linux-kernel - Re: 2.6.28-rc1: NVRAM being corrupted on ppc64 preventing boot (bisected)

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Message-ID: <20081030210522.GA6532@yoda.jdub.homelinux.org>
Date:	Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:05:22 -0400
From:	Josh Boyer <jwboyer@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>
To:	Paul Mackerras <paulus@...ba.org>
Cc:	Mel Gorman <mel@....ul.ie>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	linuxppc-dev@...abs.org
Subject: Re: 2.6.28-rc1: NVRAM being corrupted on ppc64 preventing boot
	(bisected)

On Fri, Oct 31, 2008 at 07:52:02AM +1100, Paul Mackerras wrote:
>Mel Gorman writes:
>
>> On some ppc64 machines, NVRAM is being corrupted very early in boot (before
>> console is initialised). The machine reboots and then fails to find yaboot
>> printing the error "PReP-BOOT: Unable to load PRep image".  It's nowhere near
>> as serious as the ftrace+e1000 problem as the machine is not bricked but it's
>> fairly scary looking, the machine cannot boot and the fix is non-obvious. To
>> "fix" the machine;
>> 
>> 1. Go to OpenFirmware prompt
>> 2. type dev nvram
>> 3. type wipe-nvram
>> 
>> The machine will reboot, reconstruct the NVRAM using some magic and yaboot
>> work again allowing an older kernel to be used. I bisected the problem down
>> to this commit.
>
>Eek!
>
>Which ppc64 machines has this been seen on, and how were they being
>booted (netboot, yaboot, etc.)?
>
>Is it just the Powerstations with their SLOF-based firmware, or is it
>IBM pSeries machines as well?

I'm pretty sure it was with pSeries machines.  I saw reports of POWER5
being effected (p520 and p710).  I believe one of them resolved the
issue by upgrading firmware on the machine.

josh
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