No serial output

I gave up on one of my GoFlex Home docks a few months ago because nothing was being output to the serial connection... Now after revisiting it, I see that the green LED has stopped flashing and become steady. My DHCP server indicated it was online, and I've just managed to ssh in.

Is there any way I can find out why it isn't outputting to the serial port?

I want to get back to my GoFlex Home FreeBSD project which stalled a while ago.

The current state of the dock is:-

root@debian:~# uname -a
Linux debian 4.12.1-kirkwood-tld-1 #1 PREEMPT Sat Jul 15 21:40:50 PDT 2017 armv5tel GNU/Linux

fw_printenv:-

bootcmd_exec=run load_uimage; if run load_initrd; then if run load_dtb; then bootm $load_uimage_addr $load_initrd_addr $load_dtb_addr; else bootm $load_uimage_addr $load_initrd_addr; fi; else if run load_dtb; then bootm $load_uimage_addr - $load_dtb_addr; else bootm $load_uimage_addr; fi; fi
bootcmd=run bootcmd_uenv; run scan_disk; run set_bootargs; run bootcmd_exec
bootcmd_uenv=run uenv_load; if test $uenv_loaded -eq 1; then run uenv_import; fi
bootdelay=10
bootdev=usb
device=0:1
devices=usb ide mmc
disks=0 1 2 3
ethact=egiga0
if_netconsole=ping $serverip
led_error=orange blinking
led_exit=green off
led_init=green blinking
load_dtb_addr=0x1c00000
load_initrd_addr=0x1100000
load_uimage_addr=0x800000
load_dtb=echo loading DTB $dtb_file ...; load $bootdev $device $load_dtb_addr $dtb_file
load_initrd=echo loading uInitrd ...; load $bootdev $device $load_initrd_addr /boot/uInitrd
load_uimage=echo loading uImage ...; load $bootdev $device $load_uimage_addr /boot/uImage
mainlineLinux=yes
mtdids=nand0=orion_nand
partition=nand0,2
scan_disk=echo running scan_disk ...; scan_done=0; setenv scan_usb "usb start";  setenv scan_ide "ide reset";  setenv scan_mmc "mmc rescan"; 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 load $dev $disknum:1 $load_uimage_addr /boot/uImage 1; then scan_done=1; echo Found bootable drive on $dev $disknum; setenv device $disknum:1; setenv bootdev $dev; fi; fi; done; fi; done
set_bootargs=setenv bootargs console=ttyS0,115200 root=LABEL=rootfs rootdelay=10 $mtdparts $custom_params
start_netconsole=setenv ncip $serverip; setenv bootdelay 10; setenv stdin nc; setenv stdout nc; setenv stderr nc; version;
stderr=serial
stdin=serial
stdout=serial
uenv_addr=0x810000
uenv_import=echo importing envs ...; env import -t $uenv_addr $filesize
uenv_init_devices=setenv init_usb "usb start";  setenv init_ide "ide reset";  setenv init_mmc "mmc rescan"; for devtype in $devices; do run init_$devtype; done;
uenv_load=run uenv_init_devices; setenv uenv_loaded 0; for devtype in $devices;  do for disknum in 0; do run uenv_read_disk; done; done;
uenv_read_disk=if test $devtype -eq mmc; then if $devtype part; then run uenv_read;  fi; else if $devtype part $disknum; then run uenv_read; fi;  fi
uenv_read=echo loading envs from $devtype $disknum ...; if load $devtype $disknum:1 $uenv_addr /boot/uEnv.txt; then setenv uenv_loaded 1; fi
usb_ready_retry=15
arcNumber=3338
mtdparts=mtdparts=orion_nand:1M(u-boot),4M(uImage),32M(rootfs),-(data)
ethaddr=00:10:75:2e:ae:0f
dtb_file=/boot/dts/kirkwood-goflexhome.dtb
preboot_nc=setenv nc_ready 0; for pingstat in 1 2 3 4 5; do; sleep 1; if run if_netconsole; then setenv nc_ready 1; fi; done; if test $nc_ready -eq 1; then run start_netconsole; fi
preboot=run preboot_nc
ipaddr=192.168.1.22
serverip=192.168.1.43

balanga Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I gave up on one of my GoFlex Home docks a few
> months ago because nothing was being output to the
> serial connection... Now after revisiting it, I
> see that the green LED has stopped flashing and
> become steady. My DHCP server indicated it was
> online, and I've just managed to ssh in.
>
> Is there any way I can find out why it isn't
> outputting to the serial port?

Your u-boot envs look OK. There is nothing that could mess up serial console output.

I would run picocom on the serial module converter host, and try to trouble shoot that side to the GFHome serial pinouts.

Since you can boot the Debian rootfs like this, the u-boot image in NAND must be in good condition. Even if your u-boot envs were totally messed up, the u-boot banner should have been seen in serial console output.

So I think it is either your serial console module, the wires, or the board serial header TX pin, is at fault here.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
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bodhi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> balanga Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
>
> Your u-boot envs look OK. There is nothing that
> could mess up serial console output.
>
> I would run picocom on the serial module converter
> host, and try to trouble shoot that side to the
> GFHome serial pinouts.
>
> Since you can boot the Debian rootfs like this,
> the u-boot image in NAND must be in good
> condition. Even if your u-boot envs were totally
> messed up, the u-boot banner should have been seen
> in serial console output.
>
> So I think it is either your serial console
> module, the wires, or the board serial header TX
> pin, is at fault here.

bodhi,

I'm inclined to think I may have messed up the serial board trying to force a pin into holes on the board.

Would I be able to update my uBoot without access via serial port?

balanga,

>
> Would I be able to update my uBoot without access
> via serial port?

Of course, you can. The flashing typically done in Debian.

However, there is always a risk in flashing uboot (eg. typo, wrong image...) that you you will not to be able to recover without serial console. And then JTAG becomes the last resort to unbrick.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)

I was going to try and flash the unit but I can't find the USB stick I had so tried to rebuild it. Unfortunately there's something missing since the unit starts flashing green for several minutes before it starts flashing orange.

Is it possible to diagnose what I should put in uEnv.txt from what I posted in my first post?

balanga,

> I was going to try and flash the unit but I can't
> find the USB stick I had so tried to rebuild it.
> Unfortunately there's something missing since the
> unit starts flashing green for several minutes
> before it starts flashing orange.

The rootfs was not created correctly, so the kernel did not finish booting.

>
> Is it possible to diagnose what I should put in
> uEnv.txt from what I posted in my first post?

You do have netconsole activated:

preboot=run preboot_nc
ipaddr=192.168.1.22
serverip=192.168.1.43

So run netconsole server on the box that has the IP addr 192.168.1.43 (the server). And connect to the GFHome IP addr 192.168.1.22.

Run this command on the server side:

nc -lup 6666 192.168.1.22 6666

Then you can observe the u-boot booting activity in loading and starting kernel.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)

bodhi,

Many thanks for pointing this out I have now managed to connect via netconsole.