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From: Mark Robson <slarty2@ntlworld.com>
To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: PROBLEM: Using initrd loaded from syslinux causes oops during boot
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2002 17:18:33 +0100
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[1.]  Booting from floppy with syslinux and loading a ramdisk image causes an 
oops during boot
[2.] 
I'm testing kernel 2.5.40 for a single floppy mini-distro which uses initrd.

I get an oops happening on boot, just after
RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block 0

[3.] ramdisk initrd syslinux

[4.] stock kernel version 2.5.40 (cannot boot the system to cat /proc/version)

[5.] Output of Oops.. message 

I can't copy the entire oops message here because it's a lot of typing. 
Needless to say, the message is

Unable to handle NULL pointer deference at address 00000000

eip = c0107b8d <__down+5d/e0>

call stack
c0113210 <default_wake_function+0/40>
c0107d5c <__down_failed+8/c>
c016a7cd <.text.lock.util+7d/90>
c0157ffe <devfs_remove_partitions+8e/a0>
c015841d <del_gendisk+1d/40>
c0195149 <initrd_release+19/50>
c013632b <__fput+2b/e0>
c0108c37 <syscall_call+7/b>
c0134dfd <filp_close+4d/60>
c0134e55 <sys_close+45/60>
c0108c37 <syscall_call+7/b>
c0105341 <prepare_namespace+b1/130>
c0105030 <init+0/160>
c0105056 etc
c0105030 etc
c0107025 etc

I've resolved most of the symbols so I hope it's clear where the error is 
occuring (I'm not an expert at kernel debugging)

[6.] A small shell script or example program which triggers the problem:

Booting triggers the problem.

The syslinux config is:

KERNEL linux
APPEND initrd=rdimage vga=1 rw

[7.1.] Software (add the output of the ver_linux script here)
Can't boot to run ver_linux

syslinux 1.63 if that makes a difference.

[7.2.] Processor information (from /proc/cpuinfo):
Can't boot to cat /proc/cpuinfo (could go back to an old kernel, I know). 
It's a Pentium-classic 133Mhz

[7.3.] Module information (from /proc/modules):
Modules not enabled in the kernel config

I hope this offers sufficient information to be useful.

Regards,
	Mark
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