[U-Boot] uboot newbie question on booting ep405 board

[U-Boot] uboot newbie question on booting ep405 board

[David Li]

Hi,

I am new to using uBoot and learning with a EP405 board.

The board is up with the original uBoot that comes with it. But I have
encountered some problems booting up Linux. I wonder if anyone can
give me some hint
or help what went wrong.

Basically I built the Linux uImage and device tree blob for EP 405.
Both were downloaded on to RAM  - uImage at memory 0x200000 and
ep405.dtb at 0x4000000.

When I used "bootm" to boot the
kernel, I always get "Bad Magic Number" like this:


=> bootm 0x2000000 - 0x4000000
## Booting image at 02000000 ...
   Image Name:   Linux-3.7.8
   Image Type:   PowerPC Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
   Data Size:    2571848 Bytes =  2.5 MB
   Load Address: 00000000
   Entry Point:  00000000
   Verifying Checksum ... OK
   Uncompressing Kernel Image ... OK
## Loading RAMDisk Image at 00000000 ...
Bad Magic Number

U-Boot 1.2.0-gd35b508a-dirty (Sep 19 2007 - 14:13:23)

What's wrong? Why it's loading ramdisk at 0000000? I built the kernel
and initramfs together in the uImage.

[U-Boot] uboot newbie question on booting ep405 board

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear David Li,

In message <CAADET=eJPeCkxwsoHP5+D7pijbbHGK1XumGTaaDka-TRRVRh8A@mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
> 
> I am new to using uBoot and learning with a EP405 board.

Which exact board is this?

> Basically I built the Linux uImage and device tree blob for EP 405.
> Both were downloaded on to RAM  - uImage at memory 0x200000 and
> ep405.dtb at 0x4000000.

Note that these addresses are way too low in any case.

> When I used "bootm" to boot the
> kernel, I always get "Bad Magic Number" like this:
> 
> 
> => bootm 0x2000000 - 0x4000000
> ## Booting image at 02000000 ...
>    Image Name:   Linux-3.7.8
>    Image Type:   PowerPC Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
>    Data Size:    2571848 Bytes =  2.5 MB

Even your compressed kernel is bigger than the 2 MB where you load it;
when uncompressing, it will overwrite both the tail of the UImage
itself, and the DTB.

> ## Loading RAMDisk Image at 00000000 ...
> Bad Magic Number

Did you now wonder why it's talking about a ramdisk here?  You did not
pass a ramdisk address (at least you did not mean to).

> U-Boot 1.2.0-gd35b508a-dirty (Sep 19 2007 - 14:13:23)
> 
> What's wrong? Why it's loading ramdisk at 0000000? I built the kernel
> and initramfs together in the uImage.

Your U-Boot is more than 6 years old; that is not only stone age, but
even long before the introduction of device tree support.  You cannot
use this ancient U-Boot version to boot a recent LInux kernel with
device tree support.

PLease update to a recent U-Boot version, or stick with Linux kernel
versions of similar age, i. e. something like v2.6.19 or v.2.6.20
(yes, this is old crap, but so is your version of U-Boot).

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for
the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we
are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

[U-Boot] uboot newbie question on booting ep405 board

[David Li]

Hi Wolfgang,

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will try to upgrade the u-boot
to the latest version. buildroot can also build u-boot image. I 'll
look into it.

David


On Sun, Apr 14, 2013 at 10:51 PM, Wolfgang Denk <wd@denx.de> wrote:
> Dear David Li,
>
> In message <CAADET=eJPeCkxwsoHP5+D7pijbbHGK1XumGTaaDka-TRRVRh8A@mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
>>
>> I am new to using uBoot and learning with a EP405 board.
>
> Which exact board is this?
>
>> Basically I built the Linux uImage and device tree blob for EP 405.
>> Both were downloaded on to RAM  - uImage at memory 0x200000 and
>> ep405.dtb at 0x4000000.
>
> Note that these addresses are way too low in any case.
>
>> When I used "bootm" to boot the
>> kernel, I always get "Bad Magic Number" like this:
>>
>>
>> => bootm 0x2000000 - 0x4000000
>> ## Booting image at 02000000 ...
>>    Image Name:   Linux-3.7.8
>>    Image Type:   PowerPC Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
>>    Data Size:    2571848 Bytes =  2.5 MB
>
> Even your compressed kernel is bigger than the 2 MB where you load it;
> when uncompressing, it will overwrite both the tail of the UImage
> itself, and the DTB.
>
>> ## Loading RAMDisk Image at 00000000 ...
>> Bad Magic Number
>
> Did you now wonder why it's talking about a ramdisk here?  You did not
> pass a ramdisk address (at least you did not mean to).
>
>> U-Boot 1.2.0-gd35b508a-dirty (Sep 19 2007 - 14:13:23)
>>
>> What's wrong? Why it's loading ramdisk at 0000000? I built the kernel
>> and initramfs together in the uImage.
>
> Your U-Boot is more than 6 years old; that is not only stone age, but
> even long before the introduction of device tree support.  You cannot
> use this ancient U-Boot version to boot a recent LInux kernel with
> device tree support.
>
> PLease update to a recent U-Boot version, or stick with Linux kernel
> versions of similar age, i. e. something like v2.6.19 or v.2.6.20
> (yes, this is old crap, but so is your version of U-Boot).
>
> Best regards,
>
> Wolfgang Denk
>
> --
> DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
> HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
> Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
> We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for
> the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we
> are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

[U-Boot] uboot newbie question on booting ep405 board

[David Li]

Hi Wolfgang or others:

I am trying to build a new uboot image version 2013.01.01 in
buildroot. The buildroot "make menuconfig" asks for "uboot board
name". I tried to give it "EP405" but this failed the build as it
wasn't able to find such a configuration. How can I find out about the
right name for the board used by buildroot? I think my board is just a
generic ppc board and should have been supported long ago.

Thanks.

David


On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 10:55 AM, David Li <w.david.li@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Wolfgang,
>
> Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will try to upgrade the u-boot
> to the latest version. buildroot can also build u-boot image. I 'll
> look into it.
>
> David
>
>
> On Sun, Apr 14, 2013 at 10:51 PM, Wolfgang Denk <wd@denx.de> wrote:
>> Dear David Li,
>>
>> In message <CAADET=eJPeCkxwsoHP5+D7pijbbHGK1XumGTaaDka-TRRVRh8A@mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
>>>
>>> I am new to using uBoot and learning with a EP405 board.
>>
>> Which exact board is this?
>>
>>> Basically I built the Linux uImage and device tree blob for EP 405.
>>> Both were downloaded on to RAM  - uImage at memory 0x200000 and
>>> ep405.dtb at 0x4000000.
>>
>> Note that these addresses are way too low in any case.
>>
>>> When I used "bootm" to boot the
>>> kernel, I always get "Bad Magic Number" like this:
>>>
>>>
>>> => bootm 0x2000000 - 0x4000000
>>> ## Booting image at 02000000 ...
>>>    Image Name:   Linux-3.7.8
>>>    Image Type:   PowerPC Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
>>>    Data Size:    2571848 Bytes =  2.5 MB
>>
>> Even your compressed kernel is bigger than the 2 MB where you load it;
>> when uncompressing, it will overwrite both the tail of the UImage
>> itself, and the DTB.
>>
>>> ## Loading RAMDisk Image at 00000000 ...
>>> Bad Magic Number
>>
>> Did you now wonder why it's talking about a ramdisk here?  You did not
>> pass a ramdisk address (at least you did not mean to).
>>
>>> U-Boot 1.2.0-gd35b508a-dirty (Sep 19 2007 - 14:13:23)
>>>
>>> What's wrong? Why it's loading ramdisk at 0000000? I built the kernel
>>> and initramfs together in the uImage.
>>
>> Your U-Boot is more than 6 years old; that is not only stone age, but
>> even long before the introduction of device tree support.  You cannot
>> use this ancient U-Boot version to boot a recent LInux kernel with
>> device tree support.
>>
>> PLease update to a recent U-Boot version, or stick with Linux kernel
>> versions of similar age, i. e. something like v2.6.19 or v.2.6.20
>> (yes, this is old crap, but so is your version of U-Boot).
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Wolfgang Denk
>>
>> --
>> DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
>> HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
>> Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
>> We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for
>> the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we
>> are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

[U-Boot] uboot newbie question on booting ep405 board

[Stefan Roese]

Hi David,

On 19.04.2013 01:24, David Li wrote:
> I am trying to build a new uboot image version 2013.01.01 in
> buildroot. The buildroot "make menuconfig" asks for "uboot board
> name". I tried to give it "EP405" but this failed the build as it
> wasn't able to find such a configuration. How can I find out about the
> right name for the board used by buildroot? I think my board is just a
> generic ppc board and should have been supported long ago.

IIRC, then the "EP405" board was has never been supported in mainline
U-Boot. From the Linux kernel (which seem to support it) I can see that
it is the "Embedded Planet EP405" board. Is this correct?

I think you have 2 options:

a) Get the U-Boot sources from the board vendor and modify/port it to
the latest version.

b) Port U-Boot to the EP405 from scratch using some other 405 boards as
reference. That should no be that hard.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Stefan