Kernel installation not working on ps3

[Benjamin Herrenschmidt]

The installer fails to install any kernel on ps3 with the following messages:

base-installer: info: kernel linux-powerpc64-smp not usable on cell
base-installer: info: kernel linux-powerpc not usable on cell
base-installer: info: kernel linux-image-powerpc64-smp not usable on cell
base-installer: info: kernel linux-image-powerpc not usable on cell
base-installer: info: kernel linux-image-2.6.24-16-powerpc64-smp not usable on cell
base-installer: info: kernel linux-image-2.6.24.16-powerpc not usable on cell

Do we need separate kernel packages for cell ? It might not be a bad idea considering
the CONFIG_VIRTUAL_MEMMAP problem that I reported in a separate report.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

This is just a bug - it's supposed to be powerpc64-smp again. However, please let me know if it's going to change back to a separate flavour in case I need to undo this ...

[Benjamin Herrenschmidt (benh-kernel)]

Except for ...

https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/221646

I'm working on an upstream fix for the problem but it's not quite ready yet and I can't tell at this stage whether it will be realistic to backport.

[Dan Munckton (munckfish)]

Assigning same status as base installer..

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package base-installer - 1.86ubuntu3

---------------
base-installer (1.86ubuntu3) intrepid; urgency=low

  * Use powerpc64-smp kernel on PS3/Cell (LP: #221647).
  * Don't include restricted in the base sources.list if
    apt-setup/restricted is preseeded to false (LP: #220805).

 -- Colin Watson <email address hidden> Tue, 20 May 2008 22:37:07 +0200

[Benjamin Herrenschmidt (benh-kernel)]

Thanks Colin. I'll try a new ISO snapshot when I'm back to Australia next week hopefully

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

So Dan/Benjamin, do either of you know what the status of the PS3 kernel for Ubuntu 8.04.1 is? Should I be backporting this change (i.e. sticking with the powerpc64-smp kernel for 8.04.1) or not?

[Benjamin Herrenschmidt (benh-kernel)]

No idea yet, haven't had a chance to test since I came back. Maybe later this week. If the vmemmap fix is in,
along with the other bugs I reported, it should work tho... well, hopefully :-)

[Dan Munckton (munckfish)]

I think Ben Collins has plans for a separate "ports" kernel.

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/git?p=ubuntu/ubuntu-intrepid-ports.git;a=summary
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-ports

I'm currently questioning him about how this will work. Please see the
following thread:

https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/kernel-team/2008-June/002492.html

I'd imagine this will make it easier for us to get our patches included.
I hope so as the kernel is what's stopping us really getting going right
now.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

The ports kernel isn't going to happen for 8.04.1.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Besides, ports will include the other powerpc flavours as well as ps3, so has little bearing on this bug. In any case, it's intrepid and beyond only.

[Dan Munckton (munckfish)]

Ok, lets gamble that we get a working Hardy kernel for either 8.04.[12],
that would at least be an upgrade stop-over for folks moving from Gutsy
to Intrepid. In that case please do backport this fix.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

Has there been any progress on this bug? I haven't noticed any mention of a PS3 kernel in the changelogs of the kernel SRUs, and base-installer in hardy-proposed hasn't been changed for this. Does that mean that the ps3 port is uninstallable in 8.04 and 8.04.1 because of wrong package selection?

If so, should we re-target to .2, or is it important enough to land this for .1 that we should push through an 11th-hour SRU?

[Dan Munckton (munckfish)]

On Tue, 2008-06-24 at 20:53 +0000, Steve Langasek wrote:
> Has there been any progress on this bug? I haven't noticed any
> mention
> of a PS3 kernel in the changelogs of the kernel SRUs, and
> base-installer
> in hardy-proposed hasn't been changed for this. Does that mean that
> the
> ps3 port is uninstallable in 8.04 and 8.04.1 because of wrong package
> selection?

I'm afraid I haven't tested installation for ages. The kernel in Hardy
and Intrepid is broken and my focus has been to fix that first. I am
getting there [0] but progress has been slow until now.

>
> If so, should we re-target to .2, or is it important enough to land
> this
> for .1 that we should push through an 11th-hour SRU?

Realistically I'm not going to get the kernel sorted ready for 8.04.1,
so unless someone has a burning desire to put a bomb under all the
problems I'm happy to re-target 8.04.2. The best plan at the moment
would appear to be getting Hardy good enough on PS3 that it functions as
a stop-over for folks upgrading from Gutsy to Intrepid.

[0] https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-cell/2008-June/000132.html

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

targeted to 8.04.2.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

... and postponing to 8.04.3 ... Dan, can you give us an update on what's going on here (if anything)?

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Removing milestone until/unless something happens from the kernel side.

[Jackson Doak (noskcaj)]

PS3 don't support linux any more, and we don't support hardy. won't fix