> > >>>> net5501 > >>>> > >>>> 0256 Mbyte Memory CPU Geode LX 434 Mhz > >>>> > >>>> Pri Mas SILICONSYSTEMS INC 1GB LBA Xlt 1015-32-63 1023 > Mbyte > >>>> > >>>> Slot Vend Dev ClassRev Cmd Stat CL LT HT Base1 Base2 Int > >>>> > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>> 0:01:2 1022 2082 10100000 0006 0220 08 00 00 A0000000 00000000 10 > >>>> 0:06:0 1106 3053 02000096 0117 0210 08 40 00 0000E101 A0004000 11 > >>>> 0:07:0 1106 3053 02000096 0117 0210 08 40 00 0000E201 A0004100 05 > >>>> 0:08:0 1106 3053 02000096 0117 0210 08 40 00 0000E301 A0004200 09 > >>>> 0:09:0 1106 3053 02000096 0117 0210 08 40 00 0000E401 A0004300 12 > >>>> 0:20:0 1022 2090 06010003 0009 02A0 08 40 80 00006001 00006101 > >>>> 0:20:2 1022 209A 01018001 0005 02A0 08 00 00 00000000 00000000 > >>>> 0:21:0 1022 2094 0C031002 0006 0230 08 00 80 A0005000 00000000 15 > >>>> 0:21:1 1022 2095 0C032002 0006 0230 08 00 00 A0006000 00000000 15 > >>>> > >>>> 1 Seconds to automatic boot. Press Ctrl-P for entering Monitor. > >>>> Using drive 0, partition 3. > >>>> Loading... > >>>> probing: pc0 com0 com1 pci mem[639K 255M a20=on] > >>>> disk: hd0+ > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>> OpenBSD/i386 BOOT 3.01 > >>>> > >>>> - > >>>> com0: 19200 baud > >>>> switching console to com0 > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>> OpenBSD/i386 BOOT 3.01 > >>>> > >>>> boot> > >>>> booting hd0a:/bsd: 5913424+1004644 [52+306864+287943]=0x72a4d4 > >>>> entry point at 0x200120?? > >>>> [ using 595232 bytes of bsd ELF symbol table ] > >>>> Copyright (c) 1982, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993 > >>>> The Regents of the University of California. All rights > reserved. > >>>> Copyright (c) 1995-2008 OpenBSD. All rights reserved. > http://www.OpenBSD.org > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 10:44:39AM -0700, Chris Babcock wrote: > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>> Eternity wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>>> Hi! > >>>>>> > >>>>>> I have a problem with a whole bunch of NET5501:s. I have read > some posts > >>>>>> with similar problems, but not exactly this, I think, so I post > my > >>>>>> problem: > >>>>>> > >>>>>> On a Cold boot my CF Card is detected: > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Pri Mas CF CARD 1GB LBA Xlt 983-32-63 990 > Mbyte > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Then at boot: > >>>>>> > >>>>>> GRUB Loading stage1.5. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> GRUB loading, please wait... > >>>>>> Error 25 > >>>>>> > >>>>>> --- > >>>>>> > >>>>>> If I press ctrl-p, and at once in combios makes a "reboot" > everything > >>>>>> works OK, and GRUB can load correctly. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> I have used lots of net5501 boxes with this distribution (same > image file > >>>>>> I write to the CF card) without any trouble at all. I have tried > upgrading > >>>>>> BIOS to 1.33c version, but no change. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Any ideas? Could it be the flash card? Or some defect on these > batch of > >>>>>> boards? > >>>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> It could be the flash or a defective board. If you have a known > working > >>>>> unit, try swapping the flash into it and see if you get the same > >>>>> error. If another known working unit does the same thing, you > probably > >>>>> have one of the 5501 boards with issues (RMA to resolve). If the > error > >>>>> persists, it's probably bad CF. One other possibility... Did you > image > >>>>> the CF or do the install from a different system? If you did, > there are > >>>>> often disk geometry issues in the install, which can and often do > cause > >>>>> issues, esp with boot loaders. The only safe way to make sure > the > >>>>> geometry is correct on a load is to load on the exact same type > of > >>>>> system (so in this case, another 5501). > >>>>> > >>>>> Grub manual error code link: > >>>>> > http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html#Stage1_002e5-errors > >>>>> > >>>>> According to the grub manual Error 25 in stage 1.5 is... > >>>>> > >>>>> 25 : Disk read error > >>>>> This error is returned if there is a disk read error when > trying to > >>>>> probe or read data from a particular disk. > >>>> > >>>> http://lists.soekris.com/mailman/listinfo/soekris-tech > >>> > >>> > >>> Yes that is exactly what I see with my Transcend CF and FreeBSD 6.3 > >>> > >>> Steve > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> Soekris-tech mailing list > >>> [email protected] > >>> http://lists.soekris.com/mailman/listinfo/soekris-tech > >> > >> > >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Soekris-tech mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.soekris.com/mailman/listinfo/soekris-tech > > > > _______________________________________________ > Soekris-tech mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.soekris.com/mailman/listinfo/soekris-tech _______________________________________________ Soekris-tech mailing list [email protected] http://lists.soekris.com/mailman/listinfo/soekris-tech
