diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/boot/compressed/eboot.c ./linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/boot/compressed/eboot.c
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/boot/compressed/eboot.c	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/boot/compressed/eboot.c	2017-09-19 14:55:16.395027896 -0400
@@ -16,6 +16,73 @@
 #include "../string.h"
 #include "eboot.h"
 
+#if 0
+#define PORT 0x3f8   /* COM1 */
+
+#define DLAB		0x80
+
+#define TXR             0       /*  Transmit register (WRITE) */
+#define RXR             0       /*  Receive register  (READ)  */
+#define IER             1       /*  Interrupt Enable          */
+#define IIR             2       /*  Interrupt ID              */
+#define FCR             2       /*  FIFO control              */
+#define LCR             3       /*  Line control              */
+#define MCR             4       /*  Modem control             */
+#define LSR             5       /*  Line Status               */
+#define MSR             6       /*  Modem Status              */
+#define DLL             0       /*  Divisor Latch Low         */
+#define DLH             1       /*  Divisor latch High        */
+
+static void early_serial_init(int port, int baud)
+{
+	unsigned char c;
+	unsigned divisor;
+
+	outb(0x3, port + LCR);	/* 8n1 */
+	outb(0, port + IER);	/* no interrupt */
+	outb(0, port + FCR);	/* no fifo */
+	outb(0x3, port + MCR);	/* DTR + RTS */
+
+	divisor	= 115200 / baud;
+	c = inb(port + LCR);
+	outb(c | DLAB, port + LCR);
+	outb(divisor & 0xff, port + DLL);
+	outb((divisor >> 8) & 0xff, port + DLH);
+	outb(c & ~DLAB, port + LCR);
+}
+
+static int is_transmit_empty() {
+   return inb(PORT + 5) & 0x20;
+}
+ 
+static void write_serial(char a) {
+   outb(a, PORT);
+   while (is_transmit_empty() == 0);
+}
+
+static void write_serial_string(const char * s)
+{
+	while(*s)
+		write_serial(*s++);
+}
+
+static void write_hex(unsigned long x, unsigned digits)
+{
+	while(digits-- > 0)
+	{
+		unsigned d = (x >> (digits * 4)) & 0xF;
+		if (d >= 0xA)
+			write_serial(d + 'A' - 0xA);
+		else
+			write_serial(d + '0');
+	}
+	write_serial('\r');
+	write_serial('\n');
+}
+#endif
+
+
+
 static efi_system_table_t *sys_table;
 
 static struct efi_config *efi_early;
@@ -249,6 +316,12 @@
 
 void efi_char16_printk(efi_system_table_t *table, efi_char16_t *str)
 {
+#if 0
+	while(*str)
+	{
+		write_serial((char) *str++);
+	}
+#else
 	unsigned long output_string;
 	size_t offset;
 
@@ -273,6 +346,7 @@
 
 		efi_early->call(*func, out, str);
 	}
+#endif
 }
 
 static efi_status_t
@@ -739,8 +813,18 @@
 	sys_table = (efi_system_table_t *)(unsigned long)efi_early->table;
 	handle = (void *)(unsigned long)efi_early->image_handle;
 
+	if(!sys_table)
+	{
+		// We're NERFed and are the "DxeCore", so there is no system
+		// table.  The efi_config argument is actually the HobStart
+		// pointer, but who cares about that stuff.
+		// TODO: actually handle this case
+		while(1)
+		   outb('!', 0x3f8);
+	}
+
 	/* Check if we were booted by the EFI firmware */
-	if (sys_table->hdr.signature != EFI_SYSTEM_TABLE_SIGNATURE)
+	if (!sys_table || sys_table->hdr.signature != EFI_SYSTEM_TABLE_SIGNATURE)
 		return NULL;
 
 	if (efi_early->is64)
@@ -751,7 +835,6 @@
 	status = efi_call_early(handle_protocol, handle,
 				&proto, (void *)&image);
 	if (status != EFI_SUCCESS) {
-		efi_printk(sys_table, "Failed to get handle for LOADED_IMAGE_PROTOCOL\n");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -1047,7 +1130,9 @@
 	status = efi_exit_boot_services(sys_table, handle, &map, &priv,
 					exit_boot_func);
 	if (status != EFI_SUCCESS)
+	{
 		return status;
+	}
 
 	e820ext = priv.e820ext;
 	e820ext_size = priv.e820ext_size;
@@ -1056,7 +1141,9 @@
 
 	status = setup_e820(boot_params, e820ext, e820ext_size);
 	if (status != EFI_SUCCESS)
+	{
 		return status;
+	}
 
 	return EFI_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_64.S ./linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_64.S
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_64.S	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_64.S	2017-09-19 13:41:47.715096617 -0400
@@ -294,8 +294,12 @@
 	jne	2f
 fail:
 	/* EFI init failed, so hang. */
+	mov $0x3f8, %dx /* ttyS0 */
+	mov '@', %ax
+fail_loop:
+	outb %al, (%dx)
 	hlt
-	jmp	fail
+	jmp	fail_loop
 2:
 	movl	BP_code32_start(%esi), %eax
 	leaq	preferred_addr(%rax), %rax
diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/realmode/init.c ./linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/realmode/init.c
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/realmode/init.c	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/arch/x86/realmode/init.c	2017-09-19 08:27:23.183585570 -0400
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
 	/* Has to be under 1M so we can execute real-mode AP code. */
 	mem = memblock_find_in_range(0, 1<<20, size, PAGE_SIZE);
 	if (!mem) {
-		pr_info("No sub-1M memory is available for the trampoline\n");
-		return;
+		mem = 0x4000;
+		pr_info("No sub-1M memory is available for the trampoline, guessing %p\n", mem);
 	}
 
 	memblock_reserve(mem, size);
@@ -138,7 +138,12 @@
 static int __init init_real_mode(void)
 {
 	if (!real_mode_header)
-		panic("Real mode trampoline was not allocated");
+	{
+		// ignore for now
+		//panic("Real mode trampoline was not allocated");
+		pr_warn("Real mode trampoline was not allocated");
+		return 0;
+	}
 
 	setup_real_mode();
 	set_real_mode_permissions();
diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/evxfevnt.c ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/evxfevnt.c
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/evxfevnt.c	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/evxfevnt.c	2017-09-19 15:05:20.429486756 -0400
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@
 	}
 
 	ACPI_ERROR((AE_INFO, "Hardware did not enter ACPI mode"));
+printk("%s:%d faking ACPI mode\n", __func__, __LINE__);
+	return_ACPI_STATUS(AE_OK);
 	return_ACPI_STATUS(AE_NO_HARDWARE_RESPONSE);
 }
 
diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/hwacpi.c ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/hwacpi.c
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/hwacpi.c	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/hwacpi.c	2017-09-19 15:04:43.229254898 -0400
@@ -168,12 +168,16 @@
 
 	status = acpi_read_bit_register(ACPI_BITREG_SCI_ENABLE, &value);
 	if (ACPI_FAILURE(status)) {
+printk("%s:%d faking ACPI mode\n", __func__, __LINE__);
+		return_UINT32(ACPI_SYS_MODE_ACPI);
 		return_UINT32(ACPI_SYS_MODE_LEGACY);
 	}
 
 	if (value) {
 		return_UINT32(ACPI_SYS_MODE_ACPI);
 	} else {
+//printk("%s:%d faking ACPI mode\n", __func__, __LINE__);
+//		return_UINT32(ACPI_SYS_MODE_ACPI);
 		return_UINT32(ACPI_SYS_MODE_LEGACY);
 	}
 }
diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbfadt.c ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbfadt.c
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbfadt.c	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbfadt.c	2017-09-19 13:46:37.599809800 -0400
@@ -344,6 +344,7 @@
 
 	/* Obtain the DSDT and FACS tables via their addresses within the FADT */
 
+#if 0 // NERF: the dsdt and facs tables will be updated later
 	acpi_tb_install_standard_table((acpi_physical_address)acpi_gbl_FADT.
 				       Xdsdt,
 				       ACPI_TABLE_ORIGIN_INTERNAL_PHYSICAL,
@@ -367,6 +368,7 @@
 						       &acpi_gbl_xfacs_index);
 		}
 	}
+#endif
 }
 
 /*******************************************************************************
diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbxface.c ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbxface.c
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbxface.c	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbxface.c	2017-09-19 13:47:44.572900070 -0400
@@ -136,7 +136,11 @@
 
 	rsdp_address = acpi_os_get_root_pointer();
 	if (!rsdp_address) {
-		return_ACPI_STATUS(AE_NOT_FOUND);
+// NERF: there is no root table since we came straight from DxeCore
+printk("%s:%d No root table found, hoping for the best\n", __func__, __LINE__);
+		return_ACPI_STATUS(0);
+		//return_ACPI_STATUS(AE_NOT_FOUND);
+		//rsdp_address = fake_rsdp;
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbxfload.c ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbxfload.c
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbxfload.c	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/acpica/tbxfload.c	2017-09-19 13:49:14.358362302 -0400
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@
 	acpi_status status;
 	u8 flags;
 	u32 table_index;
+	union acpi_name_union * sig;
 
 	ACPI_FUNCTION_TRACE(acpi_install_table);
 
@@ -289,6 +290,30 @@
 	status = acpi_tb_install_standard_table(address, flags,
 						FALSE, FALSE, &table_index);
 
+	if (!ACPI_SUCCESS(status))
+		return_ACPI_STATUS(status);
+
+	// NERF: the tables have been added *after* the root table
+	// was looked for, so we have to update the global pointers
+	// now that we have the actual tables.
+	sig = &acpi_gbl_root_table_list.tables[table_index].signature;
+
+	if (ACPI_COMPARE_NAME(sig, ACPI_SIG_FADT)) {
+		printk("%s: FADT index=%d\n", __func__, table_index);
+		acpi_gbl_fadt_index = table_index;
+		acpi_tb_parse_fadt();
+	} else
+	if (ACPI_COMPARE_NAME(sig, ACPI_SIG_FACS)) {
+		printk("%s: FACS index=%d\n", __func__, table_index);
+		acpi_gbl_facs_index = table_index;
+	} else
+	if (ACPI_COMPARE_NAME(sig, ACPI_SIG_DSDT)) {
+		printk("%s: DSDT index=%d\n", __func__, table_index);
+		acpi_gbl_dsdt_index = table_index;
+	} else {
+		// nothing special about this table
+	}
+
 	return_ACPI_STATUS(status);
 }
 
diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/tables.c ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/tables.c
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/tables.c	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/acpi/tables.c	2017-09-19 13:50:47.511879998 -0400
@@ -475,7 +475,8 @@
 	ACPI_SIG_SLIC, ACPI_SIG_SPCR, ACPI_SIG_SPMI, ACPI_SIG_TCPA,
 	ACPI_SIG_UEFI, ACPI_SIG_WAET, ACPI_SIG_WDAT, ACPI_SIG_WDDT,
 	ACPI_SIG_WDRT, ACPI_SIG_DSDT, ACPI_SIG_FADT, ACPI_SIG_PSDT,
-	ACPI_SIG_RSDT, ACPI_SIG_XSDT, ACPI_SIG_SSDT, NULL };
+	ACPI_SIG_RSDT, ACPI_SIG_XSDT, ACPI_SIG_SSDT, ACPI_SIG_FACS,
+	NULL };
 
 #define ACPI_HEADER_SIZE sizeof(struct acpi_table_header)
 
@@ -487,8 +488,18 @@
 
 void __init acpi_table_upgrade(void)
 {
+#if 0
 	void *data = (void *)initrd_start;
 	size_t size = initrd_end - initrd_start;
+#else
+	// NERF: The initramfs that is bundled with the kernel has
+	// our tables in its cpio file.  There is no boot loader to
+	// set the initrd_start variable, so we have to use this one.
+extern char __initramfs_start[];
+extern unsigned long __initramfs_size;
+	void *data = (void *)__initramfs_start;
+	size_t size = __initramfs_size;
+#endif
 	int sig, no, table_nr = 0, total_offset = 0;
 	long offset = 0;
 	struct acpi_table_header *table;
@@ -528,7 +539,11 @@
 				cpio_path, file.name);
 			continue;
 		}
-		if (acpi_table_checksum(file.data, table->length)) {
+
+		// NERF: ignore checksum errors on FACS since it doesn't have one
+		// but allow it to be added anyway.
+		if (memcmp(table->signature, ACPI_SIG_FACS, 4) != 0
+		&& acpi_table_checksum(file.data, table->length)) {
 			pr_err("ACPI OVERRIDE: Bad table checksum [%s%s]\n",
 				cpio_path, file.name);
 			continue;
diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/firmware/efi/vars.c ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/firmware/efi/vars.c
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/drivers/firmware/efi/vars.c	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/drivers/firmware/efi/vars.c	2017-09-19 13:52:01.141079970 -0400
@@ -429,6 +429,12 @@
 int efivar_init(int (*func)(efi_char16_t *, efi_guid_t, unsigned long, void *),
 		void *data, bool duplicates, struct list_head *head)
 {
+	// NERF: We do not have the EfiVars protocol, so none of these
+	// routines will work.  This avoids a possible kernel panic by
+	// not calling the random pointers in the runtime services.
+	printk("%s: not running\n", __func__);
+	return 0;
+
 	const struct efivar_operations *ops = __efivars->ops;
 	unsigned long variable_name_size = 1024;
 	efi_char16_t *variable_name;
diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/init/initramfs.c ./linux-4.9.38/init/initramfs.c
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/init/initramfs.c	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/init/initramfs.c	2017-09-19 13:53:34.002593777 -0400
@@ -609,7 +609,7 @@
 {
 	char *err = unpack_to_rootfs(__initramfs_start, __initramfs_size);
 	if (err)
-		panic("%s", err); /* Failed to decompress INTERNAL initramfs */
+		panic("%s: %s", __func__, err); /* Failed to decompress INTERNAL initramfs */
 	if (initrd_start) {
 #ifdef CONFIG_BLK_DEV_RAM
 		int fd;
diff --recursive -u ../clean/linux-4.9.38/init/main.c ./linux-4.9.38/init/main.c
--- ../clean/linux-4.9.38/init/main.c	2017-07-15 06:17:55.000000000 -0400
+++ ./linux-4.9.38/init/main.c	2017-09-19 13:54:31.699534533 -0400
@@ -954,7 +954,9 @@
 	if (ramdisk_execute_command) {
 		ret = run_init_process(ramdisk_execute_command);
 		if (!ret)
+		{
 			return 0;
+		}
 		pr_err("Failed to execute %s (error %d)\n",
 		       ramdisk_execute_command, ret);
 	}
@@ -976,7 +978,9 @@
 	    !try_to_run_init_process("/etc/init") ||
 	    !try_to_run_init_process("/bin/init") ||
 	    !try_to_run_init_process("/bin/sh"))
+	{
 		return 0;
+	}
 
 	panic("No working init found.  Try passing init= option to kernel. "
 	      "See Linux Documentation/init.txt for guidance.");