[PATCH] kdump: Save parameter segment in protected mode (x86)
o With introduction of kexec as boot-loader, the assumption that parameter
segment will always be loaded at lower address than kernel and will be
addressable by early bootup page tables is no longer valid. In kexec on
panic case parameter segment might well be loaded beyond kernel image and
might not be addressable by early boot page tables.
o This case might hit in the scenario where user has reserved a chunk of
memory for second kernel, for example 16MB to 64MB, and has also built
second kernel for physical memory location 16MB. In this case kexec has no
choice but to load the parameter segment at a higher address than new kernel
image at safe location where new kernel does not stomp it.
o Though problem should automatically go away once relocatable kernel for i386
is in place and kexec can determine the location of new kernel at run time
and load parameter segment at lower address than kernel image. But till then
this patch can go in (assuming it does not break something else).
o This patch moves up the boot parameter saving code. Now boot parameters
are copied out in protected mode before page tables are initialized. This
will ensure that parameter segment is always addressable irrespective of
its physical location.
projects / linux-2.6 / commit