Change bootargs in uboot

Hi Bodhi, Hi @All,

I recently updated my Thecus N2350 to Debian Bullseye as well as the newest kernel 5.14.9. Working fine as always, thanks!
I do now have some problems with Docker and cgroups v2 and wanted to change the init system (init=/bin/systemd) or even set a custom systemd config (systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=0) as kernel parameters.

I did set my set_bootargs parameter in uboot:

bootdelay=5
baudrate=115200
boot_config=setenv devices "usb scsi"; setenv bootdev usb; setenv device 0:1; setenv disks "0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7";
scan_disk=echo running scan_disk ...; scan_done=0; setenv scan_usb "usb start";  setenv scan_scsi "scsi reset"; for dev in $devices; do if test $scan_done -eq 0; then echo Scan device $dev; run scan_$dev; for disknum in $disks; do if test $scan_done -eq 0; then echo device $dev $disknum:1; if ext2load $dev $disknum:1 $load_image_addr /boot/zImage 1; then scan_done=1; echo Found bootable drive on $dev $disknum; setenv device $disknum:1; setenv bootdev $dev; fi; fi; done; fi; done
kernel_config=setenv load_dtb_addr 0x1000000; setenv load_initrd_addr 0x3000000; setenv load_image_addr 0x02000000; setenv dtb_file /boot/dts/armada-385-thecus-n2350.dtb
load_image=echo loading uImage ...; ext2load $bootdev $device $load_image_addr /boot/uImage
load_dtb=echo loading DTB $dtb_file ...; ext2load $bootdev $device $load_dtb_addr $dtb_file
load_initrd=echo loading uInitrd ...; ext2load $bootdev $device $load_initrd_addr /boot/uInitrd
set_bootargs_stock=setenv bootargs "root=/dev/ram0 rw max_loop=210 console=ttyS0,115200 init=sbin/init rootdelay=3 ubi.mtd=0 mtdparts=armada-nand:-(ubifs);spi_flash:0x00400000(uboot),0x00010000@0x00100000(uboot_env)"
bootcmd_exec=echo Booting from $bootdev $device …; setenv fdt_skip_update yes; setenv initrd_high 0xffffffff; if run load_image; then if run load_initrd; then bootm $load_image_addr $load_initrd_addr; else bootm $load_image_addr; fi; fi
bootcmd_custom=run boot_config; run kernel_config; run scan_disk; run set_bootargs; run bootcmd_exec
bootcmd=echo Booting Debian ...; run bootcmd_custom; echo Booting stock ...; run set_bootargs_stock; usb reset; if fatload usb 0:1 0x2000000 rescue_fw/rescue_fw.img;then imi 0x2000000;source 0x2000000; fi; ubi part ubifs;ubifsmount boot;ubifsload 0x2000000 boot/bzImage;ubifsload 0x3000000 boot/ramdisk;bootm 0x2000000 0x3000000
set_bootargs=setenv bootargs "console=ttyS0,115200 root=LABEL=rootfs rootdelay=10 mtdparts=armada-nand:-(ubifs);spi1.0:0x00400000(uboot),0x00010000@0x00100000(uboot_env),0x00010000@0x00300000(uboot_scr) earlyprintk=serial init=/bin/systemd"

to activate systemd, but it seems, that my parameters are ignored.

mjung@vega:~$ cat /proc/cmdline                                                                                                                                                                                     console=ttyS0,115200 root=LABEL=rootfs rootdelay=10 mtdparts=pxa3xx_nand-0:-(ubifs);spi1.0:0x00400000(uboot),0x00010000@0x00100000(uboot_env),0x00010000@0x00300000(uboot_scr) earlyprintk=serial

Systemd is of course installed

mjung@vega:~$ ls -lh /bin/systemd                                                                                                                                                                                   lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 20 Jul 13 19:29 /bin/systemd -> /lib/systemd/systemd

Thanks!

Hey Manuel :)

Glad to see you stopping by again!

mjung@vega:~$ cat /proc/cmdline

Quote

console=ttyS0,115200 root=LABEL=rootfs rootdelay=10 mtdparts=pxa3xx_nand-0:-(ubifs);spi1.0:0x00400000(uboot),0x00010000@0x00100000(uboot_env),0x00010000@0x00300000(uboot_scr) earlyprintk=serial

Somehow your bootargs did not show up in the command line. Let me take a close look.

-bodhi
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Manuel,

I could not see anything wrong either! may be there is a hidden character.

How about trying it manually in serial console:

setenv set_bootargs 'setenv bootargs "console=ttyS0,115200 root=LABEL=rootfs rootdelay=10 mtdparts=armada-nand:-(ubifs);spi1.0:0x00400000(uboot),0x00010000@0x00100000(uboot_env),0x00010000@0x00300000(uboot_scr) earlyprintk=serial init=/bin/systemd"'
printenv set_bootargs

and then

boot

-bodhi
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/14/2021 04:34PM by bodhi.

Hi bodhi,

Thanks for you advice.
Today i connected by serial and indeed my envs were not set correctly.
Actually my log from /proc/cmdline above includes "mtdparts=pxa3xx_nand-0" which i never set at all.
Maybe my fw_setenv wrote to the wrong addresses? I also installed a few days back your new uboot (finally) and its envs were not saved at all.
I did that now from the stock os and stock kernel 3.10 and now they are how i wanted them to be with the extra kernel parameter.

Docker is running again..
I would like to be able to set the uboot envs from my normal debian system in the future.
Cheers Manuel

Hi Manuel,

Verify that you see these

# cat /proc/cmdline

console=ttyS0,115200 root=LABEL=rootfs rootdelay=10 mtdparts=pxa3xx_nand-0:-(ubifs);spi1.0:0x00400000(uboot),0x00010000@0x00100000(uboot_env),0x00010000@0x00300000(uboot_scr) earlyprintk=serial

# cat /proc/mtd

dev:    size   erasesize  name
mtd0: 20000000 00020000 "ubifs"
mtd1: 00400000 00001000 "uboot"
mtd2: 00010000 00001000 "uboot_env"
mtd3: 00010000 00001000 "uboot_scr"

# cat /etc/fw_env.config

# MTD device name	Device offset	Env. size	Flash sector size	Number of sectors
#
# Thecus N2350
/dev/mtd2 0x00000 0x10000 0x10000

> Actually my log from /proc/cmdline above includes
> "mtdparts=pxa3xx_nand-0" which i never set at
> all.
> Maybe my fw_setenv wrote to the wrong addresses?

That pxa3xx_nand-0 should be part of the mtd definition. That's how we got the NAND mtd correctly identified in Linux (in stock OS it was a different name for old Armada driver).

Note that mtd0 is in NAND flash, and mtd1 to mtd3 are in SPI flash. Thus, the bootargs must be:

mtdparts=pxa3xx_nand-0:-(ubifs);spi1.0:0x00400000(uboot),0x00010000@0x00100000(uboot_env),0x00010000@0x00300000(uboot_scr)

(spi1.0: is this SPI device name in Linux).


> I would like to be able to set the uboot envs from
> my normal debian system in the future.

It should work when the mtd definition is correct. In Debian do:

fw_printenv

And then once you see all envs are listed OK. Set something to test, such as

fw_setenv test_001 yes
fw_printenv test_001

After a reboot you should see it in serial console and then in Debian. And then remove it

fw_setenv test_001

=========

Stock FW mtd definition is quite awkward, I would never use such arrangement. I would move the UBIFS mtd to the last mtd. That way u-boot image is on mtd0, as the normal convention always has been. But since we are running a rebuilt and patched stock u-boot, I kept the same definition for backward compatibilty (.i.e. in case someone wants to flash the original stock u-boot back).

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Hi,

I get

mjung@vega:~$ cat /proc/cmdline 
console=ttyS0,115200 root=LABEL=rootfs rootdelay=10 mtdparts=armada-nand:-(ubifs);spi1.0:0x00400000(uboot),0x00010000@0x00100000(uboot_env),0x00010000@0x00300000(uboot_scr) earlyprintk=serial systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=0
mjung@vega:~$ cat /etc/fw_env.config 
# Configuration file for fw_(printenv/saveenv) utility.
# Up to two entries are valid, in this case the redundant
# environment sector is assumed present.
# Notice, that the "Number of sectors" is ignored on NOR.

# MTD device name	Device offset	Env. size	Flash sector size	Number of sectors
/dev/mtd0		0xc0000		0x20000		0x20000
mjung@vega:~$ cat /proc/mtd 
dev:    size   erasesize  name
mtd0: 20000000 00020000 "ubifs"
mtd1: 00400000 00001000 "uboot"
mtd2: 00010000 00001000 "uboot_env"
mtd3: 00010000 00001000 "uboot_scr"

I guess my fw_config is wrong?
Cheers,
Manuel

Manuel,


> # MTD device name Device offset Env. size Flash
> sector size Number of sectors
> /dev/mtd0 0xc0000 0x20000 0x20000

The above is the Kirkwood rootfs settings.

> mjung@vega:~$ cat /proc/mtd
> dev: size erasesize name
> mtd0: 20000000 00020000 "ubifs"
> mtd1: 00400000 00001000 "uboot"
> mtd2: 00010000 00001000 "uboot_env"
> mtd3: 00010000 00001000 "uboot_scr"
> [/code]

Your MTDs are OK.

> I guess my fw_config is wrong?

Correct, it was wrong. It should be:

# cat /etc/fw_env.config

# MTD device name	Device offset	Env. size	Flash sector size	Number of sectors
#
# Thecus N2350
/dev/mtd2 0x00000 0x10000 0x10000

-bodhi
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2021 03:22PM by bodhi.

bodhi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Correct, it was wrong. It should be:
>
> # cat /etc/fw_env.config
>

> # MTD device name	Device offset	Env. size	Flash
> sector size	Number of sectors
> #
> # Thecus N2350
> /dev/mtd2 0x00000 0x10000 0x10000
>

Ok, i fixed it, and now fw_printenv shows all the envs correctly.

I am still a little bit confused about bootargs though. You said the need to include

mtdparts=pxa3xx_nand-0:-(ubifs);spi1.0:0x00400000(uboot),0x00010000@0x00100000(uboot_env),0x00010000@0x00300000(uboot_scr)

But i installed the u-boot you supplied here: https://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,92234
And this set different mtdparts, which i have set right now. I will also keep it this way right now, because everything works, and i need to host some photos right now and my wife would not be happy if the server is offline again..
Cheers! Manuel

Manuel,

> But i installed the u-boot you supplied here:
> https://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,92234
> And this set different mtdparts, which i have set
> right now.

Thanks! I'll check the installation instruction.

> I will also keep it this way right now,
> because everything works, and i need to host some
> photos right now and my wife would not be happy if
> the server is offline again..

Please do. You're a wise man :)

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Manuel,

Thanks for reporting this problem. Indeed I had an error in the script

thecus-n2350-boot-script-tld-5.sh

fw_setenv set_bootargs 'setenv bootargs "console=ttyS0,115200 root=LABEL=rootfs rootdelay=10 mtdparts=armada-nand:-(ubifs);spi1.0:0x00400000(uboot),0x00010000@0x00100000(uboot_env),0x00010000@0x00300000(uboot_scr) earlyprintk=serial"'

Should be:

fw_setenv set_bootargs 'setenv bootargs "console=ttyS0,115200 root=LABEL=rootfs rootdelay=10 mtdparts=pxa3xx_nand-0:-(ubifs);spi1.0:0x00400000(uboot),0x00010000@0x00100000(uboot_env),0x00010000@0x00300000(uboot_scr)earlyprintk=serial"'

I've modified the installation instruction to add the correction.

-bodhi
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2021 06:58PM by bodhi.