Release Notes for the NetARM Version 
 ======================================


This is a port of uClinux to the NetSilicon's NET+ARM processor. It
has been tested on a NET+40 development kit and on our own board
named "emlin".

It is not yet finished (by far) and should be seen as something like
an alpha version.

The kernel can boot from a built-in ramdisk image (download separately,
or ask me). This image file named "ramdisk.inc" is included by
arch/armnommu/kernel/head-arm-netarm.S. You can place a symbolic link
to your actual image file there.

Serial and ethernet drivers are working so far. Ethernet is much more
stable when the kernel is compiled with the arm-elf toolchain (instead
of arm-uclinux).
MTD flash erase and write functions work.
/proc file system is available.
Various ethernet functions work (ifconfig, route, nfs).

Most other features are not yet tested.


Differences to the CVS repository of uClinux 2.4.17, as of Apr 02, 2002:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
new files:

Documentation/README.NetARM (this file)
include/asm-armnommu/arch-netarm/*
arch/armnommu/mach-netarm/*
arch/armnommu/def-configs/netarm
arch/armnommu/kernel/head-arm-netarm.S	(startup code)
arch/armnommu/kernel/ramdisk.inc	(symbolic link to a ramdisk image)
drivers/char/serial_netarm.c	(driver for the NetARM's built-in serial interfaces)
drivers/net/netarmeth.c		(driver for the NetARM's built-in ethernet controller)
drivers/net/netarmeth.h

modified files:

Documentation/Configure.help 	(a few new entries)
Makefile 			(architecture armnommu, cross-compiler arm-elf-)
arch/armnommu/Makefile 		(new case #if CONFIG_ARCH_NETARM...)
arch/armnommu/config.in 	(new system type)
arch/armnommu/kernel/Makefile 
arch/armnommu/kernel/arch.c 	(NetARM fixup)
arch/armnommu/kernel/entry-armv.S (NetARM macros)
arch/armnommu/kernel/setup.c 
arch/armnommu/mm/fault-common.c 
arch/armnommu/mm/init.c 	(special treatment for NetARM in free_initmem)
arch/armnommu/mm/proc-arm6,7.S 
arch/armnommu/tools/mach-types 	(replace with recent list from Russel King)
arch/armnommu/vmlinux-armv.lds.in 
drivers/block/Config.in 
drivers/block/rd.c 
drivers/char/Config.in 
drivers/char/Makefile 		(added serial_netarm.o)
drivers/char/tty_io.c 		(added #ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_NETARM_CONSOLE...)
drivers/ieee1394/Config.in 	(preparations for a new 1394 driver, not essential)
drivers/ieee1394/Makefile 	(dto.)
drivers/mtd/mtdblock.c 		(some more debug output, not essential)
drivers/mtd/mtdblock_ro.c 	(dto.)
drivers/mtd/mtdchar.c 		(dto.)
drivers/net/Config.in 
drivers/net/Makefile 
fs/binfmt_flat.c 
include/asm-armnommu/io.h 
include/asm-armnommu/mach/dma.h 
include/asm-armnommu/uaccess.h 
include/linux/compiler.h 
mmnommu/bootmem.c 	(invalid address warning in function reserve_bootmem_core)
------------------------------------------------------------------------


To do:
------
Rework memory management parameters, so that all RAM is controlled by the
memory manager (and the ramdisk data can be freed after unpacking).
Currently the lowest 2 MB are "off limits" for the memory manager.

Implement a "real" boot loader, separate boot loader, kernel, ramdisk image.



Rolf Peukert
IMMS gGmbH
rolf.peukert@imms.de