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====== Debian hardfloat with upstream U-Boot ======

Here I'm documenting my progress on using my ac100-116 "the right way". Feel free to reach me on [[help#irc]], my nick is PaulFertser.

**UPDATE 24 Oct 2016**: migrated the system to current upstream U-boot and Linux. Everything seems to be nice and reliable. The limitations section still applies.
Some notes on update:
  * Needs the latest (from firmware git) ''rt2870.bin'' for stable wifi
  * Missing ''nvec_event'' so lid open/close events are not generated
  * To be able to use ''synaptics'' X.org driver the ''elantech'' protocol needs to be forced for ''psmouse'' kernel driver
  * ''mpv'' works nicely for unaccelerated video playback, including streaming from Youtube and other popular hostings (''ytdl-format=18'' is usually needed)
===== Status =====
==== What works ====
  * Booting (currently fetching kernel+rootfs is a bit slow due to u-boot bug, ~15s)
  * Display (both text console and X.org fbdev), keyboard, touchpad
  * Wifi
  * Bluetooth
  * GSM/UMTS data transfer
  * Stereo sound both on internal speakers and the headphones
  * Webcam
  * Integrated digital microphone
  * External stereo headset with microphone

==== What doesn't ====
  * LCD and keyboard in u-boot (pending upstream patches and paz00 integration, http://news.gmane.org/group/gmane.comp.boot-loaders.u-boot/thread=122864, for keyboard NVEC support would be needed)
  * Boot from USB in u-boot (http://news.gmane.org/group/gmane.comp.boot-loaders.u-boot/thread=122484)
  * Resume from suspend-to-ram (pending u-boot warmboot patches, see http://news.gmane.org/group/gmane.comp.boot-loaders.u-boot/thread=122760)
  * Suspend-to-disk/hibernation (not anytime soon, no upstream support for ARMs)
  * tegra_wdt watchdog resets the system but it doesn't boot after that for the reasons unknown
  * Proprietary drivers for X and OMX-accelerated sound/video decoding (never tried, see https://build.pub.meego.com/package/files?package=nvidia-tegra2&project=home%3Acxl000%3Atrimslice%3AMer%3Atesting , http://ppa.launchpad.net/ac100/ppa/ubuntu/pool/restricted/n/nvidia-graphics-drivers-tegra/ , mplayer-omx, gst-omx etc)

===== Installation and initial configuration story =====
U-boot doesn't support the display yet. Kernel initialises and uses the integrated panel and the backlight properly. It's possible that you'll manage this with a specially prepared bootloader that will boot from external SD automatically without a serial console.

I use a toolchain compiled by Gentoo crossdev, [[putusb]], [[uboot]], Marvin's 3.0.8 kernel.

Configure u-boot with ''make paz00_config'' and build it with your toolchain.

I then used my laptop and an SD card, created a single ext2 partition there and unpacked the preinstalled ubuntu rootfs. Copied the ''uImage'' to root and the created modules to ''/lib/modules''. Erased unneeded boot scripts (including ''network-manager'') from ''/etc/init/''. Created there a file to start ''getty'' on ''ttyS0'', 115200 baud. Placed a suitable ''wpa_supplicant.conf'' somewhere on the card. Removed password from ''/etc/shadow'' to give me root login.

I boot the u-boot.bin via putusb, then <code>mmc dev 1; ext2load mmc 1 0x408000 uImage; set bootargs "mem=509M@0M console=tty1 console=ttyS0,115200n8 root=/dev/mmcblk1p1"; bootm</code>

Logged in, set password to 1, start ''wpa_supplicant -Dnl80211 -iwlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf &'', then ''dhclient eth0''. Installed ''openssh-server'' and switched to that (because the serial console sometimes stops to function).

Installed ''gdisk'' and repartitioned from scratch ''/dev/mmcblk0'', creating two partitions there (one for /boot, 32M should be enough), another for LVM pv. Created LVM there, with two (for now) volumes: 1G for swap, and everything else for the rootfs. ''mkfs.nilfs /dev/emmc-lvm/rootfs''. Mounted it, and started to Debootstrap debian armhf according to the official manual (you'll need to read both installing debian and armhf chroot, though debian-ports.org repositories are not needed).

Copied ''/lib/firmware/rt2870.bin'' to the newly established system, configured ''/etc/network/interfaces'' to bring up wlan0 for my home wlan automatically. Created a symlink from ''/bin/true'' to ''/usr/sbin/mkfs.nilfs2'' to make the boot happy.

Initramfs is a bit tricky: a workaround from http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=649288 is needed (it has a typo where .. is used instead of . and also the script should be made +x), and also you need to pay attention to using ''/dev/mapper/emmc%%--%%lvm-rootfs'' and not ''/dev/emmc-lvm/rootfs'' for the ''root='' kernel command line argument (see http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=612402) or else initramfs won't call ''vgchange -ay automatically''. Add ''nilfs2'' to ''/etc/initramfs-tools/modules'' (if you're using ''MODULES=most''). Make a symlink from ''initrd-3.0.8'' to ''initramfs'' in ''/boot''. You'll also need a custom initramfs-tools addon script to add nilfs_cleanerd to the initramfs or you'll need to start it later from e.g. /etc/rc.local.

The resulting system should be bootable with
<code>
mmc dev 0; ext2load mmc 0 0x408000 uImage; ext2load mmc 0 0x1408000 initramfs; set bootargs "mem=509M@0M console=tty1 console=ttyS0,115200n8 root=/dev/mapper/emmc--lvm-rootfs zcache initrd=0x1408000,0x${filesize}"; bootm 0x408000
</code>

You can hardcode this command line by adding
<code>
#define CONFIG_BOOTCOMMAND     \
       "mmc dev 0; ext2load mmc 0 0x408000 uImage; ext2load mmc 0 0x1408000 initramfs; set bootargs \"mem=509M@0M console=tty1 console=ttyS0,115200n8 root=/dev/mapper/emmc--lvm-rootfs zcache initrd=0x1408000,0x${filesize}\"; bootm 0x408000"
</code>
to ''include/configs/paz00.h'' and recompiling u-boot.

If you want to flash uboot as your main bootloader, get the dump of your part2 (DCT) with [[putusb]], use ''bct_dump'' to dump the current config to file, add <code>BootLoader    = u-boot.bin,0x00108000,0x00108000,Complete;</code> in there and create a new image with ''cbootimage''. Then either flash it with ''putusb'' or from a running system by ''echo 0 > /sys/block/mmcblk0boot0/force_ro; dd if=newdct.bin of=/dev/mmcblk0boot0''.

I managed to successfully recompile u-boot on the device itself using the Debian hardfloat native toolchain, but i needed this patch to bct_dump:
<code>
diff --git a/parse.c b/parse.c
index 1005ebc..c9153a1 100644
--- a/parse.c
+++ b/parse.c
@@ -913,7 +913,7 @@ void process_config_file(build_image_context *context)
 {
        char buffer[MAX_BUFFER];
        int  space = 0;
-       char current;
+       int current;
        u_int8_t c_eol_comment_start = 0; // True after first slash
        u_int8_t comment = 0;
        u_int8_t string = 0;
</code>

And then be sure to read suckless [[tips_and_tricks]].