Kernel freezes during boot Xikestor SKS8300-12E2T2X / SKS8300-8X

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Greetings

I'd like to install OpenWRT on an SKS8300-12E2T2X / SKS8300-T.
I followed the instructions, but it always stops at the following point when booting the kernel on both switches:

Booting kernel from Legacy Image at 82000000 ...

Image Name: MIPS OpenWrt Linux-6.12.71
Created: 2026-03-03 0:14:15 UTC
Image Type: MIPS Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
Data Size: 7215437 Bytes = 6.9 MB
Load Address: 80100000
Entry Point: 80100000
Verifying Checksum ... OK
Uncompressing Kernel Image ... OK

Starting kernel ...

[ 0.000000] Linux version 6.12.71 (builder@buildhost) (mips-openwrt-linux-musl-gcc (OpenWrt GCC 14.3.0 r32713-f919e7899d) 14.3.0, GNU ld (GN U Binutils) 2.44) #0 SMP Tue Mar 3 00:14:15 2026
[ 0.000000] SoC Type: Realtek RTL9302C rev B (6487)
[ 0.000000] printk: legacy bootconsole [early0] enabled
[ 0.000000] CPU0 revision is: 00019555 (MIPS 34Kc)
[ 0.000000] MIPS: machine is XikeStor SKS8300-8X
[ 0.000000] earlycon: ns16550a0 at MMIO 0x18002000 (options '9600n8')
[ 0.000000] printk: legacy bootconsole [ns16550a0] enabled
[ 0.000000] Initrd not found or empty - disabling initrd
[ 0.000000] Using appended Device Tree.
[ 0.000000] OF: reserved mem: Reserved memory: No reserved-memory node in the DT
[ 0.000000] Detected 1 available secondary CPU(s)
[ 0.000000] Primary instruction cache 32kB, VIPT, 4-way, linesize 32 bytes.
[ 0.000000] Primary data cache 32kB, 4-way, PIPT, no aliases, linesize 32 bytes
[ 0.000000] Zone ranges:
[ 0.000000] Normal [mem 0x0000000000000000-0x000000001fffffff]
[ 0.000000] HighMem [mem 0x0000000020000000-0x000000002fffffff]
[ 0.000000] Movable zone start for each node
[ 0.000000] Early memory node ranges
[ 0.000000] node 0: [mem 0x0000000000000000-0x000000000fffffff]
[ 0.000000] node 0: [mem 0x0000000020000000-0x000000002fffffff]
[ 0.000000] Initmem setup node 0 [mem 0x0000000000000000-0x000000002fffffff]
[ 0.000000] On node 0, zone HighMem: 65536 pages in unavailable ranges
[ 0.000000] percpu: Embedded 12 pages/cpu s18256 r8192 d22704 u49152
[ 0.000000] pcpu-alloc: s18256 r8192 d22704 u49152 alloc=12*4096
[ 0.000000] pcpu-alloc: [0] 0 [0] 1
[ 0.000000] Kernel command line: earlycon
[ 0.000000] Dentry cache hash table entries: 32768 (order: 5, 131072 bytes, linear)
[ 0.000000] Inode-cache hash table entries: 16384 (order: 4, 65536 bytes, linear)
[ 0.000000] Writing ErrCtl register=00031a6e
[ 0.000000] Readback ErrCtl register=00031a6e
[ 0.000000] Built 1 zonelists, mobility grouping on. Total pages: 131072
[ 0.000000] mem auto-init: stack:off, heap alloc:off, heap free:off
[ 0.000000] SLUB: HWalign=32, Order=0-3, MinObjects=0, CPUs=2, Nodes=1
[ 0.000000] rcu: Hierarchical RCU implementation.
[ 0.000000] Tracing variant of Tasks RCU enabled.
[ 0.000000] rcu: RCU calculated value of scheduler-enlistment delay is 10 jiffies.
[ 0.000000] RCU Tasks Trace: Setting shift to 1 and lim to 1 rcu_task_cb_adjust=1 rcu_task_cpu_ids=2.
[ 0.000000] NR_IRQS: 256
[ 0.000000] rcu: srcu_init: Setting srcu_struct sizes based on contention.
[ 0.000000] Failed to get CPU clock: -2
[ 0.000000] CPU frequency from device tree: 800MHz
[ 0.000000] clocksource: realtek_otto_timer: mask: 0xfffffff max_cycles: 0xfffffff, max_idle_ns: 38225208801 ns
[ 0.000003] sched_clock: 28 bits at 3125kHz, resolution 320ns, wraps every 42949672800ns
[ 0.009082] Calibrating delay loop... 531.66 BogoMIPS (lpj=2658304)
[ 0.065735] pid_max: default: 32768 minimum: 301
[ 0.082080] Mount-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes, linear)
[ 0.090142] Mountpoint-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes, linear)
[ 0.112962] rcu: Hierarchical SRCU implementation.
[ 0.118221] rcu: Max phase no-delay instances is 1000.
[ 0.126153] smp: Bringing up secondary CPUs ...
[ 0.133278] Primary instruction cache 32kB, VIPT, 4-way, linesize 32 bytes.
[ 0.133340] Primary data cache 32kB, 4-way, PIPT, no aliases, linesize 32 bytes
[ 0.133441] CPU1 revision is: 00019555 (MIPS 34Kc)
[ 0.208929] Counter synchronization [CPU#0 -> CPU#1]: passed
[ 0.236297] smp: Brought up 1 node, 2 CPUs
[ 0.242452] Memory: 493288K/524288K available (7776K kernel code, 726K rwdata, 972K rodata, 12856K init, 254K bss, 29880K reserved, 0K cma-r eserved, 262144K highmem)
[ 0.266356] clocksource: jiffies: mask: 0xffffffff max_cycles: 0xffffffff, max_idle_ns: 19112604462750000 ns
[ 0.277210] futex hash table entries: 512 (order: 2, 16384 bytes, linear)
[ 0.291519] pinctrl core: initialized pinctrl subsystem
[ 0.300615] NET: Registered PF_NETLINK/PF_ROUTE protocol family
[ 0.307826] thermal_sys: Registered thermal governor 'step_wise'
[ 0.335972] clocksource: Switched to clocksource realtek_otto_timer
[ 0.361480] NET: Registered PF_INET protocol family
[ 0.367264] IP idents hash table entries: 4096 (order: 3, 32768 bytes, linear)
[ 0.377605] tcp_listen_portaddr_hash hash table entries: 512 (order: 0, 4096 bytes, linear)
[ 0.386877] Table-perturb hash table entries: 65536 (order: 6, 262144 bytes, linear)
[ 0.395366] TCP established hash table entries: 2048 (order: 1, 8192 bytes, linear)
[ 0.403849] TCP bind hash table entries: 2048 (order: 3, 32768 bytes, linear)
[ 0.411876] TCP: Hash tables configured (established 2048 bind 2048)
[ 0.419779] MPTCP token hash table entries: 256 (order: 0, 4096 bytes, linear)
[ 0.428226] UDP hash table entries: 256 (order: 1, 8192 bytes, linear)
[ 0.435420] UDP-Lite hash table entries: 256 (order: 1, 8192 bytes, linear)
[ 0.444435] NET: Registered PF_UNIX/PF_LOCAL protocol family
[ 0.454024] workingset: timestamp_bits=14 max_order=17 bucket_order=3
[ 0.463698] squashfs: version 4.0 (2009/01/31) Phillip Lougher
[ 0.470302] jffs2: version 2.2 (NAND) (SUMMARY) (ZLIB) (LZMA) (RTIME) (CMODE_PRIORITY) (c) 2001-2006 Red Hat, Inc.
[ 0.494762] Block layer SCSI generic (bsg) driver version 0.4 loaded (major 252)
[ 0.508670] pinctrl-single 1b000200.pinmux: 32 pins, size 4
[ 0.515851] pinctrl-single 1b00c600.pinmux: 32 pins, size 4
[ 0.523690] pinctrl-single 1b00cc00.pinmux: 32 pins, size 4
[ 0.535634] Serial: 8250/16550 driver, 16 ports, IRQ sharing enabled
[ 0.559130] printk: legacy console [ttyS0] disabled
[ 0.566336] 18002000.uart: ttyS0 at MMIO 0x18002000 (irq = 30, base_baud = 10937500) is a 16550A

I used the latest snapshot.

Does anyone have any idea what's causing this?

Regards

2

don't bother with OpenWRT on the SKS8300-8T atm, the network doesn't come up if the unit is auto booted.
if you boot it by hand, via serial, it works.

I did however not run into the serial issue you're seeing.

keep in mind unit takes very long time to boot, due to eth port initialization.

3

It's working fine on my SKS8300-12E2T2X with the snapshot from about a week ago.

Edit: Uh no, I never booted that build. I have an older version from November on it. Sorry for the noise.

4

I tried using Serial, but I can't get the kernel to boot on the 8300-8T. It always hangs at : [ 0.566173] 18002000.uart: ttyS0 at MMIO 0x18002000 (irq = 30, base_baud = 10937500) is a 16550A
The kernel has been hanging there for an hour and isn't doing anything.

5

Hi andyboeh

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll have to wait for a new version that works.

6

Just to clarify, in the world of OpenWRT those are two different devices, using two different images.

I assume you used the image for the right device ?

7

Good catch - according to the log, it was the SKS8300-8X image.

8

Soooo, not even close ,)

9

Hi

The image was the right one for the device—see the log. I don't know why he wrote that it's the 8X model instead of the 8T. In any case, the device and the image are correct.

U-Boot 2011.12.(3.6.11.55242) (Dec 05 2025 - 14:41:20)

Board: RTL9300 CPU:800MHz LX:175MHz DDR:400MHz
DRAM: 512 MB
SPI-F: MXIC/C22019/MMIO32-4/ModeC 1x32 MB (plr_flash_info @ 83fc1f68)
Loading(93) 65536B env. variables from offset 0x1c0000

boardId_init40
Net: Net Initialization Skipped
No ethernet found.
Press A to stop autoboot: -1

1: Run application
2: Set factory mac-address
3: Set product serial number
4: Download bootrom
5: Download host
6: OEM config
7: Set factory IP
#: Restore admin user default password

<Choice> : QRTL9300# # setenv bootcmd 'mw.l 0x8401da94 0; rtk network on; boota'

RTL9300# # setenv ipaddr 192.168.10.12
RTL9300# # setenv serverip 192.168.10.10
RTL9300# # tftpboot 0x83000000 openwrt-realtek-rtl930x-xikestor_sks8300-8t-initramfs-kernel.bin
No ethernet found. Try to enable network...
RTCORE Driver Module Initialize
IOAL init
Hardware-profile probe (RTL9303_8X8261BE_V1)
Hardware-profile init
GPIO probe (unit 0): (found)
GPIO Init
SPI init (unit 0)
I2C probe (unit 0)
I2C init (unit 0)
RTL8231 probe (unit 0): (found)
RTL8231 init (unit 0)
NIC probe (unit 0)
Loader RTNIC Driver Module Initialize
IOAL init
RTK Driver Module Initialize
MAC probe (unit 0)
Chip 9303 (found)
MAC init (unit 0)
SMI protocol probe (unit 0)
PHY probe (unit 0)
Chip Construct (unit 0)
Chip Construct
Disable PHY Polling
PHY Reset
MAC Construct
Turn Off Serdes
Serdes Construct
PHY Construct
Turn On Serdes
Mac_Polling_PHY Config
Enable PHY Polling
Misc
PHY init (unit 0)
Mgmt_dev init (unit 0)
Please wait for PHY init-time ...

Using rtl9300#0 device
TFTP from server 192.168.10.10; our IP address is 192.168.10.12
Filename 'openwrt-realtek-rtl930x-xikestor_sks8300-8t-initramfs-kernel.bin'.
Load address: 0x83000000
Loading: T #################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#################################################################
#####################################
done
Bytes transferred = 7215501 (6e198d hex)
RTL9300# # bootm 0x83000000

Booting kernel from Legacy Image at 83000000 ...

Image Name: MIPS OpenWrt Linux-6.12.71
Created: 2026-03-03 0:14:15 UTC
Image Type: MIPS Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
Data Size: 7215437 Bytes = 6.9 MB
Load Address: 80100000
Entry Point: 80100000
Verifying Checksum ... OK
Uncompressing Kernel Image ... OK

Starting kernel ...

[ 0.000000] Linux version 6.12.71 (builder@buildhost) (mips-openwrt-linux-musl-gcc (OpenWrt GCC 14.3.0 r32713-f919e7899d) 14.3 .0, GNU ld (GNU Binutils) 2.44) #0 SMP Tue Mar 3 00:14:15 2026
[ 0.000000] SoC Type: Realtek RTL9303 rev B (6487)
[ 0.000000] printk: legacy bootconsole [early0] enabled
[ 0.000000] CPU0 revision is: 00019555 (MIPS 34Kc)
[ 0.000000] MIPS: machine is XikeStor SKS8300-8X
[ 0.000000] earlycon: ns16550a0 at MMIO 0x18002000 (options '9600n8')
[ 0.000000] printk: legacy bootconsole [ns16550a0] enabled
[ 0.000000] Initrd not found or empty - disabling initrd
[ 0.000000] Using appended Device Tree.
[ 0.000000] OF: reserved mem: Reserved memory: No reserved-memory node in the DT
[ 0.000000] Detected 1 available secondary CPU(s)
[ 0.000000] Primary instruction cache 32kB, VIPT, 4-way, linesize 32 bytes.
[ 0.000000] Primary data cache 32kB, 4-way, PIPT, no aliases, linesize 32 bytes
[ 0.000000] Zone ranges:
[ 0.000000] Normal [mem 0x0000000000000000-0x000000001fffffff]
[ 0.000000] HighMem [mem 0x0000000020000000-0x000000002fffffff]
[ 0.000000] Movable zone start for each node
[ 0.000000] Early memory node ranges
[ 0.000000] node 0: [mem 0x0000000000000000-0x000000000fffffff]
[ 0.000000] node 0: [mem 0x0000000020000000-0x000000002fffffff]
[ 0.000000] Initmem setup node 0 [mem 0x0000000000000000-0x000000002fffffff]
[ 0.000000] On node 0, zone HighMem: 65536 pages in unavailable ranges
[ 0.000000] percpu: Embedded 12 pages/cpu s18256 r8192 d22704 u49152
[ 0.000000] pcpu-alloc: s18256 r8192 d22704 u49152 alloc=12*4096
[ 0.000000] pcpu-alloc: [0] 0 [0] 1
[ 0.000000] Kernel command line: earlycon
[ 0.000000] Dentry cache hash table entries: 32768 (order: 5, 131072 bytes, linear)
[ 0.000000] Inode-cache hash table entries: 16384 (order: 4, 65536 bytes, linear)
[ 0.000000] Writing ErrCtl register=0002a490
[ 0.000000] Readback ErrCtl register=0002a490
[ 0.000000] Built 1 zonelists, mobility grouping on. Total pages: 131072
[ 0.000000] mem auto-init: stack:off, heap alloc:off, heap free:off
[ 0.000000] SLUB: HWalign=32, Order=0-3, MinObjects=0, CPUs=2, Nodes=1
[ 0.000000] rcu: Hierarchical RCU implementation.
[ 0.000000] Tracing variant of Tasks RCU enabled.
[ 0.000000] rcu: RCU calculated value of scheduler-enlistment delay is 10 jiffies.
[ 0.000000] RCU Tasks Trace: Setting shift to 1 and lim to 1 rcu_task_cb_adjust=1 rcu_task_cpu_ids=2.
[ 0.000000] NR_IRQS: 256
[ 0.000000] rcu: srcu_init: Setting srcu_struct sizes based on contention.
[ 0.000000] Failed to get CPU clock: -2
[ 0.000000] CPU frequency from device tree: 800MHz
[ 0.000000] clocksource: realtek_otto_timer: mask: 0xfffffff max_cycles: 0xfffffff, max_idle_ns: 38225208801 ns
[ 0.000003] sched_clock: 28 bits at 3125kHz, resolution 320ns, wraps every 42949672800ns
[ 0.009083] Calibrating delay loop... 531.66 BogoMIPS (lpj=2658304)
[ 0.065735] pid_max: default: 32768 minimum: 301
[ 0.082077] Mount-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes, linear)
[ 0.090142] Mountpoint-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes, linear)
[ 0.112832] rcu: Hierarchical SRCU implementation.
[ 0.118091] rcu: Max phase no-delay instances is 1000.
[ 0.126011] smp: Bringing up secondary CPUs ...
[ 0.133098] Primary instruction cache 32kB, VIPT, 4-way, linesize 32 bytes.
[ 0.133160] Primary data cache 32kB, 4-way, PIPT, no aliases, linesize 32 bytes
[ 0.133260] CPU1 revision is: 00019555 (MIPS 34Kc)
[ 0.208928] Counter synchronization [CPU#0 -> CPU#1]: passed
[ 0.236296] smp: Brought up 1 node, 2 CPUs
[ 0.242437] Memory: 493288K/524288K available (7776K kernel code, 726K rwdata, 972K rodata, 12856K init, 254K bss, 29880K rese rved, 0K cma-reserved, 262144K highmem)
[ 0.266314] clocksource: jiffies: mask: 0xffffffff max_cycles: 0xffffffff, max_idle_ns: 19112604462750000 ns
[ 0.277176] futex hash table entries: 512 (order: 2, 16384 bytes, linear)
[ 0.291433] pinctrl core: initialized pinctrl subsystem
[ 0.300489] NET: Registered PF_NETLINK/PF_ROUTE protocol family
[ 0.307701] thermal_sys: Registered thermal governor 'step_wise'
[ 0.335831] clocksource: Switched to clocksource realtek_otto_timer
[ 0.361339] NET: Registered PF_INET protocol family
[ 0.367123] IP idents hash table entries: 4096 (order: 3, 32768 bytes, linear)
[ 0.377466] tcp_listen_portaddr_hash hash table entries: 512 (order: 0, 4096 bytes, linear)
[ 0.386738] Table-perturb hash table entries: 65536 (order: 6, 262144 bytes, linear)
[ 0.395228] TCP established hash table entries: 2048 (order: 1, 8192 bytes, linear)
[ 0.403713] TCP bind hash table entries: 2048 (order: 3, 32768 bytes, linear)
[ 0.411739] TCP: Hash tables configured (established 2048 bind 2048)
[ 0.419621] MPTCP token hash table entries: 256 (order: 0, 4096 bytes, linear)
[ 0.428071] UDP hash table entries: 256 (order: 1, 8192 bytes, linear)
[ 0.435264] UDP-Lite hash table entries: 256 (order: 1, 8192 bytes, linear)
[ 0.444279] NET: Registered PF_UNIX/PF_LOCAL protocol family
[ 0.453876] workingset: timestamp_bits=14 max_order=17 bucket_order=3
[ 0.463555] squashfs: version 4.0 (2009/01/31) Phillip Lougher
[ 0.470157] jffs2: version 2.2 (NAND) (SUMMARY) (ZLIB) (LZMA) (RTIME) (CMODE_PRIORITY) (c) 2001-2006 Red Hat, Inc.
[ 0.494686] Block layer SCSI generic (bsg) driver version 0.4 loaded (major 252)
[ 0.508407] pinctrl-single 1b000200.pinmux: 32 pins, size 4
[ 0.515539] pinctrl-single 1b00c600.pinmux: 32 pins, size 4
[ 0.523405] pinctrl-single 1b00cc00.pinmux: 32 pins, size 4
[ 0.535456] Serial: 8250/16550 driver, 16 ports, IRQ sharing enabled
[ 0.558766] printk: legacy console [ttyS0] disabled
[ 0.565944] 18002000.uart: ttyS0 at MMIO 0x18002000 (irq = 30, base_baud = 10937500) is a 16550A

10

The text in the 1st post says SKS8300-T, how are we supposed to know we're wrong, and you're right ?

11

I would redownload the image. Yes, your file name indicates 8T, but the log still says 8X which makes no sense given that they are implemented as completely different devices.

I can try on my 12E2T2X later today.

12

As promised, I tried to boot today's snapshot via TFTP on my SKS8300-12E2T2X: all is working as expected.

For reference, you should see the line [ 0.000000] MIPS: machine is XikeStor SKS8300-12E2T2X early in the kernel boot log. If it says SKS8300-8X like in your boot log, it's most probably the wrong image.

My guess: You downloaded a 25.12 image. The only supported Xikestor switches are the SKS8300-8X and SKS8310-8X - your switches are both not supported by 25.12. You need to download a snapshot image!

13

Hi Andyboeh

Greetings

Everything is working now. I had a second TFTP server running, and it was using the old Xike X8 image, which I hadn't checked.

Everything is working now. Thanks a lot for the help and the tip.

I'm happy that OpenWRT is now running on the Xike.

Thanks

Regards,

1 Like
14

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