debootstrap method does not boot

Hello all, I am in troubles... Well, i need an armel image without graphical desktop. I've tried to install Linux, but when I remove DE i break something and i does not work anymore (same thing with Debian). Big troubles with NetworkManager, that i don't need and don't want. So i decide to create my own Debian armel "minimal" image with debootstrap method. Followed the guide EXACTLY step by step, but Udoo does not boot. Can you help me to find the reason? Thanks

 

hi,

stupid question - why don't you use the debian-image from this thread: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=251

anyway... if you connect to it via serial during boot, you should see some messages - including why it isn't booting.
or is there no message at all?

 

thanks for the reply, Mathias. Well, i've tried the image you suggest me, but the one without DE is an armhf one, which doesn't work for me (maybe due to a libusb error) so i want a "server edition" armel. By the way, i did not try to connect with serial, i will try soon. Thanks again

EDIT: with serial don't see nothing (black screen...)

 

Is there a way to check if U-Boot has been written correctly on The SD card?

 

no way, it does not boot.. But i have one doubt now.. I have partition my SD with a huge 16Gb ext3 one, this is what fdisk tells me

Code:

Disk /dev/sdc: 15.7 GB, 15719727104 bytes
255 testine, 63 settori/tracce, 1911 cilindri, totale 30702592 settori
Unità = settori di 1 * 512 = 512 byte
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Identificativo disco: 0x000c5093

Dispositivo Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1            4096    30701567    15348736   83  Linux

So, the command described in the guide

Code:

 (Replace u-boot-q.bin with the name of the U-Boot file you downloaded)
   dd if=u-boot-q.bin of=/dev/sdb bs=512 seek=2 skip=2
   NOTE: We are using /dev/sdb here, NOT sdb1, Also, be sure sdb is the sd card

is good for me or i have to specific some other parameters? I've read somewhere that u-boot MUST BE at 1024, but my partition starts at 4096.
is it writed anyway even if space 0-4095 is "not allocated"?
Thanks

 

offset of 1024 sounds right to me.

 

Hello Lifeboat_Jim, but that command does not work (not booting at all, serial console don't show anything) BTW i have no problems with precompiled images. So what's the clue? I have to format my SD card in other way?

 

Everything I've read says the MicroSD card should be formatted as FAT32.

Thanks,
EBrown

 

Well, no, The tutorial from eLinux says to format sdcard with ext3

 

ext3 is fine for it - but how much space did you leave in front of the ext3-partition?

you have to keep in mind to leave space for uboot, as it isn't flashed to this partition, but to the sd-card directly (meaning it has to be before this partition)
if you didn't leave enough space (I'm using 10MB atm), you will overwrite the first part of your partition, which might cause your partition not to boot correctly.

another thing i just noticed - in the post above you have sdc1 as your sd-card... but the dd-command you posted uses of=/dev/sdb - which would not write uboot to the sd-card, but to "something" else... whatever sdb is.

 

Hello mathias, in effect i was suspecting that there no will be enough space at start of SDcard, i left 2047 blocks, maybe is too small?
Now i will try with 10mega
PS. of course i have adapted the example above to my correct path..

 

I have the same problem.Uformated 10mb,and 15gb in ext3. I follow 3 tutorials,no errors,but black screen at boot

 

Got it!!!!!!! this is the command:

Code:

dd if=u-boot.imx of=/dev/<your-sd-card> bs=1k seek=1

and it works... No wait, i can see uboot output messages, like this

Code:

mmc0 is current device
Failed to mount ext2 filesystem...

ext2? why? Obiviously system don't start...

 

Success!! i unmount all partitions of /Dev/sdx ,(look sdx with fdisk -l)
I install ubuntu 13.04 armhf core, for de moment no gui, i will install unity, if no work, gnome.

 

well, weird things with u-boot...
1. i have changed some bootenv parameters, but even i reflash "fresh" u-boot on sdcard, i will not reset the custom commands. Where "config files" are stored in? BTW, i erase whole SD card (dd if=/dev/zero) then reflash u-boot and then it restarts. but..
2. I have this error:

Code:

## Booting kernel from Legacy Image at 12000000 ...
   Image Name:   Linux-3.0.35
   Image Type:   ARM Linux Kernel Image (uncompressed)
   Data Size:    4372604 Bytes = 4.2 MiB
   Load Address: 10008000
   Entry Point:  10008000
   Verifying Checksum ... Bad Data CRC

So, u-boot finds the uImage but won't load it? Why? (sha-1 is correct)

 

Up for me.. Anybody had The same issue? FYI i have reflashed a precompiled image (debian armhf) and all worked..