Utilite Pro

[Scott]

Would like to install Stretch.

Did find wiki instructions for Wheezy,

https://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebianOn/CompuLab/PC-Utilite/wheezy

but would like to user installer via SD-card-image

http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/stretch/main/installer-armhf/current/images/hd-media/SD-card-images/

I noticed there appears to be a specific device tree imx6q-utilite-pro.dtb

Maybe the creation of u-boot image
http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/stretch/main/installer-armhf/current/images/u-boot/
and firmware image can follow Debian specific recipe/process?

Are the Stretch u-boot images based off v2017.05
<https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/collab-maint/u-boot.git/tag/?h=v2017.05>
https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/collab-maint/u-boot.git/

Scott

[Gert Wollny]

Post by Scott
Would like to install Stretch.

I haven't tried this so far, I only updated the Ubuntu to 16.04 by
using a slightly changed libc package (i.e. the limitation on the
kernel version is not true for the libc version provided, only on
Debian and Ubuntu it is forced).

However, so far I always failed to get a reasonable new kernel running.
Today I found this:
https://github.com/jcdutton/linux-utilite/tree/v4.14.6-utilite

Post by Scott
http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/stretch/main/installer-
armhf/current/images/hd-media/SD-card-images/
I noticed there appears to be a specific device tree imx6q-utilite-
pro.dtb

In above repo there is the specific message to use a differnt dtb if
one wants the HDMI port to work.

I'll see how things work out and post the results here, but I guess I
will not try to move to a clean Debian install (yet).

Best,
Gert

[Scott]

If you have a vendor-provided u-boot, you might be able to get it to
work with the debian-installer images, possibly manually loading the
kernel+initrd+dtb from the u-boot prompt and booting. You'll likely need
a serial console connected to troubleshoot.
Good luck!
live well,
vagrant

Thanks vagrant,

Using vendor-provided u-boot, I am getting kernel+initrd+dtb to load
using a boot.scr edited for debian-installer images.  Not able to mount
ramdisk root.

[    0.242990] Unpacking initramfs...
[    0.243373] Initramfs unpacking failed: read error

Can share entire boot.scr, but thinking it could be bootargs or memory
addresses.  Fairly certain ramdisk is last file loaded, so ${filesize}
should work with bootz.

bootargs "root=/dev/ram0 rw console=ttymxc3,115200n8 rootwait panic=10"

setenv loadaddr 0x10800000
setenv fdtaddr 0x15000000
setenv fdt_high 0xffffffff
setenv bootm_low 0x15000000
setenv ramdisk_addr 0x12000000
setenv bootm_size 0x20000000
setenv kernel_file vmlinuz
setenv ramdisk_file initrd.gz

bootz ${loadaddr} ${ramdisk_addr}:${filesize} ${fdtaddr};

I get the same results with debian imx6q-utilite-pro.dtb and
imx6q-cm-fx6.dtb, as well as Compulab imx6q-sbc-fx6.dtb.

Other notes:

boot.scr for debian installer

http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/stretch/main/installer-armhf/current/images/hd-media/

reports

Non-mainline u-boot or old-style mainline u-boot detected.
This boot script uses the unified bootcmd handling of mainline
u-boot >=v2014.10, which is not available on your system.

Compulab has made Stretch images available last January.  I used this
boot.scr as starting point.

http://mediawiki.compulab.com/w/index.php5/CM-FX6:_Linux:_Getting_started#Installation_and_Deployment_Files

[Gert Wollny]

[ 0.242990] Unpacking initramfs...
[ 0.243373] Initramfs unpacking failed: read error
Can share entire boot.scr, but thinking it could be bootargs or
memory addresses. Fairly certain ramdisk is last file loaded, so
${filesize} should work with bootz.
bootargs "root=/dev/ram0 rw console=ttymxc3,115200n8 rootwait
panic=10"
setenv loadaddr 0x10800000
setenv fdtaddr 0x15000000
setenv fdt_high 0xffffffff
setenv bootm_low 0x15000000
setenv ramdisk_addr 0x12000000
setenv bootm_size 0x20000000
setenv kernel_file vmlinuz
setenv ramdisk_file initrd.gz
bootz ${loadaddr} ${ramdisk_addr}:${filesize} ${fdtaddr};
I get the same results with debian imx6q-utilite-pro.dtb and
imx6q-cm-fx6.dtb, as well as Compulab imx6q-sbc-fx6.dtb.

There is another boot partition available in

images/kernel-update.tar.bz2

and this I got to boot. It doesn't have a ramdisk. Currently, I use a
Ubuntu 16.04 userspace with a patched glibc to accept the old kernel
3.0* that was there before though, so for some reason NFS is not
working and NAT seems to be disabled in the kernel (have to
investigate).

boot.scr for debian installer
http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/stretch/main/installer-armhf/cu
rrent/images/hd-media/
reports
Non-mainline u-boot or old-style mainline u-boot detected.
This boot script uses the unified bootcmd handling of mainline
u-boot >=v2014.10, which is not available on your system.
Compulab has made Stretch images available last January. I used
this boot.scr as starting point.

There is a v2015 uboot package available

http://www.compulab.co.il/utilite-computer/wiki/index.php/Utilite_U-
Boot_Update


Best,
Gert

[Scott Tablett]

Post by Gert Wollny
There is another boot partition available in
images/kernel-update.tar.bz2
and this I got to boot. It doesn't have a ramdisk. Currently, I use a
Ubuntu 16.04 userspace with a patched glibc to accept the old kernel
3.0* that was there before though, so for some reason NFS is not
working and NAT seems to be disabled in the kernel (have to
investigate).

Thanks Gert,

You give a good idea having root on sdcard versus ramdisk.  I am not
seeing kernel-update.tar.bz2 in debian installer images folder. Maybe
you are referring to Ubuntu.

ftp://ftp.ca.debian.org/debian/dists/testing/main/installer-armhf/current/images/

Post by Gert Wollny

Post by Scott
boot.scr for debian installer
http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/stretch/main/installer-armhf/cu
rrent/images/hd-media/
reports
Non-mainline u-boot or old-style mainline u-boot detected.
This boot script uses the unified bootcmd handling of mainline
u-boot >=v2014.10, which is not available on your system.
Compulab has made Stretch images available last January. I used
this boot.scr as starting point.

There is a v2015 uboot package available
http://www.compulab.co.il/utilite-computer/wiki/index.php/Utilite_U-
Boot_Update

Thanks for pointing out update.  I updated on-board SPI flash following
the link you provided.
Debian installer boot.scr results in same message.
The Debian boot.scr checks for ${boot_targets} .  This is not set in
Compulab u-boot update.

[Gert Wollny]

Post by Scott Tablett

Post by Gert Wollny
There is another boot partition available in
images/kernel-update.tar.bz2
and this I got to boot. It doesn't have a ramdisk. Currently, I use
a Ubuntu 16.04 userspace with a patched glibc to accept the old
kernel 3.0* that was there before though, so for some reason NFS is
not working and NAT seems to be disabled in the kernel (have to
investigate).

It turned out that iptables-nat is disabled in the kernel and some
module nfsd is missing.

unfortunately, I did an upgrade on my userspace and now it seems that
systemd has troubles with the kernel and stops booting after the
Ubuntu-blabla message, so i can not tell you much more right now.

Post by Scott Tablett
Thanks Gert,
You give a good idea having root on sdcard versus ramdisk. I am not
seeing kernel-update.tar.bz2 in debian installer images folder.
Maybe you are referring to Ubuntu.
ftp://ftp.ca.debian.org/debian/dists/testing/main/installer-
armhf/current/images/

I was referring to

http://www.compulab.com/products/computer-on-modules/cm-fx6/#devres

This package includes the closed source driver for the graphics card,
but one should be able to use the config as a base for creating a new
4.14.16 based kernel that has etnavi support. In fact, I build such a
kernel that also booted and mounted the root partition, but then
systemd hangs same like with the kernel provided by compulab.

Post by Scott Tablett
Thanks for pointing out update. I updated on-board SPI flash
following the link you provided.
Debian installer boot.scr results in same message.
The Debian boot.scr checks for ${boot_targets} . This is not set in
Compulab u-boot update.

When I look at this boot.scr then you have to set many parameters to
run this, but I don't know much about uboot

best,
Gert

[Scott]

Post by Gert Wollny

Post by Gert Wollny
There is another boot partition available in
images/kernel-update.tar.bz2
and this I got to boot. It doesn't have a ramdisk. Currently, I use
a Ubuntu 16.04 userspace with a patched glibc to accept the old
kernel 3.0* that was there before though, so for some reason NFS is
not working and NAT seems to be disabled in the kernel (have to
investigate).

It turned out that iptables-nat is disabled in the kernel and some
module nfsd is missing.
unfortunately, I did an upgrade on my userspace and now it seems that
systemd has troubles with the kernel and stops booting after the
Ubuntu-blabla message, so i can not tell you much more right now.
I was referring to
http://www.compulab.com/products/computer-on-modules/cm-fx6/#devres
This package includes the closed source driver for the graphics card,
but one should be able to use the config as a base for creating a new
4.14.16 based kernel that has etnavi support. In fact, I build such a
kernel that also booted and mounted the root partition, but then
systemd hangs same like with the kernel provided by compulab.
best,
Gert

Gert,

If you want to give the debian installation a try, I can try explaining
my approach.

I intend to use Utilite Pro as gateway between Internet Service Provider
(ISP) and LAN.  So, I intend to only test ethernet.  Looks good. 
Currently using enp1s0 to remotely administer via ssh. Installer also
discovered eth0.

I did plug in HDMI and usb keyboard out of curiosity.  They worked too. 
I only used tty, not X Window System/desktop.

Scott

[Scott]

Stretch is based off of u-boot 2016.11, the upstream version available
at the time stretch froze.
I don't see any mention of utilite models in upstream u-boot, so it's
not possible to provide pre-built bootable debian-installer images.
If you have a vendor-provided u-boot, you might be able to get it to
work with the debian-installer images, possibly manually loading the
kernel+initrd+dtb from the u-boot prompt and booting. You'll likely need
a serial console connected to troubleshoot.
Good luck!
live well,
vagrant

Thanks Vagrant,

Curious if I am overlooking a U-Boot option/parameter/command for
loading initrd.

From the vendor-provided U-Boot prompt, I could not load initrd.gz into
memory without first wrapping with mkimage.  After debian installation,
I found the same case when configuring U-Boot to use bootcmd.  I ended
up wrapping initrd.img-4.9.0-4-armmp.  I suspect his will be a problem
when updating kernel.  Aptitude already shows a security update
available for kernel/image.

The debian-installer appears to have worked correctly with Utilite Pro. 
The installed state had an issue with a usb device constantly
resetting.  Not sure if hardware issue or debian installation. Could not
get U-Boot to recognize usb storage.  Using device without usb, so
turned it off.

Scott

[Vagrant Cascadian]

Post by Scott
Curious if I am overlooking a U-Boot option/parameter/command for
loading initrd.
From the vendor-provided U-Boot prompt, I could not load initrd.gz into
memory without first wrapping with mkimage.  After debian installation,
I found the same case when configuring U-Boot to use bootcmd.  I ended
up wrapping initrd.img-4.9.0-4-armmp.  I suspect his will be a problem
when updating kernel.  Aptitude already shows a security update
available for kernel/image.

Yes, if u-boot was not compiled with CONFIG_SUPPORT_RAW_INITRD, it will
likely require wrapping with mkimage. Many vendor-supplied u-boot images
do not have this feature enabled.


live well,
vagrant