Re: Loading splash ok -> <reset>, how to debug?

From: Bjoern A. Zeeb <bzeeb-lists_at_lists.zabbadoz.net>
Date: Sun, 08 Jun 2025 17:46:29 UTC
On Sun, 8 Jun 2025, Warner Losh wrote:

> On Sun, Jun 8, 2025, 10:08 AM Tomek CEDRO <tomek@cedro.info> wrote:
>
>> On Sun, Jun 8, 2025 at 5:10 PM Bjoern A. Zeeb
>> <bzeeb-lists@lists.zabbadoz.net> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>> is there any good way to debug early kernel kabooms (or maybe efi loader
>>> handover) without JTAG in place?
>>> I have a SoC using U-Boot and often after a cold start it goes like
>>> this:
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> Hit [Enter] to boot immediately, or any other key for command prompt.
>>> Booting [/boot/kernel/kernel]...
>>> Using DTB provided by EFI at 0x3e6c3000.
>>> Loading splash ok
>>> <reset>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> Once it's been looping for a few iterations eventually it starts
>>> booting.
>>> Given there is zero output of the error, is there aything one could try
>>> to do to debug this (remotely)?
>>> I can netboot it and change laoder/kernel.
>>
>> DDB?
>> https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/developers-handbook/kerneldebug/#kerneldebug-online-ddb
>>
>> KGDB?
>> https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/developers-handbook/kerneldebug/#kerneldebug-online-gdb
>>
>> over the Serial Port? :-)
>>
>
> I think he's not even getting to the handoff. Best to toss out all

hmm..

> graphical things that are configured and see if that gets us to the handoff
> point... get rid of the splash screen first of all..

How?  I do not have boot_mute="YES" set.

I tried setting console to just efi manually; that didn't help. Also on
first attempt I got an error, typing it again worked (but I didn't
re-validate).

I have the following in loader.conf and I tried various combinations without
success to see ... I also tried to fdt ls to make sure fdt is all right
and there...

----------------------------------------
boot_verbose="-v"
debug.kdb.alt_break_to_debugger=1
beastie_disable="YES"
----------------------------------------

Do we have a way to validate in loader if a kernel loaded into memory is
correct?  I was wondering if the kernel was corrupted...

-- 
Bjoern A. Zeeb                                                     r15:7