Booting linux from at91bootstrap failes

[mattthias]

Hello,

i want to boot a Linux kernel and DTB directly from at91bootstrap. The actual problem happens on a custom hardware but i can reproduce it on the SAMA5D3 Xplained evaluation board.

After copying kernel and dtb to the memory the uImage ssems to booting but the than the error message "Failed to load image" appears.

Code: Select all

  NAND: Image: Copy 0x3963a8 bytes from 0x200000 to 0x22000000
  NAND: dt blob: Copy 0x87ae bytes from 0x180000 to 0x21000000
  try zImage magic: 0x2e342d78 is found
  try uImage magic: 0x27051956 is found

  Booting uImage ......
  Relocating kernel image, dest: 0x20008000, src: 0x22000040
   ...... 0x396368 bytes data transferred

  Using device tree in place at 0x21000000
  NAND: Failed to load image

I checked that kernel and dtb are bootable using at91bootstrap and U-Boot. Anyone an idea what could be wrong here?


What i did:

1. Build a Kernel from linux-at91 (tag: linux4sam_5.7) using the sama_defconfig

   Code: Select all

       git checkout -b matthias/linux4sam_5.7 linux4sam_5.7
       export ARCH=arm
       export CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf-
       make sama5_defconfig
       make -j4  LOADADDR=0x20008000 uImage dtbs
   

2. Build at91bootstrap (with "Debug Level: even louder oputput")

   Code: Select all

       export CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf-
       git checkout -b matthias/v3.8.9 v3.8.9
       make mrproper
       make sama5d3_xplainednf_linux_image_dt_defconfig
       make menuconfig # (for Debug level)
       make
   

3. Flashed the resulting binaries on the board using sam-ba 2.16
   Send Bootfile : sama5d3_xplained-nandflashboot-linux-image-dt-3.8.9.bin
   Send File to 0x180000: at91-sama5d3_xplained.dtb
   Send File to 0x200000: uImage
4. Reset the board and watch the output:

   Code: Select all

     AT91Bootstrap 3.8.9 (Di 9. Jan 09:40:46 CET 2018)
   
     Auto-Config the TWI Bus by the board
     PHY: ETH0 PHY: Enter power down mode
     PHY: ETH1 PHY: Enter power down mode
     twi read: timeout to wait RXRDY bit
     twi read: timeout to wait RXRDY bit
     ACT8865: Disable ACT8865's I2C interface
     NAND: ONFI flash detected
     NAND: Manufacturer ID: 0x2c Chip ID: 0xda
     NAND: Page Bytes: 2048, Spare Bytes: 64
     NAND: ECC Correctability Bits: 4, ECC Sector Bytes: 512
     NAND: Disable On-Die ECC
     PMECC: version is: 0x112
     PMECC: page_size: 2048, oob_size: 64, pmecc_cap: 4, sector_size: 512
     NAND: Initialize PMECC params, cap: 4, sector: 512
     NAND: Image: Copy 0x3963a8 bytes from 0x200000 to 0x22000000
     NAND: dt blob: Copy 0x87ae bytes from 0x180000 to 0x21000000
     try zImage magic: 0x2e342d78 is found
     try uImage magic: 0x27051956 is found
   
     Booting uImage ......
     Relocating kernel image, dest: 0x20008000, src: 0x22000040
      ...... 0x396368 bytes data transferred
   
     Using device tree in place at 0x21000000
     NAND: Failed to load image
   

Best wishes,
Matthias

[blue_z]

Anyone an idea what could be wrong here?

You've provided salient information except for details about your host environment, in particular the toolchain that you're using.
There have been a few instances where changing the toolchain resolved the boot issue, e.g. viewtopic.php?f=33&t=23932&start=15#p50096


Regards

[mattthias]

Hello blue_z, hi *,

You've provided salient information except for details about your host environment, in particular the toolchain that you're using.
There have been a few instances where changing the toolchain resolved the boot issue, e.g. viewtopic.php?f=33&t=23932&start=15#p50096

thanks for the hint! Indeed i use gcc 6 ( https://releases.linaro.org/components/ ... ihf.tar.xz) on Debian GNU/Linux 9.3 (stretch).

Code: Select all

$ arm-linux-gnueabihf-gcc --version
arm-linux-gnueabihf-gcc (Linaro GCC 6.3-2017.05) 6.3.1 20170404

I'll install an older gcc version, try again and report back.

Best wishes,
Matthias

[mattthias]

Here is an update on my problem. As advised i changed the tool chain and tested the following:

- gcc-linaro-4.9.4-2017.01-x86_64_arm-linux-gnueabihf
- gcc-linaro-5.5.0-2017.10-x86_64_arm-linux-gnueabihf
- gcc-linaro-6.3.1-2017.05-x86_64_arm-linux-gnueabihf

I realized that the non "hf" version was mentioned in the other topic and also tested that one:
- gcc-linaro-4.9.4-2017.01-x86_64_arm-linux-gnueabi

and a self built tool chain:
- arm-linux-gcc (crosstool-NG 1.20.0) 4.9.1

I had no success so i just moved one minor version of at91bootstrap back (using v3.8.8 instead of the latest 3.8.9) and it worked. I can use whatever tool chain i want to compile at91bootstrap and can boot the Linux kernel directly from at91bootstrap.

So my solution for now: Stay away from at91bootstrap v3.8.9 and use v3.8.8.

I hope that helps somebody .


Best wishes,
Matthias

[queifaro]

Hello,

uImage should be suitable for u-boot loading, so i think in that case you need to use zImage instead.

Also at91bootstrap can be configured using load Linux directly option ... using make menuconfig to check if your flashing address match both for kernel and dtb image address and size configured in at91bootstrap

I m involved in exactly same needs but on SAMA5D2.... so please share your progress.... if any...

Best
Fabio

[blue_z]

uImage should be suitable for u-boot loading, so i think in that case you need to use zImage instead.

AT91Bootstrap can handle either kernel image.

.... so please share your progress.... if any...

Seems like you didn't read or misread his last post.
Matthias isolated the problem, and is successful in booting Linux using AT91Bootstrap, so long as he uses the older 3.8.8 version.

Regards