[BPI R3 mini] Installing OpenWRT (EMMC) via serial port

kanaka · April 13, 2024, 8:06am

Tell me how to perform a clean installation of OpenWRT on the BPI R3 mini. I downloaded files for emmc from the website firmware-selector.openwrt.org (packages were added there, in particular the en8811h package is interesting - I understand it is responsible for Internet ports) After installing gpt, bl2, fip, it asks for a recovery file via tftp (but the Ethernet ports do not work) and OpenWRT itself does not start

frank-w, I saw some files on you.

How do I use them and can they help me? bl2 and fip are clear, but what role do other files for R3-mini play?

bpi-r3mini_emmc.img.gz - ?

u-boot-r3mini_2024.04-bpi-arm64-emmc.bin - ?

background: ImmortalWRT was installed, but after a couple of hours I realized that there was no point in it

frank-w · April 13, 2024, 9:02am

My files are not for openwrt they use my own uboot…you can only use then to restore openwrt on nand…but you have already booted uboot from openwrt as far as i understand.

If uboot from openwrt starts and then tries tftp there is either a crash reported in uboot (pstore) or the production image is not completely flashed (data corruption). Pstore is cleared on power loss,so try to boot openwrt after powercycle and look/post bootlog.

The ram option (boot bl2/fip via serial) is for cases where uboot cannot be loaded from emmc and nand…if one device starts to uboot you can flash the other device,then boot it and reflash the first one

Have you written all parts for emmc (not only bl2 and fip)?

github.com

openwrt/openwrt/blob/efa71c532e4778433263626bfff1a40e48f6bdb4/package/boot/uboot-mediatek/patches/442-add-bpi-r3-mini.patch#L533


      
          +mmc_write_vol=imszb $loadaddr image_size && test 0x$image_size -le 0x$part_size && mmc erase 0x$part_addr 0x$image_size && mmc write $loadaddr 0x$part_addr 0x$image_size
          +mmc_read_vol=mmc read $loadaddr $part_addr 0x100 && imszb $loadaddr image_size && test 0x$image_size -le 0x$part_size && mmc read $loadaddr 0x$part_addr 0x$image_size && setexpr filesize $image_size * 0x200
          +part_default=production
          +part_recovery=recovery
          +reset_factory=eraseenv && reset
          +emmc_read_production=part start mmc 0 $part_default part_addr && part size mmc 0 $part_default part_size && run mmc_read_vol
          +emmc_read_recovery=part start mmc 0 $part_recovery part_addr && part size mmc 0 $part_recovery part_size && run mmc_read_vol
          +emmc_write_en8811h_fw=mmc partconf 0 1 2 2 && mmc erase 0x0 0x120 && mmc write $fileaddr 0x0 0x120 ; mmc partconf 0 1 1 0
          +emmc_write_bl2=mmc partconf 0 1 1 1 && mmc erase 0x0 0x400 && mmc write $fileaddr 0x0 0x400 ; mmc partconf 0 1 1 0
          +emmc_write_fip=mmc erase 0x3400 0x2000 && mmc write $fileaddr 0x3400 0x2000 && mmc erase 0x2000 0x800
          +emmc_write_production=part start mmc 0 $part_default part_addr && part size mmc 0 $part_default part_size && run mmc_write_vol
          +emmc_write_recovery=part start mmc 0 $part_recovery part_addr && part size mmc 0 $part_recovery part_size && run mmc_write_vol
          +_init_env=setenv _init_env ; setenv _create_env ; saveenv ; saveenv
          +_firstboot=setenv _firstboot ; run _switch_to_menu ; run _init_env ; run boot_first
          +_switch_to_menu=setenv _switch_to_menu ; setenv bootdelay 3 ; setenv bootmenu_delay 3 ; setenv bootmenu_0 $bootmenu_0d ; setenv bootmenu_0d ; run _bootmenu_update_title
          +_bootmenu_update_title=setenv _bootmenu_update_title ; setenv bootmenu_title "$bootmenu_title       [33m$ver[0m"
          --- /dev/null
          +++ b/arch/arm/dts/mt7986a-bpi-r3-mini.dts
          @@ -0,0 +1,238 @@
          +// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
          +

kanaka · April 13, 2024, 10:43am

I recorded all 3 parts yesterday, after that it asks for tftp recovery (the same was the case when installing ImmortalWRT), but the ports do not work, is it possible to start recovery or write somewhere via USB (and your U-BOOT)?

I tried to enter it step by step +emmc_write_recovery It was probably a mistake, I’ll try again tonight

Получается fatload > emmc_write_production > mmc_write_vol

Fatload sysupgrade? or kernel?

I may be wrong, but the file that is marked as kernel on the site, after downloading, has the word recovery at the end

И если сделать сборку (добавить пакеты), то он пропадает

frank-w · April 13, 2024, 11:16am

I guess sysupgrade is the righ one,bit it is possible you need the kernel too (if it is not part of sysupgrade).

Try to look what the openwrt uboot makes for installing openwrt…

kanaka · April 13, 2024, 1:09pm

frank-w · April 13, 2024, 1:19pm

Mhm,hard to way what it does,but obviously led support is missing/wrong and maybe because of this the boot script thinks read was not working and tries the tftpboot

github.com

openwrt/openwrt/blob/efa71c532e4778433263626bfff1a40e48f6bdb4/package/boot/uboot-mediatek/patches/442-add-bpi-r3-mini.patch#L512


      
          +bootmenu_2=Boot production system from eMMC.=run boot_production ; run bootmenu_confirm_return
          +bootmenu_3=Boot recovery system from eMMC.=run boot_recovery ; run bootmenu_confirm_return
          +bootmenu_4=Load production system via TFTP then write to eMMC.=setenv noboot 1 ; setenv replacevol 1 ; run boot_tftp_production ; setenv noboot ; setenv replacevol ; run bootmenu_confirm_return
          +bootmenu_5=Load recovery system via TFTP then write to eMMC.=setenv noboot 1 ; setenv replacevol 1 ; run boot_tftp_recovery ; setenv noboot ; setenv replacevol ; run bootmenu_confirm_return
          +bootmenu_6=[31mLoad Airoha EN8811H firmware via TFTP then write to eMMC.[0m=run boot_tftp_write_en8811h_fw ; run bootmenu_confirm_return
          +bootmenu_7=[31mLoad BL31+U-Boot FIP via TFTP then write to eMMC.[0m=run boot_tftp_write_fip ; run bootmenu_confirm_return
          +bootmenu_8=[31mLoad BL2 preloader via TFTP then write to eMMC.[0m=run boot_tftp_write_bl2 ; run bootmenu_confirm_return
          +bootmenu_9=Reboot.=reset
          +bootmenu_10=Reset all settings to factory defaults.=run reset_factory ; reset
          +boot_first=if button reset ; then led $bootled_rec on ; run boot_tftp_recovery ; setenv flag_recover 1 ; run boot_default ; fi ; bootmenu
          +boot_default=if env exists flag_recover ; then else run bootcmd ; fi ; run boot_recovery ; setenv replacevol 1 ; run boot_tftp_forever
          +boot_production=led $bootled_pwr on ; run emmc_read_production && bootm $loadaddr#$bootconf ; led $bootled_pwr off
          +boot_recovery=led $bootled_rec on ; run emmc_read_recovery && bootm $loadaddr#$bootconf ; led $bootled_rec off
          +boot_emmc=run boot_production ; run boot_recovery
          +boot_tftp_forever=led $bootled_rec on ; while true ; do run boot_tftp_recovery ; sleep 1 ; done
          +boot_tftp_production=tftpboot $loadaddr $bootfile_upg && env exists replacevol && iminfo $loadaddr && run emmc_write_production ; if env exists noboot ; then else bootm $loadaddr#$bootconf ; fi
          +boot_tftp_recovery=tftpboot $loadaddr $bootfile && env exists replacevol && iminfo $loadaddr && run emmc_write_recovery ; if env exists noboot ; then else bootm $loadaddr#$bootconf ; fi
          +boot_tftp_write_fip=tftpboot $loadaddr $bootfile_fip && run emmc_write_fip
          +boot_tftp_write_bl2=tftpboot $loadaddr $bootfile_bl2 && run emmc_write_bl2
          +boot_tftp_write_en8811h_fw=tftpboot $loadaddr $bootfile_en8811h_fw && run emmc_write_en8811h_fw
          +boot_tftp=tftpboot $loadaddr $bootfile && bootm $loadaddr#$bootconf

Imho we land in bootcmd and then boot_emmc,boot_production

If this does not boot then there is a fallback with tftp in line above where i guess you hang

I guess emmc_read_production fails…you can add some debugs there…

kanaka · April 13, 2024, 2:58pm

on the wiki, I found some instructions on how to download the emmc firmware via nand… either I’ll mess up the nand now, or I’ll install the original firmware.

kanaka · April 14, 2024, 6:30pm

apparently at some point I erased something superfluous… as I expected, there is nothing in NAND

and probably for the same reason, the fact that I erased something superfluous, the LEDs do not work and the en8811h does not load

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oU40G-BkEtw4B-rCBZfJS5C1cfhCiXO3

kanaka · April 14, 2024, 8:18pm

A difficult case, yes, yes, it’s me

lu_zero · April 15, 2024, 12:10pm

If you nuked both storages, you should follow the instructions in [BPI-R3 Mini] Boot from NAND fails - #17 by kevok

in short you’ll use GitHub - 981213/mtk_uartboot after crafting the correct payload.