Symptom

use fcp to dump PNOR image, the content of VERSION partition are all 0xFF.
ex:
cd ~/op-build/output/images/
~/op-build/output/host/usr/bin/fcp -R -o 0 palmetto.pnor:VERSION VERSION.txt
cat VERSION.txt

Reproduce steps:

Run op-build in an machine with few memory, in my case it's 2G memory. I increased my VM memory from 2G to 4G and that fixed this issue.

Build log

########################/home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/hostboot_build_images//buildpnor.pl --pnorOutBin /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/pnor/palmetto.pnor --pnorLayout /home/alvin/op-build/output/build/openpower-pnor-ed1682e10526ebd85825427fbf397361bb0e34aa/defaultPnorLayoutSingleSide.xml --binFile_HBD /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//PALMETTO_HB.targeting.bin.ecc --binFile_SBE /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//venice_sbe.img.ecc --binFile_SBEC /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//centaur_sbec_pad.img.ecc --binFile_WINK /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//p8.ref_image.hdr.bin.ecc --binFile_HBB /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//hostboot.header.bin.ecc --binFile_HBI /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//hostboot_extended.header.bin.ecc --binFile_HBRT /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//hostboot_runtime.header.bin.ecc --binFile_HBEL /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//hbel.bin.ecc --binFile_GUARD /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//guard.bin.ecc --binFile_PAYLOAD /home/alvin/op-build/output/images/skiboot.lid --binFile_BOOTKERNEL /home/alvin/op-build/output/images/zImage.epapr --binFile_NVRAM /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//nvram.bin.ecc --binFile_MVPD /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//mvpd_fill.bin.ecc --binFile_DJVPD /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//djvpd_fill.bin.ecc --binFile_CVPD /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//cvpd.bin.ecc --binFile_ATTR_TMP /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//attr_tmp.bin.ecc --binFile_ATTR_PERM /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//attr_perm.bin.ecc --binFile_OCC /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/occ/occ.bin.ecc --binFile_FIRDATA /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//firdata.bin.ecc --binFile_CAPP /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_pnor_scratch//cappucode.bin.ecc --binFile_VERSION /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/openpower_version/openpower-pnor.version.txt --fpartCmd "fpart" --fcpCmd "fcp"

TRACE: main::loadPnorLayout: metadata: imageSize = 33554432, blockSize=4096, arrangement = A-D-B, numOfSides: 1, sideSize: 33554432, tocSize: 32768
TRACE: A-D-B: side:A HBB:32927744, primaryTOC:0, backupTOC:33521664, golden: no
TRACE: Done checkSpaceConstraints
TRACE: createPnorPartition:: 0
TRACE: createPnorImg:: 0
TRACE: createPnorPartition:: 33521664
TRACE: createPnorImg:: 33521664
TRACE: fpart --target /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/pnor/palmetto.pnor --partition-offset 0 --add --offset 33521664 --size 32768 --name BACKUP_PART --flags 0x0
TRACE: fpart --target /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/pnor/palmetto.pnor --partition-offset 33521664 --add --offset 0 --size 32768 --name BACKUP_PART --flags 0x0
TRACE: fillPnorImage:: 0
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)ls
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
/usr/bin/install /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/pnor/"palmetto.pnor" /home/alvin/op-build/output/images

if this config has an UPDATE_FILENAME defined, create a 32M (1/2 size)

image that only updates the non-golden side

if [ """" != "" ]; then dd if=/home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/pnor/"palmetto.pnor" of=/home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/pnor/"" bs=32M count=1; /usr/bin/install /home/alvin/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/pnor/"" /home/alvin/op-build/output/images; fi
make: Leaving directory `/home/alvin/op-build/buildroot'

Hi,

I have downloaded the ffs git tree and tried to compile the fcp source files on a ppc64 LE Ubuntu OS.

root@ltc-garri2:# uname -a
Linux ltc-garri2 4.4.0-30-generic #49-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jul 1 10:00:36 UTC 2016 ppc64le ppc64le ppc64le GNU/Linux
root@ltc-garri2:# cat /etc/os-release
NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION="16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus)"
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 16.04 LTS"
VERSION_ID="16.04"
HOME_URL="http://www.ubuntu.com/"
SUPPORT_URL="http://help.ubuntu.com/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/"
UBUNTU_CODENAME=xenial
root@ltc-garri2:~#

root@ltc-garri2:~# git clone https://github.com/open-power/ffs.git
Cloning into 'ffs'...
remote: Counting objects: 465, done.
remote: Total 465 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0), pack-reused 465
Receiving objects: 100% (465/465), 385.59 KiB | 325.00 KiB/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (280/280), done.
Checking connectivity... done.

root@ltc-garri2:/ffs# ls
clib ecc fcp ffs fpart LICENSE Makefile NOTICE
root@ltc-garri2:/ffs# cd fcp/
root@ltc-garri2:~/ffs/fcp# ls
fcp.sh Makefile ppc Rules.mk src x86

root@ltc-garri2:~/ffs/fcp# cat Makefile

IBM_PROLOG_BEGIN_TAG

This is an automatically generated prolog.

$Source: fcp/Makefile $

OpenPOWER FFS Project

Contributors Listed Below - COPYRIGHT 2014,2015

[+] International Business Machines Corp.

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");

you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.

You may obtain a copy of the License at

http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software

distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,

WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or

implied. See the License for the specific language governing

permissions and limitations under the License.

IBM_PROLOG_END_TAG

SUBDIRS=x86

.PHONY: subdirs $(SUBDIRS)

subdirs: $(SUBDIRS)

$(SUBDIRS)::
$(MAKE) -C $@ $(MAKECMDGOALS)

all clean install: $(SUBDIRS)

As can be seen in the Makefile, the SUBDIRS is showing as only supporting x86 and not ppc.
So, how can we compile the source files on a PPC64 LE HOST OS and build the fcp binaries.

When running the fpart test suite under valgrind, you can see that it writes unitialized data to disk (pnor) in the very first test:

./fpart/fpart --target /tmp/create.nor --size 64MiB --block 64kb --partition-offset 0x7f0000 --create

This is because libffs.c doesn't properly initialize the reserved area.

Thus, it could contain any old crap sitting around in memory - essentially making the reserved fields useless.

Somebody will need to audit EVERY libffs created thing in the wild
before ever using that reserved space.

On a amd64 machine with 1GB of RAM, I get the following when running op-build:

TRACE: fpart --target /home/joel/op-build/output/host/usr/powerpc64le-buildroot-linux-gnu/sysroot/pnor/palmetto.pnor --partition-offset 33521664 --user 1 --name BACKUP_PART --value 2097152 --force
TRACE: fillPnorImage:: 0
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)
fcp: errno : libffs.c(709) : (code=12) __ffs_buffer => Cannot allocate memory (errno=12)