U-Boot alignment exception when calling Linux kernel

Winther · *nix forums beginner Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 2

Hi, I'm trying to get a 2.4.18 kernel started from U-boot 1.1.4 on a
Freescale PPC MPC8245 processor.

The U-boot code is configured for our costume board and is running
fine. We use top boot and U-boot is in flash, which is at 0xFE000000.
IMMR is at 0xF0000000. The kernel is loaded via tftp into SDRAM at
0x00500000. All of this is working fine.

When the kernel is called from common/cmd_bootm.c I get an 'Alignment
exception', and the board resets.

Why does this cause an 'Alignment exception'?

Any help is appreciated.

Best regards
Mogens Winther

------------------------------
=> bootm
## Booting image at 00500000 ...
Image Name: VoXip2 2.4.18
Image Type: PowerPC Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
Data Size: 597562 Bytes = 583.6 kB
Load Address: 00500000
Entry Point: 00500000
Verifying Checksum ... OK
Uncompressing Kernel Image ... OK
## Current stack ends at 0x01BACCD8 => set upper limit to 0x00800000
No initrd
## Transferring control to Linux (at address 00500000) ...
MW KERNEL: 00500000 - kdb: 007ffea0 - inits: 00000000 - inite: 00000000
- cmds: 007fff00 - cmde: 007fff05
NIP: 0050A1E0 XER: 20000000 LR: 00500010 REGS: 01bacbe8 TRAP: 0600 DAR:
0080246E
MSR: 00003002 EE: 0 PR: 0 FP: 1 ME: 1 IR/DR: 00

GPR00: 01FD8184 01BACCD8 F7FFCFFF 007FFEA0 00000000 00000000 007FFF00
007FFF05
GPR08: 00000001 F0000091 00000000 F0000088 00000030 FFFFBCBB 01FFE000
007FFF05
GPR16: 00000001 FFFFFFFF 00500000 01FF8C84 00000000 007FFF00 00000001
01BCD2C0
GPR24: 00800000 00000000 00000000 007FFEA0 00000000 01BACF64 01FFE634
00000000
Call backtrace:
01FD8184 01FD7CD8 01FE1980 01FE1CA0 01FE1F28 01FE2F98 01FE317C
01FD69A8 01FD1E54 01FD048C
Alignment Exception

Winther · *nix forums beginner Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 2

Problem solved - The 'Load address' and 'Entry point' for the kernel
wasn't set to 0 when the kernel image was created with mkimage.

Winther skrev:

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