Newer kernels with KMS hangs at boot looking 4 firmware, howto fix?

[xiando]

Using newer kernels (2.3.33-rcX) and KMS built into the kernel the kernel will boot and show a message about trying to load the R600_rlc.bin firmware file:

[drm] Loading RS780 Microcode
platform radeon_cp.0: firmware: requesting radeon/RS780_pfp.bin
platform radeon_cp.0: firmware: requesting radeon/RS780_me.bin
platform radeon_cp.0: firmware: requesting radeon/R600_rlc.bin

Then it just hangs itself and sits there doing who knows what.

It appears the file is requested even before /sys is mounted. I found an option to build firmware files into the kernel -- but even then it just hung itself trying to load the firmware file.

I get the KMS technology working by compiling drm and radeon by modules and loading them by adding radeon and fbcon to /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6 and echo "options radeon modeset=1" > /etc/modprobe.d/radeon-kms.conf

Is there any way I can put R600_rlc.bin into the kernel??? I did try

CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL=y
CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE="R600_rlc.bin RS780_pfp.bin RS780_me.bin"

and the files were fetched from the kernels /firmware folder (where I placed them) and compiled into the kernel -- yet loading FAiLED.

WHY can't the firmware file be stuffed into the kernel (by default would be great), and WHY oh WHY can't I find any source code for this file anywhere when the files header claims that "This is free software; see the source for copying conditions."???

[Veerappan]

I haven't bothered trying to build it into the kernel yet, but I did have a similar problem to yours (I would get screen blanking when it tried to load R700_rlc.bin during boot and then it'd hang).

I obtained a copy of R700_rlc.bin and copied it to /lib/firmware/radeon/R700_rlc.bin, and now everything's working for me. I'm not sure if you've tried this or not, but it might be worth a shot (using R600_rlc.bin for you instead of R700_rlc.bin).

[xiando]

I haven't bothered trying to build it into the kernel yet, but I did have a similar problem to yours (I would get screen blanking when it tried to load R700_rlc.bin during boot and then it'd hang).

I obtained a copy of R700_rlc.bin and copied it to /lib/firmware/radeon/R700_rlc.bin, and now everything's working for me. I'm not sure if you've tried this or not, but it might be worth a shot (using R600_rlc.bin for you instead of R700_rlc.bin).

I also had this problem when building as modules, and like you, I fixed it by placing the files in /lib/firmware/radeon

Firmware files can be copied from the kernels firmware/radeon folder, two files are missing, those are available from
http://people.freedesktop.org/~agd5f/radeon_ucode/ (only the .bin files, no source there)

However, when you do build it into the kernel then there is no /lib or /sys for that matter since the file is requested _before_ init -- this, nothing is mounted.

[tettamanti]

Is there any way I can put R600_rlc.bin into the kernel??? I did try

CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL=y
CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE="R600_rlc.bin RS780_pfp.bin RS780_me.bin"

and the files were fetched from the kernels /firmware folder (where I placed them) and compiled into the kernel -- yet loading FAiLED.

The driver searches for radeon/${name}, did you put the rlc firmware in the correct subdir?

WHY oh WHY can't I find any source code for this file anywhere when the files header claims that "This is free software; see the source for copying conditions."???

The firmware itself is not open; for the rlc file see
http://people.freedesktop.org/~agd5f...LICENSE.radeon

[pakphor]

I also had this problem when building as modules, and like you, I fixed it by placing the files in /lib/firmware/radeon

Firmware files can be copied from the kernels firmware/radeon folder, two files are missing, those are available from
http://people.freedesktop.org/~agd5f/radeon_ucode/ (only the .bin files, no source there)

However, when you do build it into the kernel then there is no /lib or /sys for that matter since the file is requested _before_ init -- this, nothing is mounted.

You have to put the firmware files into the firmware directory in the kernel source tree or set CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE_DIR.

 CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE_DIR:                                             
This option controls the directory in which the kernel build system
looks for the firmware files listed in the EXTRA_FIRMWARE option.
The default is the firmware/ directory in the kernel source tree,
but by changing this option you can point it elsewhere, such as the
/lib/firmware/ directory or another separate directory containing
firmware files.

HTH,
Sirko

[Viper_Scull]

I bump the post cause i have the same problem. I'm building a kernel without initrd.

I set CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE_DIR="/lib/firmware/radeon"
CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE="RS780_me.bin RS780_pfp.bin"
CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL=y
CONFIG_PREVENT_FIRMWARE_BUILD disabled.

CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL was set as y as well. It says something about "make firmware_install" but i guess it's enough with building the .bin files into the kernel.

Now, after installed, when i try to boot from it, it hangs after print
[drm] Loading RS780 Microcode

[Viper_Scull]

Damn 1 minute edit time limit.

I'm using Arch x64 and this is the PKGBUILD I'm using:

pkgname=kernel26-custom
basekernel=2.6.37
pkgver=2.6.37
pkgrel=7
pkgdesc="My custom kernel"
arch=('i686' 'x86_64')
license=('GPL')
url="http://www.kernel.org"
depends=('module-init-tools' 'mkinitcpio')
provides=(kernel26)
install=kernel26.install

build() {
  LOCAL_VERSION="$(grep "CONFIG_LOCALVERSION=" $startdir/.config | sed 's/.*"\(.*\)"/\1/')"

  cd ..
  make || return 1
  mkdir -p $startdir/pkg/{lib/modules,boot}
  make INSTALL_MOD_PATH=$startdir/pkg modules_install || return 1

  # There's no separation of firmware depending on kernel version - 
  # comment this line if you intend on using the built kernel exclusively,
  # otherwise there'll be file conflicts with the existing kernel
  rm -rf $startdir/pkg/lib/firmware

  install -Dm644 "System.map" "$startdir/pkg/boot/System.map26$LOCAL_VERSION"
  install -Dm644 "arch/x86/boot/bzImage" "$startdir/pkg/boot/vmlinuz26$LOCAL_VERSION"

  # Change the version strings in kernel26.install
  sed -i \
        -e "s/KERNEL_VERSION=.*/KERNEL_VERSION=\"$basekernel\"/" \
        -e "s/LOCAL_VERSION=.*/LOCAL_VERSION=\"$LOCAL_VERSION\"/" \
        $startdir/kernel26.install
}

[bridgman]

CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE="RS780_me.bin RS780_pfp.bin"

You need three microcode files, not two. There should be a _rlc file as well.

[Viper_Scull]

Thanks for the tip.

I added R700_rlc.bin and R600_rlc.bin (just in case), but still happening the same.

Actually it never said

platform radeon_cp.0: firmware: requesting radeon/RS780_pfp.bin
platform radeon_cp.0: firmware: requesting radeon/RS780_me.bin
platform radeon_cp.0: firmware: requesting radeon/R600_rlc.bin

just hangs after printing
[drm] Loading RS780 Microcode

[agd5f]

See "Troubleshooting Extra Firmware" section on:
http://wiki.x.org/wiki/radeonBuildHowTo