===== arch/ia64/kernel/setup.c 1.70 vs edited =====
--- 1.70/arch/ia64/kernel/setup.c	Wed Mar 17 04:46:59 2004
+++ edited/arch/ia64/kernel/setup.c	Fri May  7 16:26:25 2004
@@ -280,6 +280,24 @@
 }
 #endif
 
+/**
+ * early_console_setup - setup debugging console
+ *
+ * Consoles started here require little enough setup that we can start using
+ * them very early in the boot process, either right after the machine
+ * vector initialization, or even before if the drivers are smart enough
+ * to detect their hw.
+ *
+ * Returns non-zero if a console couldn't be setup.
+ */
+static int __init early_console_setup(void)
+{
+	extern void sn_serial_console_early_setup(void);
+
+	sn_serial_console_early_setup();
+	return 0;
+}
+
 void __init
 setup_arch (char **cmdline_p)
 {
@@ -296,6 +314,9 @@
 #ifdef CONFIG_IA64_GENERIC
 	machvec_init(acpi_get_sysname());
 #endif
+
+	if (!early_console_setup())
+		early_printk_ok = 1;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_ACPI_BOOT
 	/* Initialize the ACPI boot-time table parser */
===== drivers/char/sn_serial.c 1.11 vs edited =====
--- 1.11/drivers/char/sn_serial.c	Mon Mar 29 02:48:14 2004
+++ edited/drivers/char/sn_serial.c	Fri May  7 16:22:05 2004
@@ -229,24 +229,6 @@
 	return ia64_sn_console_intr_status() & SAL_CONSOLE_INTR_RECV;
 }
 
-/* The early printk (possible setup) and function call */
-
-void
-early_printk_sn_sal(const char *s, unsigned count)
-{
-	extern void early_sn_setup(void);
-
-	if (!sn_func) {
-		if (IS_RUNNING_ON_SIMULATOR())
-			sn_func = &sim_ops;
-		else
-			sn_func = &poll_ops;
-
-		early_sn_setup();
-	}
-	sn_func->sal_puts(s, count);
-}
-
 #ifdef DEBUG
 /* this is as "close to the metal" as we can get, used when the driver
  * itself may be broken */
@@ -259,7 +241,15 @@
 
 	va_start(args, fmt);
 	printed_len = vscnprintf(printk_buf, sizeof(printk_buf), fmt, args);
-	early_printk_sn_sal(printk_buf, printed_len);
+	if (!sn_func) {
+		if (IS_RUNNING_ON_SIMULATOR())
+			sn_func = &sim_ops;
+		else
+			sn_func = &poll_ops;
+
+		early_sn_setup();
+	}
+	sn_func->sal_puts(printk_buf, printed_len);
 	va_end(args);
 	return printed_len;
 }
@@ -941,6 +931,42 @@
  */
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SGI_L1_SERIAL_CONSOLE
+
+/*
+ * Very simple early output routine.  Assumes sn_func operation structure
+ * has arlready been setup by sn_serial_console_early_setup().
+ */
+static void __init
+sn_sal_console_write_early(struct console *co, const char *s, unsigned count)
+{
+	sn_func->sal_puts(s, count);
+}
+
+static struct console sal_console_early __initdata = {
+	.name = "sn_sal",
+	.write = sn_sal_console_write_early,
+	.flags = CON_PRINTBUFFER,
+	.index  = -1,
+};
+
+/*
+ * Register a console early on...
+ */
+void __init
+sn_serial_console_early_setup(void)
+{
+	if (!sn_func) {
+		if (IS_RUNNING_ON_SIMULATOR())
+			sn_func = &sim_ops;
+		else
+			sn_func = &poll_ops;
+
+		early_sn_setup(); /* Find SAL entry points */
+	}
+
+	register_console(&sal_console_early);
+}
+
 /*
  * Print a string to the SAL console.  The console_lock must be held
  * when we get here.
@@ -998,18 +1024,10 @@
 	return sn_sal_driver;
 }
 
-static int __init
-sn_sal_console_setup(struct console *co, char *options)
-{
-	return 0;
-}
-
-
 static struct console sal_console = {
 	.name = "ttyS",
 	.write = sn_sal_console_write,
 	.device = sn_sal_console_device,
-	.setup = sn_sal_console_setup,
 	.index = -1
 };
 
@@ -1020,6 +1038,7 @@
 		sn_sal_switch_to_asynch();
 		DPRINTF("sn_sal_serial_console_init : register console\n");
 		register_console(&sal_console);
+		unregister_console(&sal_console_early);
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
===== include/asm-ia64/sn/sn_sal.h 1.8 vs edited =====
--- 1.8/include/asm-ia64/sn/sn_sal.h	Tue Apr 27 02:55:57 2004
+++ edited/include/asm-ia64/sn/sn_sal.h	Fri May  7 16:10:14 2004
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@
 #define SN_SAL_MIN_MAJOR	0x1  /* SN2 kernels need at least PROM 1.0 */
 #define SN_SAL_MIN_MINOR	0x0
 
+void early_sn_setup(void);
+
 u64 ia64_sn_probe_io_slot(long paddr, long size, void *data_ptr);
 
 /*
===== include/linux/kernel.h 1.48 vs edited =====
--- 1.48/include/linux/kernel.h	Mon Apr 12 10:53:58 2004
+++ edited/include/linux/kernel.h	Fri May  7 16:16:49 2004
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@
 }
 
 extern void bust_spinlocks(int yes);
+extern int early_printk_ok;		/* If set, console drivers will be called even if the system isn't up yet */
 extern int oops_in_progress;		/* If set, an oops, panic(), BUG() or die() is in progress */
 extern int panic_on_oops;
 extern int system_state;		/* See values below */
===== kernel/printk.c 1.37 vs edited =====
--- 1.37/kernel/printk.c	Tue May  4 10:48:06 2004
+++ edited/kernel/printk.c	Fri May  7 15:01:33 2004
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(console_printk);
 
 int oops_in_progress;
+int early_printk_ok;
 
 /*
  * console_sem protects the console_drivers list, and also
@@ -526,7 +527,7 @@
 			log_level_unknown = 1;
 	}
 
-	if (!cpu_online(smp_processor_id()) &&
+	if (!early_printk_ok && !cpu_online(smp_processor_id()) &&
 	    system_state != SYSTEM_RUNNING) {
 		/*
 		 * Some console drivers may assume that per-cpu resources have