BeagleBoardUbuntu

This page is about running a (ARM EABI) Ubuntu distribution at BeagleBoard. BeagleBoard will boot the (ARM EABI) Ubuntu distribution from SD card.

= Ubuntu gcc package build settings =

Ubuntu 9.04 - Beta Stage - Slated Release : April 23rd, 2009

Default gcc settings: -march=armv5t -mtune=cortex-a8 -mfpu=vfp -mfloat-abi=softfp

Ubuntu 9.10 - Not Available:

Possible gcc settings: -march=armv6 -mtune=cortex-a8 -mfpu=vfp -mfloat-abi=softfp

Ref: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gcc-4.3/+bug/303232

= Recommended Beagle Software =

xloader xxxx Upgrade

U-Boot 2009 (revC validation) Upgrade: http://elinux.org/BeagleBoardUbuntu#Upgrade_U-Boot

= Ubuntu Rootfs Install = Use Oliver's script located here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/RootfsFromScratch

PC: Build Root File System
Note: Use latest debootstrap, if the one posted here is no longer available.

Requirements: sudo apt-get install qemu

wget http://ports.ubuntu.com/pool/main/d/debootstrap/debootstrap_1.0.12_all.deb sudo dpkg -i debootstrap_1.0.12_all.deb wget http://people.ubuntu.com/~ogra/arm/build-arm-rootfs sudo chmod u+x build-arm-rootfs

General sudo ./build-arm-rootfs --fqdn --login --password --imagesize --seed

lxde Destktop sudo ./build-arm-rootfs --fqdn beagleboard --login ubuntu --password temppwd --imagesize 2G --seed lxde,gdm

Xubuntu Desktop sudo ./build-arm-rootfs --fqdn beagleboard --login ubuntu --password temppwd --imagesize 2G --seed xubuntu-desktop

Ubuntu Desktop sudo ./build-arm-rootfs --fqdn beagleboard --login ubuntu --password temppwd --imagesize 3G --seed ubuntu-desktop

PC: Format SD Card
You will need a 1GB SD card or greater. Standard System : ~xxxMB + Desktop environment (GNOME) : ~x.xGB

Starting with an empty SD card and using gparted, create: 50 MiB Primary Partition, fat32 Rest as ext2/ext3

Gparted Example: http://nishanthmenon.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-boot-beagle.html

PC: Setup SD uboot/uImage Partition
Mount your SD card fat32 partition. (/media/disk/)

Note: Depending on how your system mounts the cards, you may have to run as sudo.

cd /media/disk/ wget http://www.rcn-ee.com/deb/kernel/CC-v2.6.28-79d042a-oer17 mv CC-v2.6.28-79d042a-oer17 uImage ext3 wget http://www.rcn-ee.com/deb/kernel/boot-scr/ubuntu-ext3.scr mv ubuntu-ext3.scr boot.scr ext2 wget http://www.rcn-ee.com/deb/kernel/boot-scr/ubuntu-ext2.scr mv ubuntu-ext2.scr boot.scr

Need a different resolution or other setting in the *.scr's? See : http://elinux.org/BeagleBoardUbuntu#U-Boot_Script_Files

Note: CC-v2.6.28-79d042a-oer17 uImage was built with most/all available usb wifi/ethernet adapter built in to get the beagleboard to connect to the internet. For most people this is all you'll need, however it is recommended to install one of the kernel image deb packages. (script is provided.)

PC: Setup SD ext2/ext3 Partition
Mount your SD ext2/ext3 partition. (/media/disk/)

sudo tar xfp armel-rootfs-[date].tgz -C /media/disk

Enable Network Access
Modify /etc/network/interfaces auto eth0 iface eth0 inet dhcp

Manual: From the Command line sudo ifconfig eth0 up sudo dhclient eth0

Login thru Serial Port
Create file /etc/event.d/ttyS2

# start on runlevel 2 start on runlevel 3 stop on runlevel 0 stop on runlevel 1 stop on runlevel 4 stop on runlevel 5 stop on runlevel 6 respawn exec /sbin/getty -L 115200 ttyS2
 * 1) ttyS2 - getty
 * 1) This service maintains a getty on tty6 from the point the system is
 * 2) started until it is shut down again.

Note: ubuntu normaly doesn't have a 'root' user, however if you add one, make sure too add ttyS2 to /etc/securetty (by default ttyS0 & ttyS1 are already there)

Script File
Note: this will be updated from time to time. (tested off course, may need "sudo apt-get install wget")

wget http://www.rcn-ee.com/deb/kernel/ubuntu-update-kernel.sh sudo /bin/bash ubuntu-update-kernel.sh

Note: vmlinuz symbolic link (yes  no)... Still not sure this matters, i select ...

Manual Method
You can open/edit the ubuntu-update-kernel.sh to see latest version.

sudo apt-get install uboot-mkimage wget http://www.rcn-ee.com/deb/kernel/beagle/jaunty/v2.6.28-79d042a-oer17/linux-image-2.6.28-oer17_1.0jaunty_armel.deb (or any listed here: http://www.rcn-ee.com/deb/kernel/beagle/jaunty/ ) sudo dpkg -i linux-image*

Extract linux-image's vmlinuz-* (we need this to create the uImage, uboot uses to boot) dpkg -x linux-image* ./temp

Mount fat32 partition sudo mount /dev/mmcblk0p1 /mnt

Build uboot compatible image and copy to fat32 boot partition sudo mkimage -A arm -O linux -T kernel -C none -a 0x80008000 -e 0x80008000 -n "Linux" -d ./temp/boot/vmlinuz-* /mnt/uImage

unmount fat32 partition sudo umount /mnt

Clean up rm -rfd temp

Reboot with your new uImage

= Advanced =

Upgrade U-Boot
Using gparted, create a new 50MB Primary fat32 Partition on a blank SD card, or use your existing fat32 partition.

cd /media/disk sudo wget http://beagleboard.googlecode.com/files/u-boot-f_revc_v3.bin

Tested with (U-Boot 2009.01-dirty (Feb 19 2009 - 12:22:31)) Archive: http://rcn-ee.homeip.net:81/dl/omap/uboot/u-boot-f_revc_v3.bin

Insert SD Card, boot Beagleboard and stop U-Boot from booting mmcinit fatload mmc 0 0x80200000 u-boot-f_revc_v3.bin nand unlock nand ecc sw nandecc sw nand erase 80000 160000 nand write.i 0x80200000 80000 160000 reset

Note: nandecc sw is a new command to replace nand ecc sw so versions of uboot before 2008.10 will throw an error, it's safe to ignore.

U-Boot Script Files
uboot-mkimage package is required

contents of ubuntu-ext3.cmd setenv bootcmd 'mmcinit; fatload mmc 0:1 0x80300000 uImage; bootm 0x80300000' setenv bootargs 'console=ttyS2,115200n8 console=tty0 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rootdelay=2 rootfstype=ext3 ro omap-dss.def_disp=lcd omapfb.video_mode=1280x720MR-24@60' boot

Create *.scr file mkimage -A arm -O linux -T script -C none -a 0 -e 0 -n "Boot Time Label" -d ubuntu-ext3.cmd ubuntu-ext3.scr