WD My Cloud EX4 help request

Hello all, I have been gifted a WD My Cloud EX4 16 TB NAS. I have permanently installed a db9 serial connector using this RS-232 to TTL Converter:

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/713-103990363

and a volt meter, and hints from

https://github.com/gisab/WDMC-Ex2

I then connected a db9 serial to usb converter to my main manjaro linux box and got access to uboot using PuTTY, But that's as far as I've been able to figure out.

I think my next step is to use the existing uboot to try out another non-crippled uboot (loaded over the serial port? or from a tftp server?) until I find one that works and allows USB booting but I'm not sure how to do that, then I would want to install that fully functional uboot on the flash memory and attach a usb storage device with a kernel from these instructions:

https://github.com/gisab/WDMC-Ex2

and a root filesystem from ??? on the usb storage device and make it default to boot Debian stable off of USB.
I'm working under the assumption that the EX4 is the same as an EX2 non ultra just with 2 more drives
I can see from the boot information that it is a MARVELL BOARD: RD-88F6282A LE
running

U-Boot 1.1.4 (Aug 14 2013 - 09:24:12) Marvell version: 3.5.9.LIGHTNING-4A.01

it also says:

U-Boot code: 00600000 -> 0067FFF9 BSS: -> 006CFB00
Soc: 88F6282 A1CPU running @ 2000Mhz L2 running @500Mhz
SysClock = 500Mhz , TClock = 200Mhz

DRAM (DDR3) CAS Latency = 7 tRP = & tRAS = 19 tRCD=7
DRAM CS[0] base 0x00000000 size 256MB
DRAM CS[1] base 0x10000000 size 256MB
DRAM total size 512MB 16bit width
addresses 8M - 0M are saved for the U-Boot usage.

NAND: 256 MB
CPU : Marvell Feroceon (rev 1)

printenv bootargs returns:

bootargs=root=/dev/ram console=ttyS0,115200 max_loop=32 :::DB88FXX81:egiga0:none

printenv bootcmd returns:

bootcmd=nand read.e 0xa00000 0x100000 0x500000;nand read.e 0xf00000 0x600000 0x5
00000;bootm 0xa00000 0xf00000

I'm not an idiot, but I am brand new to this level of jiggery-pokery and any help will be appreciated, even an RTFM would be great if you tell me which manuals.

May you be free from anger, ill will, and jealousy. - Jerry.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2023 12:54AM by bodhi.

jerry,

This is a Kirkwood box (88F6282 SoC). But we don't have a device tree DTS for this.

And this does not apply (It is for Armada 37x and 38x SoC):
https://github.com/gisab/WDMC-Ex2


The Kirkwood boxes we support are

Quote
https://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,12096

Linux Kernel 6.2.x Kirkwood package and rootfs for GoFlex Home/Net, Pogoplug E02/Mobile/V4, iConnect, Dockstar, Sheevaplug, NSA320, NSA320S, NSA325, NSA310S, NSA310, Topkick, Netgear Stora, ASUS-M25, Iomega ix4-200d, QiZhiTong 501mv2, HP Thin Client T5325, LG N1T1, Linksys EA4500, Lenovo/Iomega ix2-ng, Toshiba Canvio Home NAS, Lenovo Iomega EZ, Dell KACE M300, Freecom Silverstore HNCN2, DNS-320-B1, Medion P89634, Netgear Ready NAS Duo v2, Lenovo/Iomega ix2-dl, CTera C200 V1, Synology DS413j (work in progress), and all other Kirkwood plugs that are already in the mainline.

The Zyxel NSA325 and Dell KACE M300 have the same SoC as your WD Ex4. So that might boot. Also there is a reference board DTS for 88F6282. But other hardware aspects needed to be in the DTS for it to function fully.

Usually you don't need new u-boot to run Debian. If there is no USB suuport, you could load the kernel files over tftp (it's a way of testing the kernel). It's inconvenient to boot the system this way permanently, though.

So quite a bit of works to get there.

-bodhi
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