www.zeroshell.org

[KLGIT]

I've got Zeroshell installed on a CF card which I'm using to boot an iBASE FWA7304-1G. Since this is basically a mini-ITX PC, I'm sure this same issue affects regular PC's with Compact Flash adapters as well.

With the way Zeroshell is setup, what does it do in the boot (or preboot) process. I'd like to get an idea of what it does so I can figure out where the hang happens and work around it. I'm certain it can be fixed by configuring my BIOS boot order and drive settings. I just need a better idea of what zeroshell does during the boot process so I can figure it out.

I know that Zeroshell creates a partition that emulates a CDROM for the preboot. It then uses that to bootstrap the kernel which then tries to find a boot partition to init into. This is where the biggest hangup happens.
Not sure why it takes the kernel so long to find and boot from the boot partition.

Any thoughts?

[aseques]

Doing a fast search it seems that there's no problem to have it in Linux (as far as you've the right versions).

Kernel newer than 2.6.19 (like zeroshell) should have support build in:
http://www.logix.cz/michal/devel/padlock/

Portable openssh has support too:
https://bugzilla.mindrot.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1437

Openssl 0.9.8e should have it included too (lenny's version is 0.9.8g)

So have a look to the versions on zeroshell, and please post the results

[schoopy]

You will probably get some info reading /initrd/linuxrc which is what linux executes right after the kernel.
My feeling is that it is takîng time in the last paragraph loading USB SATA stuff. It does so also in vmware but not exceeding 5 to 10 secs.


Regards,

Schoopy

[ppalias]

I tried ZS on a Compact Flash as well. The feeling of the boot time compared to an old 4,3GB ATA disk is that it was extremely slower. Don't know if it was the IDE-to-CF adapter to blame.