BPI-R2 Centos / Nethserver

Is it possible to install cents on the BiR2? Anyone have any idea how to solve this? I would like to install the Nethserver, on which PI it is already running. How to install Nethserver 7 on a RaspberryPI2/3

here you find the data-structure for Bpi-R2:

you have to burn preloader and uboot before boot-Partition, into boot-partition kernel and uEnv.txt and a root-partition with centOS. except Cent-OS you can modify an existing image (like debian jessie lite) and replace the content of root-Partition (2)

I can only understand how this is supposed to work. How do I get the Ubuntu image to the Centos image? For example, I use the cent image for deb Pi and compile the BPR2 image there?

no, you must use a image for bpi and change the root-partition…copy root-data from pi-cent-image to root-partition of bpi-image

simply unpack the bpi-r2-image, so you have the img-file, mount 2nd Partition as loop-device (google for the correct way…you have to set beginblock while mounting, get it from fdisk) and then copy the content

something like that:

Hello frank-w, hello Kunstlust,

i would also be interested in getting CENTOS on bpi-r2 running. Any success so far? Did anyone have a working CENTOS image for bpi-r2?

Regards

Can anyone tell me if i found the right files?

I found Preloader: https://github.com/BPI-SINOVOIP/BPI-files/blob/master/SD/100MB/BPI-R2-720P-2k.img.gz

I found Bootloader: https://github.com/BPI-SINOVOIP/BPI-files/blob/master/SD/BPI-ROOT/BOOTLOADER-bpi-r2.tgz

Are these the files you meant?

For an easier start youschould use an existing image for bpi-r2 so you don’t care about uboot,preloader and partition structure. You have to create/copy a centos rootfs for armhf to the bpi-root-partition (preserve permissions/ownership!). i dont know is bananapro is also armhf…if yes you can try to copy it…after that install kernel and try to boot

Btw both files are the bootloader (uboot),but as i said,first try to get a booting system before creating image from clean start

CENTOS 7 has an armhf version. I tried it the other way round. I tried to exchange the uboot on the working CENTS armhf version, but that did not work. It always corrupts the partition table of the SD card. I assume due to a different partition scheme than the Allwinner 20 … not sure on this.

I will try your way by exchanging the rootfs and try how far i get.

Regards!

First partition (boot where kernel lies) on bpi-r2 starts at 100mb.uboot (maybe with preloader) starts at 2kb (first 2kb are for partitiontable). Its easier to take an existing image which boots till kernel and than replace only the OS.

2018-01-12-centos-7-lite-v1.0-bpi-r2-sd-emmc.img.zip

centos

use name and password : root/bananapi pi/bananapi

Google Drive:

MD5: 48c39640bd6ce11331dfdce86543e194

1 Like

I will give it try! :wink:

Thanks for the image, so it’s probably no problem to install a Nethserver under the first entry.

Thanks for the image. I tested the image and it seems that the kernel has some small problems:

1.
The kernel seems to have some problems with the MALI GPU chip:

[ 4.816085] [drm] hdmi-audio-codec driver bound to HDMI
[ 4.821307] mediatek-drm-hdmi 14015000.hdmi: Failed to get clocks: -517
[ 4.828216] Mali: ERR: drivers/gpu/arm/mali/linux/mali_kernel_linux.c
[ 4.834641] mali_probe() 523
mali_probe(): Failed to initialize platform device.
[ 4.844134] Mali: Mali device driver loaded
[ 4.861747] brd: module loaded
[ 4.871213] loop: module loaded

According to the LINUX kernel list, this should be fixed in kernel 4.5.xx :slight_smile:
If used as a headless router without rendering hardware support… not relevant!

2.
FAILED] Failed to start Load Kernel Modules.

[root@bifrost ~]# systemctl status systemd-modules-load.service -l
● systemd-modules-load.service - Load Kernel Modules
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/systemd-modules-load.service; static; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Thu 1970-01-01 08:00:10 CST; 48 years 0 months ago
Docs: man:systemd-modules-load.service(8)
man:modules-load.d(5)
Process: 221 ExecStart=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd-modules-load (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
Main PID: 221 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Jan 01 08:00:09 bifrost systemd[1]: Starting Load Kernel Modules…
Jan 01 08:00:10 bifrost systemd-modules-load[221]: Failed to find module ‘bcmdhd’
Jan 01 08:00:10 bifrost systemd[1]: systemd-modules-load.service: main process exited, code=exited,
status=1/FAILURE
Jan 01 08:00:10 bifrost systemd[1]: Failed to start Load Kernel Modules.
Jan 01 08:00:10 bifrost systemd[1]: Unit systemd-modules-load.service entered failed state.
Jan 01 08:00:10 bifrost systemd[1]: systemd-modules-load.service failed.

I assume: Firmware missing for WIFI chip … not sure …

TO BE ANALYZED in detail!

3.
[FAILED] Failed to start Create Volatile Files and Directories.

[root@bifrost ~]# systemctl status systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service -l
● systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service - Create Volatile Files and Directories
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service; static; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Thu 1970-01-01 08:00:11 CST; 48 years 0 months ago
Docs: man:tmpfiles.d(5)
man:systemd-tmpfiles(8)
Process: 282 ExecStart=/usr/bin/systemd-tmpfiles --create --remove --boot --exclude-prefix=/dev (code=exited,
status=1/FAILURE)
Main PID: 282 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Jan 01 08:00:11 bifrost systemd[1]: Starting Create Volatile Files and Directories…
Jan 01 08:00:11 bifrost systemd-tmpfiles[282]: Failed to create directory or subvolume “/var/lock/ppp”: No such
file or directory
Jan 01 08:00:11 bifrost systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service: main process exited, code=exited,
status=1/FAILURE
Jan 01 08:00:11 bifrost systemd[1]: Failed to start Create Volatile Files and Directories.
Jan 01 08:00:11 bifrost systemd[1]: Unit systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service entered failed state.
Jan 01 08:00:11 bifrost systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service failed.

Not sure what the side effects might be?!?!?! TO BE ANALYZED in detail!

  1. NetworkManager does strange things:
    a. rewrite HW ADDR for eth0 and eth1
    b. create unused bond interface

–> DISABLE NetworkManager in CENTOS7 / RH7! No one needs this peace of rubbish.

Regards,
L.

1 Like