uBoot don't save the environment vars on MSS2

I have a disk with Arch Linux ARM installed on which boots on the Maxtor Shared Storage II (MSS2) - how I do this is described here http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,6540,7530#msg-7530


My problem is - the MSS2 won't save my edited environment variables in flash.

First the output from uboot after switching on the device:

         __  __                      _ _
        |  \/  | __ _ _ ____   _____| | |
        | |\/| |/ _` | '__\ \ / / _ \ | |
        | |  | | (_| | |   \ V /  __/ | |
        |_|  |_|\__,_|_|    \_/ \___|_|_|
 _   _     ____              _
| | | |   | __ )  ___   ___ | |_ 
| | | |___|  _ \ / _ \ / _ \| __| 
| |_| |___| |_) | (_) | (_) | |_ 
 \___/    |____/ \___/ \___/ \__|  ** LOADER **
 ** MARVELL BOARD: RD-88F5182-NAS-MXO LE 

U-Boot 1.1.1 (Jun 22 2006 - 15:24:29) Marvell version: MSS2_1.7.301 Maxtor v1.07

DRAM CS[0] base 0x00000000   size  32MB 
DRAM Total size  32MB 
[256kB@fffc0000] Flash: 256 kB
Addresses 20M - 0M are saved for the U-Boot usage.
Mem malloc Initialization (20M - 16M): Done

Soc: MV88F5182 Rev 2
CPU: ARM926 (Rev 0) running @ 500Mhz 
SysClock = 166Mhz , TClock = 166Mhz 


USB 0: host mode
USB 1: host mode
Gpp: Front button is NOT pressed
Gpp: Reset button is NOT pressed
Single drive system detected
Net:   egiga0 [PRIME]
Testing memory from 0x400000 to 0xc00000 len 8388608
Memory test (0x55 pattern)... Pass
Memory test (0xAA pattern)... Pass
Memory test (0x55 pattern)... Pass
Burning Maxtor Params at 0xfffff000 sector 63

.
RD_MAXTOR defined
RD_88F5182 defined
MXO_SATA2 is NOT defined

Marvell Serial ATA Adapter
Intergrated Sata device found
  Device 0: OK
Model: SAMSUNG HD321KJ                          Firm: CP100-10 Ser#: S0MQJ1NP204518      
            Type: Hard Disk
            Supports 48-bit addressing
            Capacity: 305244.3 MB = 298.0 GB (625140335 x 512)

IDE device 0: Model: SAMSUNG HD321KJ                          Firm: CP100-10 Ser#: S0MQJ1NP204518      
            Type: Hard Disk
            Supports 48-bit addressing
            Capacity: 305244.3 MB = 298.0 GB (625140335 x 512)
.
Un-Protected 1 sectors
Erasing Flash...
.
Erased 1 sectors
Writing to Flash... done
.
Protected 1 sectors
Booting in normal mode
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0 
Marvell>>

Here the output of printenv:

Marvell>> printenv
baudrate=115200
loads_echo=0
ipaddr=192.168.1.99
serverip=192.168.1.100
cpuName=926
CASset=min
MALLOC_len=4
ethprime=egiga0
bootargs_end=:::DB88FXX81:egiga0:none
standalone=fsload 0x400000 $(image_name);setenv bootargs $(bootargs) root=/dev/mtdblock0 rw ip=$(ipaddr):$(serverip)$(bootargs_end); bootm 0x400000;
usb0Mode=host
usb1Mode=host
ethact=egiga0
ethaddr=00:10:75:FF:cb:7a
stdin=serial
stdout=serial
stderr=serial
enaMonExt=no
enaFlashBuf=yes
enaCpuStream=no
bootdelay=3
disaMvPnp=no
overEthAddr=no
root=root=/dev/nfs rw init=/linuxrc
rootpath=/opt/Orion-SDK/arm
image_name=uImage
default_load_addr=0x200000
bootargs=console=ttyS0,115200
bootargs_root=root=/dev/sda1 rw
bootcmd=ide reset; ide reset; ext2load ide 1:1 0x00200000 /boot/uImage; setenv bootargs $(bootargs) $(bootargs_root); bootm 0x00200000
bootmode=normal

Environment size: 827/4092 bytes

Here what I have to do to boot my disk with Arch Linux ARM:

Marvell>> setenv bootcmd 'ide reset; ext2load ide 0:1 0x00200000 /boot/uImage; setenv bootargs $(bootargs) $(bootargs_root); bootm 0x00200000'
Marvell>> setenv bootargs_root 'root=/dev/sda2 rw'

Now the MSS2 will boot the Arch Linux ARM on my disk by typing boot

Here what I tried to save the environment in flash:

Marvell>> protect off all
Un-Protect Flash Bank # 1
................................................................ done
Marvell>> saveenv
Saving Environment to Flash...
.
Un-Protected 1 sectors
Erasing Flash...
.
Erased 1 sectors
Writing to Flash... done
.
Protected 1 sectors
Marvell>> protect on all
Protect Flash Bank # 1
................................................................ done
Marvell>>

But if I repower the device now nothing of my values is saved - maybe I do something wrong?

On the original disk the first two partitions are completely identical - both with the maxtor adapted linux system - and it seems that the device will boot some times from the first and some times from the second partition.

This won't work for me because I have the kernel on the first and the rootfs on the second partition (due to a ext2 inode issue with the installed uboot version ... see above linked thread).

Any hints how I could manage this? I will try next to get some more information how to format a bigger partition like these on the original partitions with the maxtor firmware.

OK - I tried something ...

you have to format the partition with "mkfs.ext2 -I 128 /dev/sdX" to get it readable for the MSS2 uboot ...

... so I created two partitions (first and second partition on the disk) a 4gb on my disk with the full Arch Linux ARM rootfs identically on both ...


... I plugged this disk in the MSS2 ...


... now it tries to boot - after 5 failed attempts to boot it starts one of both identical systems (rootfs is found, init-scripts are started) ...


... but ~26 seconds after the boot countdown (while you can press space for interrupting autoboot) it reboots again - to start the next boot for ~26 seconds followed by reboot and so on


So for now I have to search the original System to stop this behavior.

Any hints?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2012 04:12PM by atomical.

OK - the problems are solved.

There are some maxtor-specific binaries in the original firmware located in /usr/sbin

I needed mxoparam 3 times (I copied it to /usr/sbin in my Arch Linux ARM rootfs)

• to disable the watchdog (the output "watchdog enabled" is wrong - it is now disabled)
  

    mxoparam -f  

• to set the boot partition (set boot partition to disk 0 partition 1 - the uboot environment is recreated every boot with this value - so I can't save the evironment vars needed for booting in the uboot shell)
  

    mxoparam -q 0  

• to set or unset "wait for button pressed" before uboot boots the kernel (set to 1 before shutdown / set to 0 before reboot)
  

    mxoparam -c 1  

Now the system boots every time from the first partition on the first disk.