BeagleBoardDebian

This page is about running a (ARM EABI) Debian distribution at BeagleBoard. BeagleBoard will boot the (ARM EABI) Debian distribution from SD card. Debian's NetInstall will be used to install Debian onto your Beagle.

= Help =

If you need any help:


 * Kernel related help:
 * Email Beagleboard user group *Recommended method
 * #beagle: Beagle irc on freenode, accessible also by web interface (logs)
 * Kernel Tree's
 * Stable (3.7.x) branch
 * Development Kernel source code


 * When asking for help, please provide some debugging information:
 * U-Boot Version installed on board
 * Kernel Version: uname -a
 * pastebin dmesg
 * Copy from serial port or use "dmesg | pastebinit" (sudo apt-get install pastebinit)

= Recommended Beagle Software =

Mainline U-Boot:
 * All old Ax, Bx, Cx and Dx boards are required to upgrade to at least these U-Boot versions.
 * XM Boards have no NAND, so MLO/u-boot.img is always required on the first partition
 * Directions: Upgrade X-loader and U-Boot

= Debian NetInstall =

Scripts: git clone git://github.com/RobertCNelson/netinstall.git cd netinstall

Device Options: BeagleBoard --dtb omap3-beagle BeagleBoard xM --dtb omap3-beagle-xm BeagleBone (serial) --dtb am335x-bone-serial BeagleBone (video via cape) --dtb am335x-bone-video BeagleBone Black --dtb am335x-boneblack PandaBoard (A1->A3) --dtb omap4-panda PandaBoard (A4->Ax) --dtb omap4-panda-a4 PandaBoard ES --dtb omap4-panda-es

You will need a 1GB SD card or greater. Standard System : ~455MB + Desktop environment (GNOME) : ~2.9GB

Debian Wheezy
Quick Install script for "board" sudo ./mk_mmc.sh --mmc /dev/sdX --dtb "board" --distro wheezy-armhf

So For the BeagleBoard xM: sudo ./mk_mmc.sh --mmc /dev/sdX --dtb omap3-beagle-xm --distro wheezy-armhf


 * Options:
 * --firmware : installs firmware
 * --serial-mode : debian-installer uses Serial Port

= Demo Image =

Debian Stable (wheezy)
Default username/password:
 * username: debian
 * password: temppwd

Default root user/password
 * user: root
 * password: root

Image Updated:
 * 2014-01-24
 * Beagle/Beagle xM: v3.13.0-armv7-x9 kernel
 * BeagleBone/BeagleBone Black: v3.8.13-bone37 kernel
 * 2013-12-17
 * Beagle xM (ONLY): v3.12.5-armv7-x10 kernel (--dtb dt-beagle-xm)
 * BeagleBone/BeagleBone Black: v3.8.13-bone32 kernel
 * Beagle/Panda/Panda ES: v3.7.10-x13 kernel
 * 2013-11-15
 * Beagle xM (ONLY): v3.12.0-armv7-x8 kernel (--dtb dt-beagle-xm)
 * BeagleBone/BeagleBone Black: v3.8.13-bone30 kernel
 * audio/mmc fixes...
 * Beagle/Panda/Panda ES: v3.7.10-x13 kernel

Services Active: Note: Depending on your internal network these may work out the box Apache, Port 80: http://arm/ (Bone: via usb) http://192.168.7.2 SSH, Port 22: ssh ubuntu@arm (Bone: via usb) ubuntu@192.168.7.2 Getty, Serial Port

Active on Boot Script: /opt/boot-scripts/ .sh
 * Disable by removing run_boot-scripts from small boot partition...*

Get prebuilt image: wget https://rcn-ee.net/deb/rootfs/wheezy/debian-7.3-console-armhf-2014-01-24.tar.xz

Verify Image with: md5sum debian-7.3-console-armhf-2014-01-24.tar.xz 47a2221a3f5a46d69f45148401d9952a  debian-7.3-console-armhf-2014-01-24.tar.xz

Unpack Image: tar xf debian-7.3-console-armhf-2014-01-24.tar.xz cd debian-7.3-console-armhf-2014-01-24

Install Image:

Quick install script for [board] sudo ./setup_sdcard.sh --mmc /dev/sdX --uboot board

[board] options:
 * BeagleBone/Black    - bone

So for the BeagleBone: sudo ./setup_sdcard.sh --mmc /dev/sdX --uboot bone

Quick install script for [board] (using new --dtb option) sudo ./setup_sdcard.sh --mmc /dev/sdX --dtb board

board options:
 * BeagleBoard Ax/Bx/Cx/Dx   - omap3-beagle
 * BeagleBoard xM            - omap3-beagle-xm

So for the BeagleBoard xM: sudo ./setup_sdcard.sh --mmc /dev/sdX --dtb omap3-beagle-xm

Debian Testing (jessie)
Image Updated:
 * 2014-01-24
 * Beagle/Beagle xM: v3.13.0-armv7-x9 kernel
 * BeagleBone/BeagleBone Black: v3.8.13-bone37 kernel
 * 2013-12-17
 * Beagle xM (ONLY): v3.12.5-armv7-x10 kernel (--dtb dt-beagle-xm)
 * BeagleBone/BeagleBone Black: v3.8.13-bone32 kernel
 * Beagle/Panda/Panda ES: v3.7.10-x13 kernel
 * 2013-11-15
 * Beagle xM (ONLY): v3.12.0-armv7-x8 kernel (--dtb dt-beagle-xm)
 * BeagleBone/BeagleBone Black: v3.8.13-bone30 kernel
 * audio/mmc fixes...
 * Beagle/Panda/Panda ES: v3.7.10-x13 kernel

Get prebuilt image: wget https://rcn-ee.net/deb/rootfs/jessie/debian-jessie-console-armhf-2014-01-24.tar.xz

Verify image with: md5sum debian-jessie-console-armhf-2014-01-24.tar.xz 010484bd42bef9484a48c54d076a878f debian-jessie-console-armhf-2014-01-24.tar.xz

Unpack image: tar xf debian-jessie-console-armhf-2014-01-24.tar.xz cd debian-jessie-console-armhf-2014-01-24

Then follow directions show above with the other images...

= Flasher =

eMMC: BeagleBone Black
This image can be written to a 2Gb (or greater) microSD card, via 'dd' in linux or the win32 image program linked to on CircuitCo's wiki page. First hold down on the boot select button (next to microSD card) and apply power (same procedure as the official CircuitCo images), it should boot into debian and begin flashing the eMMC, once completed all 4 LED's should be full ON... Simply remove power, remove microSDcard and Debian will now boot from eMMC.

Reference: (this is the script that writes to the eMMC) https://github.com/RobertCNelson/tools/blob/master/scripts/beaglebone-black-copy-microSD-to-eMMC.sh

BTW: we are only writing about 500Mb's to the eMMC so the script will only take about 5-6 Minutes after power on.

Notes:
 * If only two LED's stay lit and nothing happens, the board has crashed due to lack of power. Try with a 5Volt DC supply plugged in..
 * If the 4 LED's blink a constant pattern, eMMC write failed, first REMOVE ALL capes, then retry again.
 * (error -84: which may mean you've reached the max number of erase/write cycles...)

User: debian pass: temppwd

root: root/root

Image Updated:
 * 2014-01-24
 * BeagleBone Black: v3.8.13-bone37 kernel
 * 2013-12-17
 * BeagleBone Black: v3.8.13-bone32 kernel
 * 2013-11-15
 * BeagleBone Black: v3.8.13-bone30 kernel
 * ssh host key fixes (auto generated on bootup...)

Get prebuilt image: wget https://rcn-ee.net/deb/flasher/wheezy/debian-jessie-console-armhf-2014-01-24-2gb.img.xz

Verify Image with: md5sum debian-jessie-console-armhf-2014-01-24-2gb.img.xz 1b88194ce6f1a8b06195a8168b21b2d9  debian-jessie-console-armhf-2014-01-24-2gb.img.xz

Follow the "standard" update procedure. http://circuitco.com/support/index.php?title=Updating_The_Software

Linux: unxz debian-jessie-console-armhf-2014-01-24-2gb.img.xz sudo dd if=./debian-jessie-console-armhf-2014-01-24-2gb.img of=/dev/sdX

= raw microSD img =

BeagleBone
This image can be written to a 2Gb (or greater) microSD card, via 'dd' in linux or the win32 image program linked to on CircuitCo's wiki page. First hold down on the boot select button (next to microSD card) and apply power (same procedure as the official CircuitCo images), it should boot into Debian.

User: debian pass: temppwd

root: root/root

Auto partition resize: cd /opt/scripts/tools git pull ./grow_partition.sh sudo reboot

Image Updated:
 * 2014-01-24
 * BeagleBone/BeagleBone Black: v3.8.13-bone37 kernel
 * 2013-12-17
 * BeagleBone/BeagleBone Black: v3.8.13-bone32 kernel

Get prebuilt image: wget https://rcn-ee.net/deb/microsd/wheezy/bone-debian-7.3-2014-01-24-2gb.img.xz

Verify Image with: md5sum bone-debian-7.3-2014-01-24-2gb.img.xz 7ed1d0f198f9ae49393ed39a7cad6a41 bone-debian-7.3-2014-01-24-2gb.img.xz

Linux: unxz bone-debian-7.3-2014-01-24-2gb.img.zx sudo dd if=./bone-debian-7.3-2014-01-24-2gb.img of=/dev/sdX

= Debian Configuration =

Wheezy
To start a login console on ttyO2 (the serial header next to P9), edit /etc/inittab and add: T0:23:respawn:/sbin/getty -L ttyO2 115200 vt102

To start a console on the USB ACM device, add the following to /etc/inittab, GS0:23:respawn:/sbin/getty -L ttyGS0 115200 vt102

= Building Kernel =

Note, this section use to have a lot of details, but maintenance of the two wiki's became a pain, so for now on we will just link to my other pages:

Beagle/Beagle xM
http://eewiki.net/display/linuxonarm/BeagleBoard

BeagleBone
http://eewiki.net/display/linuxonarm/BeagleBone

BeagleBone Black
http://eewiki.net/display/linuxonarm/BeagleBone+Black

Panda/Panda ES
http://eewiki.net/display/linuxonarm/PandaBoard

= Upgrading from Debian 5 to Debian 6 =

Upgrading from Debian 5 to Debian 6 report and tutorial.

= Upgrading from Debian 6 (Squeeze) to Debian 7 (Wheezy) =

Note, this only goes over "armel" -> "armel"... For users wishing to switch from "armel" -> "armhf" just re-install...

sudo apt-get update ; sudo apt-get upgrade sudo sed -i -e "s/squeeze/wheezy/g" /etc/apt/sources.list sudo apt-get update ; sudo apt-get install -y apt aptitude udev dpkg sudo aptitude update ; sudo aptitude -y safe-upgrade ; sudo aptitude -y dist-upgrade