Bring up for Odroid N2 (Meson G12B)

[martinayotte]

1 hour ago, balbes150 said:

With new DTB files and "install.sh", I was able to install and run Armbian Server with kernel 5.1 in eMMC.

It didn't work for me, "load average" issue still there and copy still stuck in /usr ...

[Brad]

On 5/25/2019 at 10:14 PM, martinayotte said:

It didn't work for me, "load average" issue still there and copy still stuck in /usr ...

I have just seen this issue on the 5.2-rc integration branch,  to get mmc booting I needed to ensure I did try to remount any disks from fstab (it would crash here).  When I did get it to boot if I pushes the mmc hard it hung (waiting on mmc) and load slowly increased with a lot of io wait.  SD card does not have this issue. and usb seems fine.

 

Trying to find a solution and this looks interesting which I am yet to try...

 

https://lkml.org/lkml/2019/5/23/574

 

Edit:  the problem can occur with sd card as well after some time,  will try the patch above

 

Edit: mmc / sd problems seem to have disappeared wtih patch above

[balbes150]

The new version of activate the multi-boot 0.3. It fixes bugs and adds the ability to easily configure the order of polling devices to run. This is the default order.

 

setenv mmc_list "1 0"
setenv boot_order "boot_usb boot_mmc boot_mmc_distro boot_rawimage boot_pxe boot_spi"

 

You can easily change it without using the UART console. It is enough to edit the file "set_boot_order.ini" (this is a plain text file), specify the desired order of the survey (you can remove unnecessary items or add your own). Write the edited file to the SD card named "boot.ini" to connect to N2 and to turn the power on. Automatically starts the script and writes a new SPI parameters of the survey and launch systems. Please note that changing the order will work only after the initial activation of multiloading from SPI. By the way, for those who have already completed the activation of the previous version n2_autoscript to upgrade to a new version does not require the console UART. Record to USB flash drive new file (n2_autoscript)  filename "boot.scr", connect to N2 and power on. The script will update the multiload to the new version.

 

Similar changes I added to my version of u-boot , which is recorded in the images Armbian (to run from the SD\mmc). If HK representatives are interested, I can send PR to their GIT u-boot and they will be able to build a new version of u-boot for SPI, so that any user could easily add to their N2 the ability to run any systems from any media immediately from SPI, using the official HK site, without using the UART console.

[balbes150]

Does anyone have a chance to download this container ? I want to try to bring the image to update the SPI enable multi-boot, to be able to activate multiboot on any N2 without the use of conosle UART.

 

https://wiki.odroid.com/odroid-n2/software/using_docker

[balbes150]

Checked the patch , pointed out by @Brad (thanks for the tip). With him eMMC with kernel 5.1 works flawlessly (work install to eMMC). Uploaded new images 20190528 with kernel 5.1 to the site.

[soerenderfor]

Hi Balbes150.

 

I have tried to get the different image to work, but no luck. I think i am doing it wrong.

Will you please help me with at detailed guide, how to get boot from SSD working?

 

Thanks.

[martinayotte]

10 hours ago, balbes150 said:

Checked the patch , pointed out by @Brad (thanks for the tip).

Right ! Thanks !

 

[balbes150]

Continue development. New version 0.4 of the multi-boot.

The new version now uses a single startup scheme for all media (USB SD eMMC) using standard files, the basic "boot.ini" and rezervna "boot.scr." For proper operation of the " boot.ini" with USB media they should be adjusted (added new options to run from USB). New activation files "n2_autoscript.ini" and new option "boot.ini" with USB startup support are in the new 0.4 directory.

 

Pay attention, now changed the order of activation of multi-boot. To activate using the new file "n2_autoscript.ini". A new set of commands to activate.

 

I downloaded the scripts to activate the system startup from USB. The order of use

 

https://yadi.sk/d/WrgbX_4ZSlnOXg

.

1. Burn image to USB.

2. Download the files and add to the image.

3. Switch to start u-boot with SPI.

4. In the UART console, stop startup. (CTRL+C)

5. Execute the command.

 

usb start

fatload usb 0 3000000 n2_autoscript.ini

source 3000000

 

At the same time the updated images with the new version of multi-boot 5.87_20190529.

[balbes150]

15 hours ago, soerenderfor said:

I have tried to get the different image to work, but no luck. I think i am doing it wrong.

Will you please help me with at detailed guide, how to get boot from SSD working?

Write down in detail what steps you are taking. And show the contents of your  file "boot.ini"

[soerenderfor]

I have burned the image to my USB-SSD with 'mkusb' in Armbian.

 

And just renamed your set_boot_order.ini to boot.ini.

 

And after i switch to SPI, i then access into petitboot. But your have nothing with mentioned with petitboot. So maybe the problem is here?

 

I have no UART cable, but i was hoping it could be done without.

 

Thanks.

[balbes150]

54 minutes ago, soerenderfor said:

I have no UART cable, but i was hoping it could be done without. 

In order to be able to use direct launch from USB , you need to make changes to ENV for SPI. This can be done through the UART console (this method is described TV this topic), or if release a new version of Piteboot for N2 with these additions. I've suggested to HK representatives to do this through an official update Piteboot SPI, but no response has been received yet. I can collect  own version of this upgrade Piteboot, but I think that this way should be collected, verified and submitted officially from HK. If HK will release such update, I am ready to send to GIT HK for u-boot SPI the necessary patch.

[soerenderfor]

Thanks, i hope HK will thank you. And agree to take it.

[JuanjoAr]

On 5/10/2019 at 12:30 PM, Igor said:

I noticed problems with zram but then it would need to wait few more days. It is strange why zram doesn't work oob while it does work on other boards by using the same build system. I checked kernel config, which seems fine and I will check and try to fix this next time, perhaps someone else will. It will be good to add a mainline kernel, no matter how good or bad support is there.

 

Advertisement + change log is WIP. Many more things has been changed/improved.

 

... but family duties cut them short  I hope to catch this up tomorrow.

@Igor regarding zram , i just got some errors visible in dmesg after a day or so of the board being idle

 

root@odroidn2:/home/juanjo# uname -a
Linux odroidn2 4.9.179-odroidn2 #17 SMP PREEMPT Tue May 28 22:32:11 CEST 2019 aarch64 aarch64 aarch64 GNU/Linux

 

 

[43913.709044] zram: Decompression failed! err=-22, page=12681
[43913.709066] zram: Decompression failed! err=-22, page=12681
[43913.709080] zram: Decompression failed! err=-22, page=12681
[43913.709086] Buffer I/O error on dev zram0, logical block 12681, async page read

 

if you want i can do some sort of testing on it. my knowledge on kernels and this kind of stuff is minimal but if i can be of any help let me know.

[NicoD]

2 hours ago, JuanjoAr said:

regarding zram , i just got some errors visible in dmesg after a day or so of the board being idle

Hi. It isn't an Armbian problem, but a problem with the Odroid kernel.
More info here.
https://forum.odroid.com/viewtopic.php?f=177&t=34540&p=253295&hilit=n2+zram#p253295
It's the same with Ubuntu Mate from Odroid. With kernel 5.1 from Balbes zram-config works fine.
I manually configure it after installing zram-config and all works fine. Meveric uses his own script for zram zram-odroid or odroid-zram. That does work on his Stretch.
So that could be a clue. Zram and swap used to not work completely. I'm happy we've found the cause of that. I think this proplem is some crums left that weren't cleaned up.

[wdehoog]

Hi,

 

I managed to boot from an usb stick but only when an SD card is present. If not the console shows:

EMMC:800;NAND:81;SD?:20000;USB:8;LOOP:1;EMMC:800;NAND:81;SD?:20000;USB:8;LOOP:2;

until I insert the SD card. (no EMMC present and switch is in MCC state).

 

I was hoping to be able to boot from USB without the SD card being present. Is that possible?

[Igor]

10 hours ago, wdehoog said:

Is that possible?

Under development:
https://github.com/hardkernel/u-boot/pull/57/files

[wdehoog]

1 hour ago, Igor said:

Under development:
https://github.com/hardkernel/u-boot/pull/57/files

Thanks for answering. Sorry if I misunderstand but I thought that the PR you point to is supposed to make the N2 auto boot from USB. I followed the instructions in this topic and then auto booting from USB seems to work. My issue is that it only works if an SD card is present in the slot.

[balbes150]

New Image for N2 + u-boot-2019     

 

 

 

 

[JuanjoAr]

Good morning people, has there been any progress on this ? would kernel 5.2 improve things ?

 

thanks a lot

Juanjo

[Igor]

2 hours ago, JuanjoAr said:

would kernel 5.2 improve things ?

Development is not happening there but in private Linux forks. Check 5.2 change logs if anything relevant for this board got there with this update.

[TonyMac32]

The G12a and G12b share a lot, but yes, specifically on this board I think 5.3 might be the first to see anything official.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[JuanjoAr]

On 7/12/2019 at 3:43 PM, TonyMac32 said:

The G12a and G12b share a lot, but yes, specifically on this board I think 5.3 might be the first to see anything official.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
 

you're the man. after compiling and installing 5.3rc1 boots out of the box

[TonyMac32]

I wanted this board put under Meson64, we'll have to see, it does not make sense to fragment the support more than it is with another psuedo board family. If mainline is performing well it might be another case of "do we bother with the vendor kernel?"

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[lanefu]

Fyi i ordered an N2 over the weekend hopefully ill have mine to help test soon

[lanefu]

I got my N2.. it's awesome.  Using hardkernels Image right now. 

 

I did a few armbian builds but they didn't seem to boot. (no dhcp lease, no console)  I have to make a JST -> dupont adapter for my serial console.

[lanefu]

On 8/1/2019 at 7:32 AM, lanefu said:

I got my N2.. it's awesome.  Using hardkernels Image right now. 

 

I did a few armbian builds but they didn't seem to boot. (no dhcp lease, no console)  I have to make a JST -> dupont adapter for my serial console.

 

Armbian build with default kernel worked great--Desktop and everything, after a slight u-boot change

 

https://github.com/armbian/build/pull/1498

[Igor]

48 minutes ago, lanefu said:

after a slight u-boot change

Oh, just that?  gr8!

[sensei73]

Hi there, sorry but i'm kinda lost. I have a n2 with Petitboot. what should I do. I just want to install Armbian on a USB SSD. Thanks in advance.

 

Edited August 4, 2019 by sensei73

[Igor]

4 hours ago, sensei73 said:

I just want to install Armbian on a USB SSD.

I am not sure we have added support for booting from SPI but you can boot from eMMC/SD and proceed this way https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_Getting-Started/#how-to-install-to-emmc-nand-sata-usb It should work.

[lanefu]

I am not sure we have added support for booting from SPI but you can boot from eMMC/SD and proceed this way https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_Getting-Started/#how-to-install-to-emmc-nand-sata-usb It should work.

Actually the EMMC ext4 installer didnt work nor BTRFS root

Emmc works if you write image directly to it.