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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/powerpc/zImage_layout.txt')
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diff --git a/Documentation/powerpc/zImage_layout.txt b/Documentation/powerpc/zImage_layout.txt new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..048e0150f57 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/powerpc/zImage_layout.txt @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@ + Information about the Linux/PPC kernel images +===================================================================== + +Please mail me (Cort Dougan, cort@fsmlabs.com) if you have questions, +comments or corrections. + +This document is meant to answer several questions I've had about how +the PReP system boots and how Linux/PPC interacts with that mechanism. +It would be nice if we could have information on how other architectures +boot here as well. If you have anything to contribute, please +let me know. + + +1. PReP boot file + + This is the file necessary to boot PReP systems from floppy or + hard drive. The firmware reads the PReP partition table entry + and will load the image accordingly. + + To boot the zImage, copy it onto a floppy with dd if=zImage of=/dev/fd0h1440 + or onto a PReP hard drive partition with dd if=zImage of=/dev/sda4 + assuming you've created a PReP partition (type 0x41) with fdisk on + /dev/sda4. + + The layout of the image format is: + + 0x0 +------------+ + | | PReP partition table entry + | | + 0x400 +------------+ + | | Bootstrap program code + data + | | + | | + +------------+ + | | compressed kernel, elf header removed + +------------+ + | | initrd (if loaded) + +------------+ + | | Elf section table for bootstrap program + +------------+ + + +2. MBX boot file + + The MBX boards can load an elf image, and relocate it to the + proper location in memory - it copies the image to the location it was + linked at. |