I've installed Debian Buster on a "ReadyNAS 102" via u-boot / serial console. I was following this tutorial. But, replaced used different links to download current the Debian installer and Device Tree Blob:
- http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/buster/main/installer-armhf/current/images/device-tree/armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb
- http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/buster/main/installer-armhf/current/images/netboot/initrd.gz
- http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/buster/main/installer-armhf/current/images/netboot/vmlinuz
Installation worked fine, except for the installation of grub (which is known to fail according to the tutorial). Instead you've to manually install/configure the flash-kernel package.
I also had to manually call "mtdpart" to create the uImage and minirootfs partitions to finally be able to successfully run "update-initramfs":
# mtdpart add /dev/mtd0 uImage 0x200000 0x600000
# mtdpart add /dev/mtd0 minirootfs 0x800000 0x1000000
# update-initramfs -u
So far so good. I got the kernel booting, but after booting I've some preconfigured "mtd partitions", which seem to originate from the kernel device tree:
~# cat /proc/mtd
dev: size erasesize name
mtd0: 00180000 00020000 "u-boot"
mtd1: 00020000 00020000 "u-boot-env"
mtd2: 00600000 00020000 "uImage"
mtd3: 00400000 00020000 "minirootfs"
mtd4: 07400000 00020000 "ubifs"
The problem with this is: "minirootfs" is too small (only 4 MB) for the generated initramfs:
# update-initramfs -u -k 4.19.0-6-armmp
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.19.0-6-armmp
Using DTB: armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb
Installing /usr/lib/linux-image-4.19.0-6-armmp/armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb into /boot/dtbs/4.19.0-6-armmp/./armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb
Taking backup of armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb.
Installing new armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb.
Installing /usr/lib/linux-image-4.19.0-6-armmp/armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb into /boot/dtbs/4.19.0-6-armmp/./armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb
Taking backup of armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb.
Installing new armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb.
flash-kernel: installing version 4.19.0-6-armmp
The initial ramdisk is too large. This is often due to the unnecessary inclusion
of all kernel modules in the image. To fix this set MODULES=dep in one or both
/etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/driver-policy (if it exists) and
/etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf and then run 'update-initramfs -u -k 4.19.0-6-armmp'
Not enough space for initrd in MTD 'minirootfs' (need 4971360 but is actually 4194304).
run-parts: /etc/initramfs/post-update.d//flash-kernel exited with return code 1
The new /dev/mtd0 to /dev/mtd4 devices can not be removed, edited or recreated by mtdpart. I also tried to set the mtdparts kernel parameter (which needs to be 'cmdlinepart.mtdparts' due to a bug in buster; I've tried 'mtdparts=' too):
# cat /proc/cmdline
console=ttyS0,115200 cmdlinepart.mtdparts=armada-nand:0x180000@0(u-boot),0x20000@0x180000(u-boot-env),(uImage),0x1000000@0x800000(minirootfs),-(ubi)
The mtd partitions seem to be defined in the *.dtb file that comes with the kernel:
The following message appears in "dmesg" speaking about "5 fixed-partions".
[ 18.310935] 5 fixed-partitions partitions found on MTD device pxa3xx_nand-0
[ 18.318030] Creating 5 MTD partitions on "pxa3xx_nand-0":
root@ReadyNAS102:~# dmesg | grep 'MTD' -A 3
[ 18.310935] 5 fixed-partitions partitions found on MTD device pxa3xx_nand-0
[ 18.318030] Creating 5 MTD partitions on "pxa3xx_nand-0":
(...some other lines...)
[ 18.443214] 0x000000000000-0x000000180000 : "u-boot"
[ 18.497255] 0x000000180000-0x0000001a0000 : "u-boot-env"
[ 18.543756] 0x000000200000-0x000000800000 : "uImage"
[ 18.601234] 0x000000800000-0x000000c00000 : "minirootfs"
[ 18.661169] 0x000000c00000-0x000008000000 : "ubifs"
I tried to edit the *.dtb file that comes with the kernel (/boot/dtbs/4.19.0-6-armmp/armada-370-netgear-rn102.dts) by using the dtc tool:
# dtc -I dtb -O dts armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb > armada-370-netgear-rn102.dts
# editing the *.dts file
# dtc -I dts -O dtb armada-370-netgear-rn102.dts > armada-370-netgear-rn102.dtb
I changed the *.dts file as following:
nand-controller@d0000 {
compatible = "marvell,armada370-nand-controller";
reg = < 0xd0000 0x54 >;
#address-cells = < 0x01 >;
#size-cells = < 0x00 >;
interrupts = < 0x71 >;
clocks = < 0x0d 0x00 >;
status = "okay";
nand@0 {
reg = < 0x00 >;
label = "pxa3xx_nand-0";
nand-rb = < 0x00 >;
marvell,nand-keep-config;
nand-on-flash-bbt;
nand-ecc-strength = < 0x04 >;
nand-ecc-step-size = < 0x200 >;
partitions {
compatible = "fixed-partitions";
#address-cells = < 0x01 >;
#size-cells = < 0x01 >;
partition@0 {
label = "u-boot";
reg = < 0x00 0x180000 >;
read-only;
};
partition@180000 {
label = "u-boot-env";
reg = < 0x180000 0x20000 >;
read-only;
};
partition@200000 {
label = "uImage";
reg = < 0x200000 0x600000 >;
};
partition@800000 {
label = "minirootfs";
reg = < 0x800000 0x1000000 >;
};
partition@c00000 {
label = "ubifs";
reg = < 0xc00000 0x7400000 >;
};
};
};
};
Especially, I changed "reg = < 0x800000 0x400000 >;" to "reg = < 0x800000 0x1000000 >;" for partition@800000:
partition@800000 {
label = "minirootfs";
reg = < 0x800000 0x1000000 >;
};
There's enough space before the "ubifs" partition and I don't use it anyways. But, after a reboot the kernel still tells me about the old settings. How can I fix that?
I could probably manually install "vmlinuz + *.dtb" to the NAND via uboot. But, that would be gone as soon as the next kernel update is installed.
I would prefer the kernel to interpret the "mtdparts" command line parameter.
Any ideas?
EDIT #1:
I now (ab)use the partition "ubifs" instead of "minirootfs" for the initramfs. This works, but I would like to know if there is a more clean solution. Of course, I also had to change my "bootcmd" at u-boot to load/use data from this partition instead:
setenv bootcmd 'nand read 0x2000000 0x200000 0x600000; nand read 0x3000000 0xc00000 0x800000; bootm 0x2000000 0x3000000'
saveenv
reset
