Dec 25th image for Cubie a5e is not a bootable image

[Meestor_X]

PSA - 
trunk 130 is not a bootable image.

trunk 100 works fine.

[Werner]

Provide logs

[Meestor_X]

[Werner]

Balenaetcher is known to cause trouble. Use USBimager or Armbian imager

https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_Getting-Started/

[Meestor_X]

But... every other image I've ever created with Balena has been fine? Dozens of armbian images including trunk 100...
Trunk 130 image is working fine for you on the a5e?

[Werner]

I don't have this hardware. However the last merged PR messing with code for this board/SoC was tested by Igor and he stated it boots just fine. 

[ariel1]

Can confirm that version trunk 130 is not bootable. Tried with balenaEtcher and Win32DiskImager.
Looks like trunk 130 is a GPT image unlike the older ones.

[eselarm]

There is at least no primary GPT, all zeros from 0x200-0x20000

Fixed with:

# gdisk  Armbian_community_26.2.0-trunk.130_Radxa-cubie-a5e_trixie_edge_6.18.2_minimal.img
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 1.0.10

Caution: invalid main GPT header, but valid backup; regenerating main header
from backup!

Warning: Invalid CRC on main header data; loaded backup partition table.
Warning! Main and backup partition tables differ! Use the 'c' and 'e' options
on the recovery & transformation menu to examine the two tables.

Warning! Main partition table CRC mismatch! Loaded backup partition table
instead of main partition table!

Warning! One or more CRCs don't match. You should repair the disk!
Main header: ERROR
Backup header: OK
Main partition table: ERROR
Backup partition table: OK

Partition table scan:
  MBR: protective
  BSD: not present
  APM: not present
  GPT: damaged

****************************************************************************
Caution: Found protective or hybrid MBR and corrupt GPT. Using GPT, but disk
verification and recovery are STRONGLY recommended.
****************************************************************************

Command (? for help): w

Final checks complete. About to write GPT data. THIS WILL OVERWRITE EXISTING
PARTITIONS!!

Do you want to proceed? (Y/N): y
OK; writing new GUID partition table (GPT) to Armbian_community_26.2.0-trunk.130_Radxa-cubie-a5e_trixie_edge_6.18.2_minimal.img.
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.

 

[Luca Gerber]

Quote

There is at least no primary GPT, all zeros from 0x200-0x20000

Fixed with:

# gdisk Armbian_community_26.2.0-trunk.130_Radxa-cubie-a5e_trixie_edge_6.18.2_minimal.img GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 1.0.10 Caution: invalid main GPT header, but valid backup; regenerating main header from backup!

...

Thank you very much for that!

[Meestor_X]

Trunk 151 has the same problem.

[Werner]

No logs - no issue.

[Meestor_X]

Huh? How can you create logs when you can't make an image?

Edited 6 hours ago by Meestor_X

[Werner]

For once as stated don't use Balena. use Armbian imager or usbimager

For the other write the image anyway as it is, try to boot and grab serial logs if there is an actual issue or not.

[Werner]

https://paste.armbian.com/etukovewas

[eselarm]

3 hours ago, Meestor_X said:

Huh? How can you create logs when you can't make an image?

For you, 'make an image' means downloading a file from Armbian website and write it to an SD-card. 

For me, 'make an image' means using the Armbian build environment https://github.com/armbian/build to create an image yourself locally on your computer. This is what 'make an image' is.

 

Already 2 people including myself showed that GPT is corrupted in the image file on the Armbian website. You can assume that the bootloader when run on the board itself also detects that, so it won't boot/proceed. So something goes wrong in the Armbian build infrastructure. However, that is what I assume.

 

So up to you confirm by showing the logs of the bootloader. You need serial console cable for that, so you can copy and paste for sharing that log here on the forum.

 

Other option, a step further ahead, is to make an image yourself. You need a Linux computer/environment for it. It also shows very detailed logs, share that.