Updating barebox from Linux

Updating barebox from Linux

[Christian Eggers]

Platform: i.MX6 (booting from NAND)

I would like to be able to update Barebox from Linux using a framework like 
RAUC or swupdate. The RAUC documentation states:

https://rauc.readthedocs.io/en/latest/advanced.html#bootloader-update-ideas
> 7.6.3. Bootloader Update Ideas
> 
> The NXP i.MX6 supports up to four bootloader copies when booting from NAND
> flash. The ROM code will try each copy in turn until it finds one which is
> readable without uncorrectable ECC errors and has a correct header. By
> using the trait of NAND flash that interrupted writes cause ECC errors and
> writing the first page (containing the header) last, the bootloader images
> can be replaced one after the other, while ensuring that the system will
> boot even in case of a crash or power failure.
> 
> The slot type could be called “boot-imx6-nand” analogous to eMMC.

In the barebox documentation I only found how to update barebox via the 
barebox_update command within barebox itself.

Updating barebox seems to be SoC specific. Is there already any existing code 
to do this from Linux? Or would it be more wise to write the new barebox image 
to a temporary UBI partition and let barebox do the update itself on next 
reboot?

regards
Christian





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Re: Updating barebox from Linux

[Sascha Hauer]

On Tue, Feb 04, 2020 at 03:08:18PM +0100, Christian Eggers wrote:
> Platform: i.MX6 (booting from NAND)
> 
> I would like to be able to update Barebox from Linux using a framework like 
> RAUC or swupdate. The RAUC documentation states:
> 
> https://rauc.readthedocs.io/en/latest/advanced.html#bootloader-update-ideas
> > 7.6.3. Bootloader Update Ideas
> > 
> > The NXP i.MX6 supports up to four bootloader copies when booting from NAND
> > flash. The ROM code will try each copy in turn until it finds one which is
> > readable without uncorrectable ECC errors and has a correct header. By
> > using the trait of NAND flash that interrupted writes cause ECC errors and
> > writing the first page (containing the header) last, the bootloader images
> > can be replaced one after the other, while ensuring that the system will
> > boot even in case of a crash or power failure.
> > 
> > The slot type could be called “boot-imx6-nand” analogous to eMMC.
> 
> In the barebox documentation I only found how to update barebox via the 
> barebox_update command within barebox itself.
> 
> Updating barebox seems to be SoC specific. Is there already any existing code 
> to do this from Linux?

I remember that someone asked for updating i.MX6 NAND bootloader from
Linux and also that in the end he reported he was successful.
Unfortunately I can't remember who it was :(

> Or would it be more wise to write the new barebox image 
> to a temporary UBI partition and let barebox do the update itself on next 
> reboot?

At least this is the easiest way out in the current situation.

It would be great to have code similar to what barebox has in the
barebox_update code under Linux, especially for cases where updating
barebox is more than just writing plain to a device or file, like it
is on i.MX6 NAND.

Sascha

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