New u-boot release?

Marvin

I noticed that there is a new directory http://share.loverpi.com/board/libre-computer-project/libre-computer-board/aml-s805x-ac/firmware/ with what looks to be u-boot that has been built on 2019/08/09 02:49:02. Is this a beta or a new release for the bootloader? What is the correct procedure to update u-boot - looks like the .scr file should be loaded...

miguelagve

There is a new release of u-boot, 2019.07, but that version is still 2019.04, so nothing should've changed.

loverpi

There's UMS support in the new u-boot. It lets the board emulate a flash drive and expose eMMC.

Ingmar

Any particular instructions?

I flashed the new firmware, rebooted with the A-to-A cable attached on either port (tried it twice obviously), but the eMMC did not appear as a drive.
Do I need to give a special command in U-boot to make it visible as a drive?

loverpi

Please see the update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/librecomputer/la-frite-open-source-fries/posts/2595052

Ingmar

loverpi said:

Please see the update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/librecomputer/la-frite-open-source-fries/posts/2595052

Thx. Missed that one. My KS mails are autosorted to a folder and I didn't check that.

Marvin

@loverpi Just wondering - what does the physical Uboot button do?

Ingmar

Marvin said:

@loverpi Just wondering - what does the physical Uboot button do?

Good question, ;-) 

FransM

Physical uboot button? What do you mean?

My frite has one button this is just a standard reset button. Or am I missing something?

FransM

The boot.scr file from the upgrade seems corrupt.

A hex dump of the beginning looks like this:

$ od -cx boot.scr | head -10
0000000   ' 005 031   V 347 303 354 323   ]   M 270   k  \0  \0 004 020
           0527    5619    c3e7    d3ec    4d5d    6bb8    0000    1004
0000020  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0   H   q   Q 216 005 002 006  \0
           0000    0000    0000    0000    7148    8e51    0205    0006
0000040  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0
           0000    0000    0000    0000    0000    0000    0000    0000
*
0000100  \0  \0 004  \b  \0  \0  \0  \0   s   e   t   e   n   v       b
           0000    0804    0000    0000    6573    6574    766e    6220
0000120   o   o   t   c   m   d  \n   s   e   t   e   n   v       a   u
After that there is text.

The code in boot.scr looks good but I am worried about the gibberish before the setenv bootcmd

loverpi

They are u-boot headers telling u-boot what architecture it is. The physical button lets the board boot firmware from USB if you have appropriate software running on your PC.

Ingmar

loverpi said:

They are u-boot headers telling u-boot what architecture it is. The physical button lets the board boot firmware from USB if you have appropriate software running on your PC.

which means .....?

loverpi

If you don't know what it means, Google it. https://www.denx.de/wiki/view/DULG/UBootImages

Marvin

@loverpi I guess what @Ingmar was asking is could you please give a more detailed howto guide to using the uboot button? By description it sounds like what is needed when one corrupts the SPI flash by mistake.

Ingmar

loverpi said:

If you don't know what it means, Google it. https://www.denx.de/wiki/view/DULG/UBootImages

I wasn't referring to the headers (you can read parts of it in notepad e.g.), but rather to the "running appropriate software".
Can't find that on Denx.

loverpi

See pyamlboot https://github.com/superna9999/pyamlboot/

FransM

missing in the upgrade instructions:

- first remove emmc

- use usb port furthest away from leds/gpio

mbgg

loverpi said:

Please see the update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/librecomputer/la-frite-open-source-fries/posts/2595052

I have a board but didn't took part in the kickstarter. Any possibility to open the entries to the public?

gblues

The uboot releases are here:
http://share.loverpi.com/board/libre-computer-project/libre-computer-board/aml-s805x-ac/firmware/
See README.txt for flashing instructions.

WRT to the uboot button: keeping it held down while it powers up will make it show up as a USB device, but the AMLogic USB Burning Tool doesn't seem to be fully compatible--I've tried to use it to flash a few images and it goes through the motions, and then when the device reboots it's as if I didn't flash anything.

VCR0

FransM said:

missing in the upgrade instructions:

- first remove emmc

- use usb port furthest away from leds/gpio

I didn't remove my eMMC, it seems to be working fine?

djismgaming

gblues said:

WRT to the uboot button: keeping it held down while it powers up will make it show up as a USB device, but the AMLogic USB Burning Tool doesn't seem to be fully compatible--I've tried to use it to flash a few images and it goes through the motions, and then when the device reboots it's as if I didn't flash anything.

I have not being able to use the u-boot button to make it show up as a USB device. Anything special to do before this functionality can be used? I have memorized the Esc presses and the times to move down and Enter with a USB keyboard (with some trial and error always) to get it to show up as Linux UMS in macOS to use Etcher with it.

loverpi

There's two modes: Amlogic Burn Mode and u-boot UMS emulation. The button on the board forces the board to boot into Amlogic Burn mode if the following conditions are met: board is unpowered and Type A OTG port is connected when the board receives power. If the board was powered already before the button is pressed, the board will boot like normal. The u-boot UMS emulation mode exposes eMMC as USB flash by using the USB OTG protocol and having the board in device mode.