Linux embedded tools

This is a bunch of script I use for kernel hacks on embedded Linux devices (ZED, RPi, ...).

They make my life easier dealing with u-boot tftp boot (kernel and DT), serial terminals, kernel and DT compile and so on, especially when I have to deal with multiple different boards, branches, versions and configs

Basically my scripts use screen to setup a serial connection, then they attach to it for both communicating with u-boot and providing you a serial console.

The scripts will bring up the tftp server when required, and ask u-boot to upload the kernel image and DT. They mostly don't rely on u-boot saved env.

There are also some scripts to build and configure the kernel easily, and to move files from/to the target using scp. NOTE: security is not taken seriously here I use scp because I have it on all my boards, but they are intended to be locally connected, in a trusted environment.

Some support for FPGA loading via u-boot on Zynq boards is also present.

The interesting thing is that you define a config file for each board (zed.conf, rpi.conf, etc..) specifying all the needed parameteres, and then you can just run

makekern myboard && makedtb myboard

to compile your kernel and the right DT, and

tftpboot myboard

to make u-boot to fetch the image and DT and boot the specified board.

The scripts will also take care of kernel configuration for specific target (and eventually even git branches for which you may have a specific kernel configuration)

Setup

Basically you need:

• the usual stuff for kernel cross-compiling, bash with the usual unix tools, screen, python, python-netifaces, sshpass, and maybe other stuff that I have already installed on my box, and that I'm forgetting to mention right now..

• to clone this repo (with care for git submodules!) :)

• to create a config file (.conf) for your board in conf directory (copy an existing one and adjust things)

• to source setenv file every time you want you use this stuff (maybe you want to add it to your configuration files, not to have to do that by hand)

Usage

All scripts pretend as first argument the config file to load. You don't have to specify the file name of the config file (neither the PATH too), you refer to a config file specifying it's file name without the .conf estension. For example if you have the foo board, you want to have a foo.conf in your conf directory, and you can compile the kernel running makekern foo

This is a list of available scripts:

makekern - compiles the kernel image. By default it does produce the zImage (used for tftp with uboot) and maybe other format (for example uImage) specified in the config file.

makedtb - compiles the DT (again, specified in the config file)

menuconfig, nconfig, xconfig - launch the kernel configuration tools

tftpboot - tells, via serial, to u-boot to perform tftp boot. You must be in the root directory of the kernel, and you must have compiled the kernel and DT (using makekern and makedtb), you need also your board to be on the u-boot prompt.

tftpfpga - loads the given FPGA bitstream via u-boot and tftp (for Zynq boards)

ttyterm - brings you to a serial terminal. This is done using screen so you have to use its commands and keys. It's coexists nicely with the uboot-stuff.

downloadfile - downloads a specified file from the target via scp to the current directory

uploadfile - uploads a specified file from the target via sco to the current directory

uploadkerndtb - uploads the kernel image and DTB to the target via scp

uploadmod - search for the specified module (.ko) in the kernel tree and upload it to the target. Without parameters it uploads all the compiled .ko

Config files

The config file contains several = lines. They are basically treated as bash variables assignes.

general

TARGET_NAME - optional name to identify the board for which this config file is for

serial communications

TTY_DEV - specify the path of the tty interface. ex /dev/ttyUSB0

TTY_BAUD - self-explanatory :)

kernel build params

ARCH - the ARCH for which we compile the kernel ex. arm, arm64)

CROSS_COMPILE - prefix for the toolchain ex. arm-linux-gnueabi-

DTB_FILE - name of the DTB file in kernel tree arch/$ARCH/boot/dts. ex. zynq-zturn-myir.dtb

KERNEL_IMAGE - the target for the kernel Makefile. ex. uImage. defaults to zImage

BOOT_CMD - the boot command for u-boot, ex. booti. defaults to bootz

KERNEL_MAKE_EXTRA - extra stuff for kernel compiling, ex. UIMAGE_LOADADDR=0x8000

KCONFIG - optional file name for the kernel config. If present the scirpts will automatically configure the kernel when required. The file name is searched in the top level of the kernel tree. If a git-branch specific file (siffixed with -) is present, then it takes precendence.

ssh stuff

SSH_REMOTE_USER - self explanatory :)

SSH_REMOTE_PASSWORD - self explanatory :)

REMOTE_MOD_PATH - remote path for moudule (.ko) upload

ethernet config

ETH_LOCAL_IFACE - specifies the local ethernet interface to use. ex. eth0

ETH_LOCAL_ADDR - if defined, assignes the given IP to the local ethernet iface

ETH_MASK - needed when ETH_LOCAL_ADDR is specified

ETH_REMOTE_ADDR - specifies the target IP address. U-Boot is forced via serial to use this address, but it is assumed that the target filesystem already configures the interface for it.

u-boot addresses

UBOOT_IMAGE_LOADADDR - self explanatory. ex. 0x01000000

UBOOT_DTB_LOADADDR - self explanatory. ex. 0x100

UBOOT_FPGA_LOADADDR - u-boot temp storage for FPGA bitstream. ex. 0x4000000

UBOOT_PRE_CMD - optional preliminary command to give to u-boot, ex. usb start

Examples

TO BE DONE