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nvflash

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nvflash

nvflash is a utility provided by Nvidia for flashing Tegra devices. Nvflash runs on a host PC and communicates with the Tegra system (the AC100 in our case) through a dedicated USB port (the mini USB port on the AC100).

nvflash is distributed by nvidia as a binary only. Sources are not available and the communication protocol in not publicly documented.

Installing nvflash

From the nvidia tegra developper site

nvflash is distributed as part of the Linux4Tegra Development kit. available here: http://developer.nvidia.com/tegra-250-tango-development-kits

The following commands will install nvflash in ~/tools/ldk/bootloader folder:

$ mkdir ~/tools/
$ wget http://developer.download.nvidia.com/assets/mobile/files/tegra-linux-12.alpha.1.0.tar.gz
$ tar xf tegra-linux-12.alpha.1.0.tar.gz 

Two files are useful:

  • ~/tools/ldk/bootloader/nvflash: the nvflash utility itself
  • ~/tools/ldk/bootloader/harmony/fastboot.bin, a simple bootloader which is downloaded on the Tegra CPU to manage further communication with nvflash

In order to be able to run nvflash as a normal user, you need to install an udev rule file:

$ sudo -i
$ cat > /etc/udev/rules.d/60-nvflash.rules <<END
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0955", ATTR{idProduct}=="7820", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
END

This last step is optional, but without doing it you will have to run nvflash as root.

Debian/Ubuntu Package

Without any clear usage and redistribution license, nvflash cannot be distributed as a standard package. An installer package is available from here: http://share.grandou.net/debian/nvflash

Here is how to install it:

$ cd /tmp
$ wget http://share.grandou.net/debian/nvflash/nvflash_20110222-1_all.deb 
$ sudo dpkg -i nvflash_20110222-1_all.deb

nvflash is install as /usr/bin/nvflash, and so can be run directly from your shell

the bootloader is installed here: /usr/lib/nvflash/bootloader.bin

nvflash.1311888768.txt.gz · Last modified: 2011/07/28 23:32 by ggrandou