Dockstar: Should I update uBoot?

I have a 2.6 kernel and Debian Squeeze running fine on a USB 2GB stick. I want to install a fresh Wheezy on a different USB stick and switch back and forth while I get the new stick configured. Squeeze is my production home server and will be until I have Wheezy configured properly.

Do I need to upgrade my uBoot to install Wheezy?

Should I upgrade it? (what benefits does an upgrade uBoot provide?)

How do I find out what version of uBoot I have installed?

If I do upgrade it will I still be able to boot into my Wheezy install?

Freakeao Wrote:
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> Do I need to upgrade my uBoot to install Wheezy?

Probably. You should be at least on uBoot 2011.12, produced around Feb 2012. (I'm not sure of the exact date for Dockstars, but Feb 20 2012 - 21:21:59 is the correct date for Pogoplugs.)

> Should I upgrade it? (what benefits does an
> upgrade uBoot provide?)

It will permit you to boot Wheezy. Without it, Wheezy won't boot. (It will hang after loading the Ramdisk and receiving the "Starting Kernel" message.)

> How do I find out what version of uBoot I have
> installed?

If you have added a serial console port, the uBoot will display its version ID there on boot. If you have netcon enabled, you can also see it while booting with the console box active. If you have neither of these, you can always download and run the shell installer script. It will detect earlier uBoots and only update them if necessary to bring you up to the current version. Be aware that any time you modify the uBoot there is some small but finite risk of bricking your system.

> If I do upgrade it will I still be able to boot
> into my Wheezy install?

You mean Squeeze? Yes, after the uBoot upgrade, you should be able to boot both Squeeze and Wheezy.

FWIW, the prevailing notion here is that building a Wheezy load from scratch doesn't work. Most people who run Wheezy have run a dist-upgrade on Squeeze to make it.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2013 04:21PM by restamp.

Another option is using this rootfs:
http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,12096

I compiled with L2 disabled during boot in this kernel so that it can be used with old uBoot!

-bodhi
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2013 12:47AM by bodhi.

Yes I meant booting into my old Squeeze install with a new uBoot.

I assume you mean this

http://projects.doozan.com/uboot/

when you mention the shell installer script that will check and possibly upgrade my uBoot.

Yes, that's what I used. I ran it back in March, and I don't believe it has been updated since then.

The script is very nicely and conservatively written: It will pull the existing uBoot off the NAND and checksum it, and not proceed (unless you force it) if it doesn't recognize the original uBoot, and I think it will abort if it finds you're already on the latest version.

Good luck!