SD Monolitic image build and flashing steps for BPI R4.

_{2Dependencies for sdcard flashing.2.1Bootloader:
2.2Generate ATF files.
2.3Build instructions for SD image for BPIR4.
2.4Image generating steps for BPIR4.2.4.1Script file expansion.
2.4.2Info regarding script execution
2.5Flashing steps.
3Reference links:
4Issues:}

Dependencies for sdcard flashing.

Bootloader:

Bananapi r4 follows a atf (arm-trusted firmware) flow for device bootup, by default flash memory is present in the device which will be loaded with BL1 and BL1 will be having bl2 address to load bl2 and make device up.

Device bootup flow as mentioned below.

a)BL1: Bootloader one which will be part of flash memory of bpir4 , it will be holding address for bl2.
b)BL2: Bootloader two need to be generated and loaded in a specified sector so that bl1 can load bl2.
c)fip: Firmware image Package which contains firmware components eg bl31.
d)Kernel: Layer which will be acting between hardware and OS.
e)RDKB : RDKB stack or RDKB OS for user interaction.

"Kernel and rdkb rootfs will be generated as part BPIR4 build instructions"

Generate ATF files.

Used below mentioned git repo for generating bl2.img and fip.bin file.
1) https://github.com/frank-w/u-boot/tree/2024-04-bpi → for generating uboot.bin files .
2) https://github.com/frank-w/u-boot/tree/mtk-atf → for generating atf flow bootloader files (bl2.img and fip.bin)

At initial cloned mentioned git code "https://github.com/frank-w/u-boot/tree/2024-04-bpi" , and made below mentioned changes in u-boot env file to make boot-loader compatible in loading kernel and rdkb os at initial boot-up itself.

Bootloader changes wrt RDKB BPIR4 specific. Expand source

diff --git a/build.conf b/build.conf
index 217679e5393..7ee955fd48f 100644
--- a/build.conf
+++ b/build.conf
@@ -2,12 +2,11 @@ uploaduser=$USER
 uploadserver=r2
 uploaddir=/var/lib/tftp
  
-board=bpi-r2
 #board=bpi-r64
 #board=bpi-r2pro
 #board=bpi-r3
 #board=bpi-r3mini
-#board=bpi-r4
+board=bpi-r4
  
 #device=emmc
 #device=spi-nand
diff --git a/uEnv_r4.txt b/uEnv_r4.txt
index dc60a382cd2..0ca9b61df4a 100644
--- a/uEnv_r4.txt
+++ b/uEnv_r4.txt
@@ -1,82 +1,19 @@
 board=bpi-r4
 device=mmc
-partition=0:5
+partition_boot=0:3
 bootenv=uEnv.txt
 bootdevice=sd
-
-fit=bpi-r4.itb
-#bootconf="#conf-2"
-#initrd=rootfs.cpio.zst
-
-loadaddr=0x46000000
-uaddr=0x41e00000
 kaddr=0x46000000
-rdaddr=0x48000000
-
-root=/dev/mmcblk0p6 rootfstype=ext4 rootwait
-console=ttyS0,115200n1 earlycon=uart8250,mmio32,0x11000000
-bootopts=debug=7 mem=3G
-
-#version=-v0
-wifi_en=0
-sata_en=0
-
-usb_part=0:1
-
-nvme_boot=0:1
-nvme_root=/dev/nvme0n1p2
-
-#netboot
-ipaddr=192.168.0.19
-netmask=255.255.255.0
-serverip=192.168.0.10
-
-lstftp=if tftp ${loadaddr} ${serverip}:r4-itbfiles.lst;then setexpr listend ${loadaddr} + ${filesize};mw.b ${listend} 00 2;strings ${loadaddr};else echo "tftp download failed";fi
-askkernel=askenv kernelinput "enter kernel-name:";
-askbootnetfit=run lstftp askkernel;if printenv kernelinput; then setenv bootfile "${kernelinput}"; run bootnetfit;fi
-
-askbootnvme=run usenvme; if test "$device" = "nvme"; then run askkernel;if printenv kernelinput; then setenv fit $kernelinput;run newboot;fi;fi
-
-bootnetfit=run buildargs;if tftp $kaddr ${bootfile}; then bootm $kaddr;fi
-bootfile=bpi-r4.itb
-
-checkenv=test -e ${device} ${partition} ${bootenv}
-loadenvfile=if fatload ${device} ${partition} ${loadaddr} ${bootenv};then env import -t ${loadaddr} ${filesize};else echo "fatload (${bootenv}) failed";fi
-loadenv=if run checkenv;then run loadenvfile;fi
-resetenv=env default -a;printenv;
-
-loadkernel=fatload $device $partition $kaddr ${kernel}
-buildargs=setenv bootargs "board=${board} console=${console} root=${root} ${bootopts}
-
-useusb=if usb info; then usb reset;else usb start;fi; if ls usb $usb_part $usb_path; then setenv device usb;setenv partition $usb_part;fi
-usenvme=pci enum; nvme scan;nvme info; if ls nvme $nvme_boot;then setenv device "nvme";setenv partition $nvme_boot;setenv root $nvme_root;else echo "nvme partition not found";fi
-
-useinitrd=setenv bootopts "${bootopts} initrd=${rdaddr},100M";
-checkrd=if printenv initrd;then if fatload ${device} ${partition} ${rdaddr} ${initrd};then run useinitrd;fi;fi
-
-newboot=run checkrd; run setbootconf; run buildargs;if printenv fit;then setenv kernel ${fit};if run loadkernel; then bootm ${kaddr}${bootconf}; fi;fi;
-bootnetfit=run checkrd; run setbootconf;run buildargs;if tftp $kaddr ${bootfile}; then bootm ${kaddr}${bootconf};fi
-
-checkmmc=if mmc partconf 0; then echo "emmc available";mmcdev="emmc";else echo "sd available";mmcdev="sd";fi
-checksata=if test -n "$sata_en" && test $sata_en -eq 1;then setenv satacfg "#sata"; fi
-checkwifi=if test -n "$wifi_en" && test $wifi_en -eq 1;then setenv wificfg "#wifi"; fi
-setbootconf=run checkmmc checksata checkwifi;setenv bootconf "#conf-$mmcdev$version$wificfg$satacfg";printenv bootconf
-
-wrspimnand=if printenv bl2file;then if fatload $device $partition $loadaddr $bl2file;then mtd erase spi-nand0 0x0 0x100000;mtd write spi-nand0 $loadaddr 0x0 0x100000;else echo "loading bl2 $bl2file failed";fi;else echo "bl2file not defined";fi;if printenv fipfile;then if fatload $device $partition $loadaddr $fipfile;then mtd erase spi-nand0 0x580000 0x200000;mtd write spi-nand0 $loadaddr 0x580000 0x200000;else echo "loading fip $fipfile failed";fi;else echo "fipfile not defined";fi
-wremmc=if printenv bl2file;then mmc partconf 0 1 1 1;if fatload $device $partition $loadaddr $bl2file;then mmc erase 0x0 0x400;mmc write ${loadaddr} 0x0 0x400;else echo "loading bl2 $bl2file failed";fi;else echo "bl2file not defined";fi;mmc partconf 0 1 1 0;if printenv fipfile;then if fatload $device $partition $loadaddr $fipfile;then mmc erase 0x3400 0x1000;mmc write ${loadaddr} 0x3400 0x1000;else echo "loading fip $fipfile failed";fi;else echo "fipfile not defined";fi
-
-bootdelay=0
-bootcmd=setenv bootdelay 3; run loadenv;bootmenu;
-
-lskernel=ls ${device} ${partition};
-askkernel=askenv kernelinput "enter kernel name:";
-
-boot0=run lskernel;run askkernel;if printenv kernelinput ;then setenv fit ${kernelinput}; run newboot; fi;
-
-bootmenu_0=1. Enter kernel-name to boot from SD/EMMC.=run boot0
-bootmenu_1=2. Boot kernel from TFTP.=run askbootnetfit
-bootmenu_2=3. Boot from SD/EMMC.=run newboot
-bootmenu_3=4. Boot kernel from NVME.=run askbootnvme
+loadaddr=0x60000000
+bootenv=uEnv.txt
+kernel=fitImage
+fit=mt7988a-bananapi-bpi-r4-sd.dtb
  
-bootmenu_default=2
+bootmenu_0=1. Load image from sdcard .=run rdkb_bpir4
+bootargs=earlycon console=ttyS0,115200 root=/dev/mmcblk0p4 rootfstype=ext4 rw rootwait  debug=7
+rdkb_bpir4=run rdkb-kernel ;run rdkb-dtb ;run rdkb-run
+rdkb-dtb=fatload mmc 0\:3 ${loadaddr} ${fit}
+rdkb-kernel=fatload mmc 0\:3 ${kaddr} ${kernel} 
+rdkb-run=bootm ${kaddr} - ${loadaddr}
  
+bootcmd=setenv bootdelay 3 ;bootmenu;

After making changes just executed build.sh script file. After complete execution of this script file, we can see u-boot.* files will be generated in specific folder.

File after build.sh script execution Expand source

In other folder clone "https://github.com/frank-w/u-boot/tree/mtk-atf", and copy all u-boot.* files from existing generated folder to this specific folder and make below mentioned changes, then execute build.sh script.

Changes in atf Expand source

After completion of script execution we can see bl2.img and fip.bin files will be generated in build/mt7988/release path.

heam@Dell-OptiPlex-9020:~/bootloader/atf/u-boot/build/mt7988/release$ ls
bl2 bl2.bin bl2.img bl31 bl31.bin fdts fip.bin lib libc libfdt libwrapper romlib

Build instructions for SD image for BPIR4.

Generated bl2.img and fip.bin files need to be include in meta-cmf-bananapi layer.

BPIR4 build instructios for generating sdcard image.

repo init -u https://code.rdkcentral.com/r/manifests -b kirkstone -m rdkb-bpi-extsrc.xml
repo sync -j `nproc` --no-clone-bundle --no-tags
MACHINE=bananapi4-rdk-broadband BPI_IMG_TYPE=sdmmc source meta-cmf-bananapi/setup-environment-refboard-rdkb
bitbake rdk-generic-broadband-image

`Image generating steps for BPIR4.`

After completion of build go to deploy folder and execute "bpir4_sd_image_creater.sh" script file, to generate final sdcard image.

Script file expansion.

Image Generator script info Expand source

`Info regarding` script execution

Script execution creating sdcard image. Expand source

bananapi4-rdk-broadband$ ./bpir4_sd_image_creater.sh
create bpi-r4_sdmmc_rdk-broadband-image.img
run losetup to assign image bpi-r4_sdmmc_rdk-broadband-image.img to loopdev /dev/loop24 (loop24)
Creating new GPT entries in memory.
Warning: The kernel is still using the old partition table.
The new table will be used at the next reboot or after you
run partprobe(8) or kpartx(8)
The operation has completed successfully.
Setting name!
partNum is 0
Warning: The kernel is still using the old partition table.
The new table will be used at the next reboot or after you
run partprobe(8) or kpartx(8)
The operation has completed successfully.
Setting name!
partNum is 1
Warning: The kernel is still using the old partition table.
The new table will be used at the next reboot or after you
run partprobe(8) or kpartx(8)
The operation has completed successfully.
Setting name!
partNum is 2
Warning: The kernel is still using the old partition table.
The new table will be used at the next reboot or after you
run partprobe(8) or kpartx(8)
The operation has completed successfully.
Setting name!
partNum is 3
Warning: The kernel is still using the old partition table.
The new table will be used at the next reboot or after you
run partprobe(8) or kpartx(8)
The operation has completed successfully.
480+1 records in
480+1 records out
246069 bytes (246 kB, 240 KiB) copied, 0.165271 s, 1.5 MB/s
562+1 records in
562+1 records out
288153 bytes (288 kB, 281 KiB) copied, 0.0626902 s, 4.6 MB/s
mkfs.fat 4.2 (2021-01-31)
mke2fs 1.46.5 (30-Dec-2021)
Discarding device blocks: done                            
Creating filesystem with 1689600 4k blocks and 422656 inodes
Filesystem UUID: 2ec68480-e1a2-4c40-aadb-b739a3edf4af
Superblock backups stored on blocks: 
    32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736, 1605632
 
Allocating group tables: done                            
Writing inode tables: done                            
Creating journal (16384 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done 
 
539116+0 records in
539116+0 records out
276027392 bytes (276 MB, 263 MiB) copied, 2.14511 s, 129 MB/s
packing image...
heam@Dell-OptiPlex-9020:~/Downloads/BPIR4_latest_23_oct/bananapi4-rdk-broadband$ ls
atf
bpir4_sd_image_creater.sh
bpi-r4_sdmmc_rdk-broadband-image.img.gz
fitImage
fitImage-1-5.4.271+git0+feeb59687b_3fec063b05-r0-bananapi4-rdk-broadband-20241023065547.bin
fitImage-bananapi4-rdk-broadband.bin
fitImage-its-1-5.4.271+git0+feeb59687b_3fec063b05-r0-bananapi4-rdk-broadband-20241023065547.its
fitImage-its-bananapi4-rdk-broadband
fitImage-linux.bin-1-5.4.271+git0+feeb59687b_3fec063b05-r0-bananapi4-rdk-broadband-20241023065547.bin
fitImage-linux.bin-bananapi4-rdk-broadband
hash-summary
modules-1-5.4.271+git0+feeb59687b_3fec063b05-r0-bananapi4-rdk-broadband-20241023065547.tgz
modules-bananapi4-rdk-broadband.tgz
mt7988a-bananapi-bpi-r4-sd-1-5.4.271+git0+feeb59687b_3fec063b05-r0-bananapi4-rdk-broadband-20241023065547.dtb
mt7988a-bananapi-bpi-r4-sd-bananapi4-rdk-broadband.dtb
mt7988a-bananapi-bpi-r4-sd.dtb
rdkb-generic-broadband-image_rdk-next_20241023114221.bin.ext4
rdkb-generic-broadband-image_rdk-next_20241023114221.bin.manifest
rdkb-generic-broadband-image_rdk-next_20241023114221.bin.squashfs-xz
rdkb-generic-broadband-image_rdk-next_20241023114221.testdata.json
rdk-generic-broadband-image-bananapi4-rdk-broadband.ext4
rdk-generic-broadband-image-bananapi4-rdk-broadband.manifest
rdk-generic-broadband-image-bananapi4-rdk-broadband.squashfs-xz
rdk-generic-broadband-image-bananapi4-rdk-broadband-sysupgrade.bin
rdk-generic-broadband-image-bananapi4-rdk-broadband.testdata.json
heam@Dell-OptiPlex-9020:~/Downloads/BPIR4_latest_23_oct/bananapi4-rdk-broadband$ 

After completion of script execution, final image will be generated with "bpi-r4_sdmmc_rdk-broadband-image.img.gz" image name.

Image can be flashed to sdcard using dd command or balenaEtcher.

Flashing steps.

1)Image generated after execution of script "bpi-r4_sdmmc_rdk-broadband-image.img.gz"can be flashed directly to sdcard using dd command or balenaEtcher.
2)For 2nd time flashing you can follow below mentioned flashing instructions instead if executing script,but use existing sdcard only.

BPIR4 2nd time flashing instructions. Expand source

Reference links:

ATF: https://trustedfirmware-a.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

Issues:

Facing permission issue if i try to automate the script using bbclass.
-losetup utility is working in yocto but permission issue is there when i try to access looping devices.

losetup: /dev/loop7: failed to set up loop device: Permission denied

So, Working on alternative ways for creating sdcard image using wic utility. Simultaneously analysing yocto layers for creating sdcard image based of ATF flow.
-Jira for tracking this issue. RDKBACCL-429 - Getting issue details... STATUS

RDK Resources

[RDK Preferred]

Code Management Facility

RDK Forums

[RDK Conferences]

RDK Support

Archives

In the News!

_{2Dependencies for sdcard flashing.2.1Bootloader:
2.2Generate ATF files.
2.3Build instructions for SD image for BPIR4.
2.4Image generating steps for BPIR4.2.4.1Script file expansion.
2.4.2Info regarding script execution
2.5Flashing steps.
3Reference links:
4Issues:}

Dependencies for sdcard flashing.

Bootloader:

Generate ATF files.

Build instructions for SD image for BPIR4.

`Image generating steps for BPIR4.`

Script file expansion.

`Info regarding` script execution

Flashing steps.

Reference links:

Issues:

RDK Resources

[*RDK Preferred*]

Code Management Facility

RDK Forums

[RDK Conferences]

RDK Support

Archives

In the News!

SD Monolitic image build and flashing steps for BPI R4.

2Dependencies for sdcard flashing.2.1Bootloader:2.2Generate ATF files.2.3Build instructions for SD image for BPIR4.2.4Image generating steps for BPIR4.2.4.1Script file expansion.2.4.2Info regarding script execution2.5Flashing steps.3Reference links:4Issues:

Dependencies for sdcard flashing.

Bootloader:

Generate ATF files.

Build instructions for SD image for BPIR4.

Image generating steps for BPIR4.

Script file expansion.

Info regarding script execution

Flashing steps.

Reference links:

Issues:

[RDK Preferred]

_{2Dependencies for sdcard flashing.2.1Bootloader:
2.2Generate ATF files.
2.3Build instructions for SD image for BPIR4.
2.4Image generating steps for BPIR4.2.4.1Script file expansion.
2.4.2Info regarding script execution
2.5Flashing steps.
3Reference links:
4Issues:}

`Image generating steps for BPIR4.`

`Info regarding` script execution