Kernel 2.6.27.7 hangs on AMD Geode ALX 800 processor

[jbessow]

Hello all,

I'm having some troubles with an AMD Geode ALX 800 processor. I installed Slackware 12.2, kernel 2.6.27.7 with no problems.
After rebooting, the kernel hangs on boot process (after LILO or GRUB) for about 20 minutes. During this time the only thing I can see is a black screen.
After this long time waiting the kernel starts booting normally.
I had the same problem using kernel 2.6.21 and I fixed it by replacing lilo with grub. This time I tried the same with no sucess.

Another try I made was boot with a live CD with the last Slax version and with Ubuntu (kernel 2.6.22) live CD. The same problem happened.

Re: Geode LX800 hanging at boot in vesa_store_edid() w/ CONFIG_FIRMWARE_EDID=y
I tried to recompile the kernel with the option CONFIG_FIRMWARE_EDID=n, as suggested at the link above, but this option was already off.

This link bellow shows a full description about the board I'm using.
AMD Geode LX 800 ALXD800EEXJ2VC

Please help me. I'm newbie.
I tried everything what's possible to me and I can't solve this problem by myself.

See bellow some info about my installed system. Sorry if it's so much and unnecessary information:

#cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor : 0
vendor_id : AuthenticAMD
cpu family : 5
model : 10
model name : Geode(TM) Integrated Processor by AMD PCS
stepping : 2
cpu MHz : 498.041
cache size : 128 KB
fdiv_bug : no
hlt_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
coma_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 1
wp : yes
flags : fpu de pse tsc msr cx8 sep pge cmov clflush mmx mmxext 3dnowext 3dnow
bogomips : 996.08
clflush size : 32
power management:

#uname -a
Linux darkstar 2.6.27.7 #2 Thu Nov 20 23:19:39 CST 2008 i586 Geode(TM) Integrated Processor by AMD PCS AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux

#lspci
00:01.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] Host Bridge (rev 33)
00:01.1 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Geode LX Video
00:01.2 Entertainment encryption device: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Geode LX AES Security Block
00:09.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6105M [Rhine-III] (rev 96)
00:0c.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 03)
00:0f.0 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] ISA (rev 03)
00:0f.2 IDE interface: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] IDE (rev 01)
00:0f.3 Multimedia audio controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] Audio (rev 01)
00:0f.4 USB Controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] OHC (rev 02)
00:0f.5 USB Controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] EHC (rev 02)

#dmesg | head -60
Linux version 2.6.27.7 (root@midas) (gcc version 4.2.4) #2 Thu Nov 20 23:19:39 CST 2008
BIOS-provided physical RAM map:
BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009e800 (usable)
BIOS-e820: 000000000009e800 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)
BIOS-e820: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)
BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000000efb0000 (usable)
BIOS-e820: 000000000efb0000 - 000000000efb3000 (ACPI NVS)
BIOS-e820: 000000000efb3000 - 000000000efc0000 (ACPI data)
BIOS-e820: 00000000ffff0000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)
DMI not present or invalid.
last_pfn = 0xefb0 max_arch_pfn = 0x100000
kernel direct mapping tables up to efb0000 @ 7000-d000
ACPI: RSDP 000F59F0, 0014 (r0 AMDGX3)
ACPI: RSDT 0EFB3040, 0028 (r1 AMDGX3 AWRDACPI 42302E31 AWRD 0)
ACPI: FACP 0EFB30C0, 0074 (r1 AMDGX3 AWRDACPI 42302E31 AWRD 0)
ACPI: DSDT 0EFB3180, 1DFC (r1 AMDGX3 AWRDACPI 1000 MSFT 3000000)
ACPI: FACS 0EFB0000, 0040
ACPI: no DMI BIOS year, acpi=force is required to enable ACPI
ACPI: Disabling ACPI support
0MB HIGHMEM available.
239MB LOWMEM available.
mapped low ram: 0 - 0efb0000
low ram: 00000000 - 0efb0000
bootmap 00001000 - 00002df8
(6 early reservations) ==> bootmem [0000000000 - 000efb0000]
#0 [0000000000 - 0000001000] BIOS data page ==> [0000000000 - 0000001000]
#1 [0000100000 - 00009f3228] TEXT DATA BSS ==> [0000100000 - 00009f3228]
#2 [00009f4000 - 00009f8000] INIT_PG_TABLE ==> [00009f4000 - 00009f8000]
#3 [000009e000 - 0000100000] BIOS reserved ==> [000009e000 - 0000100000]
#4 [0000007000 - 0000009000] PGTABLE ==> [0000007000 - 0000009000]
#5 [0000001000 - 0000003000] BOOTMAP ==> [0000001000 - 0000003000]
Zone PFN ranges:
DMA 0x00000000 -> 0x00001000
Normal 0x00001000 -> 0x0000efb0
HighMem 0x0000efb0 -> 0x0000efb0
Movable zone start PFN for each node
early_node_map[2] active PFN ranges
0: 0x00000000 -> 0x0000009e
0: 0x00000100 -> 0x0000efb0
On node 0 totalpages: 61262
free_area_init_node: node 0, pgdat c08fda20, node_mem_map c1000000
DMA zone: 3966 pages, LIFO batch:0
Normal zone: 56816 pages, LIFO batch:15
PM: Registered nosave memory: 000000000009e000 - 000000000009f000
PM: Registered nosave memory: 000000000009f000 - 00000000000a0000
PM: Registered nosave memory: 00000000000a0000 - 00000000000f0000
PM: Registered nosave memory: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000
Allocating PCI resources starting at 10000000 (gap: efc0000:f1030000)
Built 1 zonelists in Zone order, mobility grouping on. Total pages: 60782
Kernel command line: root=/dev/hda2 ro vga=788
Initializing CPU#0
PID hash table entries: 1024 (order: 10, 4096 bytes)
TSC: Using PIT calibration value
Detected 498.041 MHz processor.
Console: colour dummy device 80x25
console [tty0] enabled
Dentry cache hash table entries: 32768 (order: 5, 131072 bytes)
Inode-cache hash table entries: 16384 (order: 4, 65536 bytes)
Memory: 233592k/245440k available (6139k kernel code, 11340k reserved, 2083k data, 368k init, 0k highmem)


Thanks for advice!

Jonatas Bessow

[jbessow]

Depending on the value I pass to boot in the vga parameter (ie. vga=normal) instead of a black screen I see the message "linux boot probing edd (edd=off to disable).. ok". In both cases the system hangs for about 20 minutes.

Any idea?

[dandart]

Same as my problem on my Desktop PC. Try appending "hpet=disable" to the end of the kernel command line (hit Esc at bootup, then e, then go to the kernel entry, hit e, and append the line to the end).
It can also be appended to the end of the line in /boot/grub/menu.lst.

It's a HPET kernel bug fixed in 2.6.28 but not in time for Intrepid.

Cheers
Dan