The firmware or bootloader.  For some examples of this look at redboot
from RedHat or yamon (yet another monitor) from MIPS (I think).  

Keep in mind these will prob require a seperate cross-compiler.  I have
yet to test compiling a boot monitor with linux gcc cross compiler.  You
can get one from either MIPS or Algorythmics (www.algor.co.uk).  I have
used both of these to build both of the above monitors.  

Any other questions, email me..

/*************************
Marc Karasek
Sr. Firmware Engineer
iVivity Inc.
marc_karasek@ivivity.com
(770) 986-8925
(770) 986-8926 Fax
*************************/  

On 04 Aug 2001 10:16:27 +0800, machael thailer wrote:

Hello,all:

    Now I plan to port linux on our mips-based board. Since it is the first
time for me to work on linux-mips, I have several questions to ask:

    There are many many subdirectories in arch/mips, I don't know where is
the FIRST entry point for embedded linux-mips boot process? I find that
there is "kernel_entry" in arch/mips/kernel/head.S. I know this is the entry
point for linux kernel ,but it is not the FIRST entry point for embedded
linux-mips boot process. So my questions is :
    After the board initializations finish, it should load linux kernel into
RAM and jump there .  Just before it runs the linux kernel, who calls
"kernel_entry"?
    I don't know whether I have expressed my meaning apparently. Hope you
can understand me.

Thank you very much.

machael thailer

-- 
/*************************
Marc Karasek
Sr. Firmware Engineer
iVivity Inc.
marc_karasek@ivivity.com
(770) 986-8925
(770) 986-8926 Fax
*************************/