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Booting Linux Kernel using U-Boot - 96Boards

Booting Linux Kernel using U-Boot

This guide provides instructions for loading Linux Kernel from SD card using Das U-Boot (Universal Bootloader)

Table of Contents

1) U-Boot

U-Boot allows loading Linux Kernel from different file systems like FAT32, EXT4 etc… This allows us to place the kernel image and RFS (Root File System) on to SD card and eMMC for booting.

1.1) Building and Flashing U-Boot

The native U-Boot support for HiKey doesn’t directly allows to fetch kernel and device tree blob from any storage medium, it needs a bit of work to be done on the U-Boot command line.

First, Build and Flash U-Boot onto HiKey from below tree using the instructions provided in the README.

U-Boot Tree: https://github.com/Mani-Sadhasivam/u-boot Branch: hikey_mmc_fix

2) Booting Linux Kernel

Following instructions provides information about booting Linux kernel along with Debian distro from U-Boot.

2.1) Preparing uImage

Linux kernel needs to be complied and placed onto the SD card in order to allow U-Boot to load it. For compiling Linux kernel, refer this guide. After compilation, generate U-Boot compatible Linux Image using mkimage utility.

$ sudo apt-get install u-boot-tools
$ mkimage -A arm64 -O linux -C none -T kernel -a 0x00080000 -e 0x00080000 -n HiKey -d arch/arm64/boot/Image uImage

Note: arch/arm64/boot/Image is inside the kernel directory

Once the image has been created successfully, you should get something similar to following output

Image Name:   HiKey
Created:      Thu Dec 20 19:05:49 2018
Image Type:   aarch64 Linux Kernel Image (uncompressed)
Data Size:    20699648 Bytes = 20214.50 kB = 19.74 MB
Load Address: 00080000
Entry Point:  00080000

Now, copy the generated uImage and hi6220-hikey.dtb to FAT32 partition in SD card.

$ sudo cp uImage /path/to/sd
$ sudo cp arch/arm64/boot/dts/hisilicon/hi6220-hikey.dtb /path/to/sd

Note: Replace /path/to/sd with the path of SD card’s FAT32 partition.

2.2) Flashing Debian Root File System

Now, flash the pre built Debian Root File System onto the eMMC as per Installation Guide.

Note: By default, Root File System will be flashed into 9th partition of eMMC

3) Booting Linux using U-Boot

Now, insert the SD card onto HiKey and power on the board. By default, boot will stop at the U-Boot prompt. From there, enter below commands to boot Linux Kernel with Debian Root File System.

=> setenv bootargs 'console=ttyAMA3,115200 root=/dev/mmcblk0p9'
=> load mmc 1:1 $kernel_addr_r uImage
=> load mmc 1:1 $fdt_addr_r hi6220-hikey.dtb
=> bootm $kernel_addr_r - $fdt_addr_r

The above commands will fetch uImage and DTB from SD card and loads onto RAM. Finally, it boots Linux kernel with console and root information passed via bootargs.