Re: Embedded NetBSD?

[David Brownlee <abs%netbsd.org@localhost>]

        (setting reply-to to tech-embed)

On Mon, 1 May 2000, John D. DeHart wrote:

> We are currently trying to debug an embedded system of our own design
> with a Pentium processor on which we are running a NetBSD kernel with
> the file system in a memory disk.
> 
> Under moderate ping traffic our system is crashing with kernel page
> faults which I believe are caused by memory corruption. I think this,
> because, if I turn on POOL_DIAGNOSTIC, that diagnostic code often
> catches inconsistencies in the mbuf memory pools before it gets to the
> point of a kernel page fault.
> 
> At this point we cannot say whether the problem is hardware or
> software. We are attacking it from many different angles.
> 
> I'm wondering if there is anyone else who is working with an embedded
> NetBSD system that might have some suggestions on anything special
> that has to be configured for vm and paging to work right in such a
> system.

        I've not worked in an embedded environment, but on the offchance
        I might be able to come up with a helpful suggestion...

        Are you using an existing network driver, or have you written
        your own? Is is possible you're missing an splnet() call?
        You could start bracketing sections of code in splhigh() to ensure
        you're not taking an interrupts at an unhelpful time.

        What other hardware is hooked up to the machine at this point -
        serial console? 

                David/absolute
                                   -- www.netbsd.org: Value design over hype --