LinuxQuestions.org - Install on a Lemaker Banana Pro

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Install on a Lemaker Banana Pro

I have purchased a Banana Pro.

Code:

U-Boot SPL 2014.10+dfsg1-5 (Apr 07 2015 - 22:00:53)

DRAM: 1024 MiB

CPU: 960000000Hz, AXI/AHB/APB: 3/2/2





U-Boot 2014.10+dfsg1-5 (Apr 07 2015 - 22:00:53) Allwinner Technology



CPU:  Allwinner A20 (SUN7I)

I2C:  ready

DRAM:  1 GiB

MMC:  SUNXI SD/MMC: 0

In:    serial

Out:  serial

Err:  serial

SCSI:  SUNXI SCSI INIT

Target spinup took 0 ms.

AHCI 0001.0100 32 slots 1 ports 3 Gbps 0x1 impl SATA mode

flags: ncq stag pm led clo only pmp pio slum part ccc apst 

Net:  dwmac.1c50000

Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0 

sun7i#

Having only ever installed Slack on B'Pis from images I am at a bit of a loss as to how to sort out an installation to this board. I have followed the direction provided in the document INSTALL_BANANAPI.TXT but fall over on the final command that boots the installer

Code:

sun7i# bootz ${kernel_addr_r} ${ramdisk_addr_r}:${filesize} ${fdt_addr} ; reset

Kernel image @ 0x47000000 [ 0x000000 - 0x37eaa8 ]

## Flattened Device Tree blob at 43000000

  Booting using the fdt blob at 0x43000000

  Loading Ramdisk to 4da71000, end 4ffff507 ... OK

  Loading Device Tree to 4da2e000, end 4da70fff ... OK



Starting kernel ...

It hangs on Starting the Kernel. I've re-downloaded everything that goes into /tftpboot/slackware-current. I have gone through the installation proceedure 5 times with the same outcome. U-Boot downlads the dtb blob and zImage fine.

Code:

sun7i# tftp ${fdt_addr} slackwarearm-current/dtb/sun7i-a20-bananapi.dtb ; fdt addr ${fdt_addr} 0x40000

dwmac.1c50000 Waiting for PHY auto negotiation to complete.... done

Speed: 100, full duplex

Using dwmac.1c50000 device

TFTP from server 192.168.1.2; our IP address is 192.168.1.5

Filename 'slackwarearm-current/dtb/sun7i-a20-bananapi.dtb'.

Load address: 0x43000000

Loading: #####

        3 MiB/s

done

Bytes transferred = 25385 (6329 hex)

sun7i#

Code:

sun7i# tftp ${kernel_addr_r} slackwarearm-current/zImage-armv7

dwmac.1c50000 Waiting for PHY auto negotiation to complete.... done

Speed: 100, full duplex

Using dwmac.1c50000 device

TFTP from server 192.168.1.2; our IP address is 192.168.1.5

Filename 'slackwarearm-current/zImage-armv7'.

Load address: 0x47000000

Loading: #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #

        3.2 MiB/s

done

Bytes transferred = 3664552 (37eaa8 hex)

sun7i#

However,the initrd-armv7.img download often looks a bit odd.

Code:

        <snipped>

        ################################################################ T#

        <snipped>

        #################################################################

        #######################################################################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################################################

        #################################

        2.3 MiB/s

done

Bytes transferred = 39380231 (258e507 hex)

sun7i#

The space and uppercase "T" occur earlier in the output. I have pasted it in above for brevity. The etended line is always in the same place.

Perhaps someone can give me a heads up. With my limited understanding I've run out of ideas to plug into a search engine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by justwantin (Post 5376443)

I have purchased a Banana Pro.

The Banana Pi and Banana Pi Pro are different machines.
The installation document refers only to the Banana Pi. I've updated it now to make that clear.

Firstly I'd download the latest U-Boot for the Banana Pi Pro and put that on to the SD card.
http://d-i.debian.org/daily-images/a....sdcard.img.gz

Code:

Filename 'slackwarearm-current/dtb/sun7i-a20-bananapi.dtb'.

This would be slackwarearm-current/dtb/sun7i-a20-bananapro.dtb for the Pro.

I've updated the INSTALL_BANANAPI.TXT today to adjust a few bits of U-Boot config to allow the Linux console to be output over the HDMI port. Refresh your -current tree and start again but with the Pro version of U-Boot and using that DTB.
You'll need to adjust all references to sun7i-a20-bananapi.dtb in the installation document but I'm not sure if anything else would need to be adjusted.

Let me know if that works!

Thank you very much Stuart! :^) I'll have a go at it this evening.

Quote:

You'll need to adjust all references to sun7i-a20-bananapi.dtb

This is all I would expect to be different in order to boot the installer on the Banana Pro

Code:

sun7i# tftp ${fdt_addr} slackwarearm-current/dtb/sun7i-a20-bananapro.dtb ; fdt addr ${fdt_addr} 0x40000

However, a try last night and this AM still leaves me hanging

Code:

done

Bytes transferred = 39986976 (2622720 hex)

sunxi# setenv bootargs "${bootcmd_generic} console=ttyS0,115200n8 TERM=screen-256color nodhcp root=/dev/ram rw"

sunxi# bootz ${kernel_addr_r} ${ramdisk_addr_r}:${filesize} ${fdt_addr} ; reset

Kernel image @ 0x47000000 [ 0x000000 - 0x37ede0 ]

## Flattened Device Tree blob at 43000000

  Booting using the fdt blob at 0x43000000

  Loading Ramdisk to 4d9dd000, end 4ffff720 ... OK

  Loading Device Tree to 4d99a000, end 4d9dcfff ... OK



Starting kernel ...

I hope to find some more time today to work at this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by justwantin (Post 5376802)

This is all I would expect to be different in order to boot the installer on the Banana Pro

Code:

sun7i# tftp ${fdt_addr} slackwarearm-current/dtb/sun7i-a20-bananapro.dtb ; fdt addr ${fdt_addr} 0x40000

However, a try last night and this AM still leaves me hanging

Code:

done

Bytes transferred = 39986976 (2622720 hex)

sunxi# setenv bootargs "${bootcmd_generic} console=ttyS0,115200n8 TERM=screen-256color nodhcp root=/dev/ram rw"

sunxi# bootz ${kernel_addr_r} ${ramdisk_addr_r}:${filesize} ${fdt_addr} ; reset

Kernel image @ 0x47000000 [ 0x000000 - 0x37ede0 ]

## Flattened Device Tree blob at 43000000

  Booting using the fdt blob at 0x43000000

  Loading Ramdisk to 4d9dd000, end 4ffff720 ... OK

  Loading Device Tree to 4d99a000, end 4d9dcfff ... OK



Starting kernel ...

I hope to find some more time today to work at this.

See if you can follow the Debian instructions.
https://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebianOn/Allwinner

The memory locations are different in the Slackware docs than to the Debian ones, since the Slackware installer is huge. I don't know if those memory locations work for the Pro, but the original and Pro are both A20 so the chances are that they'll work.
You could try using the memory locations from the Debian doc and just boot the Slackware kernel without specifying an initrd. If the kernel at least boots with some output, that's the first piece achieved.

It also could be just because your environment variables have something in them
You could try resetting them to the default and re-configuring following the INSTALL_BANANAPI.TXT. I've just done it and it works on mine:

Code:

env default -a

I was just going through that Debian page with the intention of doing something like what you are suggesting and I have also downloaded their banana pro installer image to have a look around.

Code:

env default -a

Ah.... so that's it I had been trying to find a command that would delete a single environmental variable. I have been re-writing the SD card instead, silly me!

I have tried several times today with a fresh u-boot each time but it hangs each time. This last time I used dhcp instead of static IP with the same result. After it hung I ran nmap on my "server" and the Pro's assigned IP 192.168.1.15 never came up, tried ping, nada. However, after a reset I could ping the server from the Pro but not the other way around

Code:

sunxi# ping 192.168.1.2                        

Speed: 100, full duplex

Using dwmac.1c50000 device

host 192.168.1.2 is alive

sunxi#





bash-4.3# ping 192.168.1.15

PING 192.168.1.15 (192.168.1.15) 56(84) bytes of data.

From 192.168.1.2 icmp_seq=1 Destination Host Unreachable

<snipped>

From 192.168.1.2 icmp_seq=4 Destination Host Unreachable

^C

I'll just keep working at this. I know the card is OK as I have been able to boot a Debian Wheezy Pi/Pro install image. Looks like I'm getting the education I never had. Thanks for your interest and advice

Quote:

Originally Posted by justwantin (Post 5376923)

Using dwmac.1c50000 device
host 192.168.1.2 is alive
sunxi#

Don't be fooled by this. I spent *ages* looking at the network stuff when I couldn't get it to load the Kernel via tftp. I even swapped out network switches and stuff and started faffing around hard coding the speed of the network port in U-Boot. It seems that when you need to do something from U-boot, it brings up the network stack then tears it down again once it's finished. I don't know if that is what it does, but it seems like it.
Anyway, this has nothing to do with the Kernel not outputting anything.
This issue is usually either due to memory locations, the wrong DTB (shouldn't be that), incorrect console settings or just that it's crashed.
Not having output is a common issue on ARM with which I have many hours of familiarity.
Have you plugged a monitor in to the HDMI port? It should not output anything there but you never know.

Can you paste the output of:

Code:

printenv

Actually it *could* be the DTB. You could try using Debian's kernel and their DTB for the Pro.
When I was getting support working for the Banana Pi, there was a stage where the DTB built with the kernel.org Kernel was incorrect and I had to use another one from elsewhere.
That was fixed a while ago for the Banana Pi but I don't know about the Pro.

Here we go:

Code:

sunxi# printenv

autoload=no

baudrate=115200

boot_a_script=load ${devtype} ${devnum}:${bootpart} ${scriptaddr} ${prefix}${script}; source ${scriptaddr}

boot_extlinux=sysboot ${devtype} ${devnum}:${bootpart} any ${scriptaddr} ${prefix}extlinux/extlinux.conf

boot_prefixes=/ /boot/

boot_scripts=boot.scr.uimg boot.scr

boot_targets=mmc0 scsi0 usb0 pxe dhcp

bootcmd=setenv usb_need_init; setenv scsi_need_init; for target in ${boot_targets}; do run bootcmd_${target}; done

bootcmd_dhcp=run usb_init; if dhcp ${scriptaddr} boot.scr.uimg; then source ${scriptaddr}; fi

bootcmd_generic=debug earlyprintk sunxi_g2d_mem_reserve=0 sunxi_ve_mem_reserve=0 disp.screen0_output_mode=EDID:1280x720p50 hdmi.audio=EDID:0

bootcmd_mmc0=setenv devnum 0; run mmc_boot

bootcmd_pxe=run usb_init; dhcp; if pxe get; then pxe boot; fi

bootcmd_scsi0=setenv devnum 0; run scsi_boot

bootcmd_usb0=setenv devnum 0; run usb_boot

bootdelay=2

bootm_size=0x10000000

bootpart=1

console=ttyS0,115200

devnum=0

devtype=scsi

dnsip=192.168.1.1

ethact=dwmac.1c50000

ethaddr=02:c5:04:01:c5:1f

fdt_addr=0x43000000

fdt_addr_r=0x43000000

fdtfile=sun7i-a20-bananapi.dtb

gatewayip=192.168.1.1

ipaddr=192.168.1.15

kernel_addr_r=0x47000000

mmc_boot=if mmc dev ${devnum}; then setenv devtype mmc; run scan_dev_for_boot; fi

netmask=255.255.255.0

pxefile_addr_r=0x43200000

ramdisk_addr_r=0x48000000

scan_dev_for_boot=echo Scanning ${devtype} ${devnum}...; for prefix in ${boot_prefixes}; do run scan_dev_for_extlinux; run scan_dev_for_scripts; done

scan_dev_for_extlinux=if test -e ${devtype} ${devnum}:${bootpart} ${prefix}extlinux/extlinux.conf; then echo Found ${prefix}extlinux/extlinux.conf; run boot_extlinux; echo SCRIPT FAILED: continuing...; fi

scan_dev_for_scripts=for script in ${boot_scripts}; do if test -e ${devtype} ${devnum}:${bootpart} ${prefix}${script}; then echo Found U-Boot script ${prefix}${script}; run boot_a_script; echo SCRIPT FAILED: continuing...; fi; done

scriptaddr=0x43100000

scsi_boot=run scsi_init; if scsi dev ${devnum}; then setenv devtype scsi; run scan_dev_for_boot; fi

scsi_init=if ${scsi_need_init}; then setenv scsi_need_init false; scsi scan; fi

scsi_need_init=false

scsidevs=1

serverip=192.168.1.2

serveripip=192.168.1.2

slkconsole=console=ttyS0,115200n8

stderr=serial

stdin=serial

stdout=serial

usb_boot=run usb_init; if usb dev ${devnum}; then setenv devtype usb; run scan_dev_for_boot; fi

usb_init=if ${usb_need_init}; then setenv usb_need_init false; usb start 0; fi

usb_need_init=false



Environment size: 2570/131068 bytes

sunxi# <INTERRUPT>

sunxi#

Also try removing all of the extra stuff from the boot args. I don't think it's needed at all:

Code:

setenv bootcmd_generic 'debug earlyprintk'

saveenv ; reset

I just had a go with the DTB from the Wheezy image that booted. No go. I'll go back to default env keep the Wheezy DTB and remove those boot args after I take the bowser for his walk.

Edit:Arghhhhhhhhh... I should have used the kernel too. I'll do it again.

OK, I did it again this time with both the DTB and kernel from the Wheezy install image /boot directory:

Code:

tftp ${kernel_addr_r} slackwarearm-current/vmlinuz-4.0.5-bananapi

This worked... almost

Code:

sunxi# bootz ${kernel_addr_r} ${ramdisk_addr_r}:${filesize} ${fdt_addr} ; reset

Kernel image @ 0x47000000 [ 0x000000 - 0x4d5560 ]

## Flattened Device Tree blob at 43000000

  Booting using the fdt blob at 0x43000000

  Loading Ramdisk to 4fb2a000, end 4ffff560 ... OK

  Loading Device Tree to 4fae7000, end 4fb29fff ... OK



Starting kernel ...



Uncompressing Linux... done, booting the kernel.

I do not have a monitor hooked up and I'm not sure I should expect much else, I believe the boot process on the install image would also require access to /boot/bin/bananapro.bin

Quote:

Originally Posted by justwantin (Post 5376952)

[/CODE]
I do not have a monitor hooked up and I'm not sure I should expect much else, I believe the boot process on the install image would also require access to /boot/bin/bananapro.bin

The Kernel does a whole lot more before it gets anywhere near switching in to the root file system, so you'd expect to see the normal boot output and then see it fail when trying to execute init.

If you follow one of the installation documents and install another distribution, do you get any of the Kernel output?

Yes, I had a monitor hooked up and kernel output with that Wheezy install image but I didn't bother going into the installation proper. I'll get into it again this evening.

Cheers

I have no trouble at all setting up and using a debian install image that is known to work as per Installing from an SD card image.

I thought I might understand this a little better by trying to create a new image based on the one that works. The original vfat /boot partition was only 54mb which was too small for the original debian sun7i-a20-bananapro.dtb, vImage-armv7 and initrd-armv7.img so I created a larger vfat /boot partition to fit. I modified the original debian boot.scr (as below) and put it back into /boot.

No joy in Mudville, The kernel still does not start, however, u-boot reads the vImage, initrd, and dtb OK (see output below). I haven't quite gotten a handle on how this all goes together. Perhaps the flash-kernel address is (now) incorrect. In any case before I go any further I think I should have a go this weekend at doing up a u-boot, kernel and image from scratch. The only way I ever learn anything is by getting my hands dirty.

boot.scr as modified in plain text:

Code:

# Bootscript using the new unified bootcmd handling

# introduced with u-boot v2014.10



if test -n "${boot_targets}"; then

  echo "Mainline u-boot / new-style environment detected."

else

  echo "Non-mainline u-boot or old-style mainline u-boot detected."

  echo "This boot script uses the unified bootcmd handling of mainline"

  echo "u-boot >=v2014.10, which is not available on your system."

  echo "Please boot the installer manually."

  exit 0

fi



if test -z "${fdtfile}"; then

  echo 'fdtfile environment variable not set. Aborting boot process.'

  exit 0

fi



if test ! -e ${devtype} ${devnum}:${bootpart} dtbs/${fdtfile}; then

  echo "This installer medium does not contain a suitable device-tree file for"

  echo "this system (${fdtfile}). Aborting boot process."

  exit 0

fi



# Some i.MX6-based systems do not encode the baudrate in the console variable

if test "${console}" = "ttymxc0" && test -n "${baudrate}"; then

  setenv console "${console},${baudrate}"

fi



if test -n "${console}"; then

  setenv bootargs "${bootargs} console=${console}"

fi



load ${devtype} ${devnum}:${bootpart} ${kernel_addr_r} vImage-armv7 \

&& load ${devtype} ${devnum}:${bootpart} ${fdt_addr_r} dtbs/${fdtfile} \

&& load ${devtype} ${devnum}:${bootpart} ${ramdisk_addr_r} initrd-armv7.img \

&& echo "Booting the Debian installer..." \

&& bootz ${kernel_addr_r} ${ramdisk_addr_r}:${filesize} ${fdt_addr_r}

U-boot output on reset:

Code:

U-Boot 2014.10+dfsg1-5 (Apr 07 2015 - 22:02:59) Allwinner Technology



CPU:  Allwinner A20 (SUN7I)

I2C:  ready

DRAM:  1 GiB

MMC:  SUNXI SD/MMC: 0

*** Warning - bad CRC, using default environment



In:    serial

Out:  serial

Err:  serial

SCSI:  SUNXI SCSI INIT

Target spinup took 0 ms.

AHCI 0001.0100 32 slots 1 ports 3 Gbps 0x1 impl SATA mode

flags: ncq stag pm led clo only pmp pio slum part ccc apst 

Net:  dwmac.1c50000

Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0 

switch to partitions #0, OK

mmc0 is current device

Scanning mmc 0...

Found U-Boot script /boot.scr

reading /boot.scr

1463 bytes read in 22 ms (64.5 KiB/s)

## Executing script at 43100000

Mainline u-boot / new-style environment detected.

reading zImage-armv7

3665376 bytes read in 193 ms (18.1 MiB/s)

reading dtbs/sun7i-a20-bananapro.dtb

23332 bytes read in 39 ms (584 KiB/s)

reading initrd-armv7.img

39986976 bytes read in 1862 ms (20.5 MiB/s)

Booting the Debian installer... 



Kernel image @ 0x42000000 [ 0x000000 - 0x37ede0 ]

## Flattened Device Tree blob at 43000000

  Booting using the fdt blob at 0x43000000

  Loading Ramdisk to 4d9dd000, end 4ffff720 ... OK

  Loading Device Tree to 4d9d4000, end 4d9dcb23 ... OK



Starting kernel ...

Hi

I had a look through and established that the installation docs work on the original Banana Pi -- they do.
Without having a Pro myself I don't think I can help much more. Normally I play around with a number of things to work out what's wrong, but there's no particular formula that I can describe.