This note explains how to install a bootable Linux image to the SD Card of the NXP i.MX RT1170 EVK board. Having installed a Linux image to the SD Card, you would be able to boot Linux on the target automatically on any power up or reset cycle.

Instructions of how to build the sample Linux image (rootfs.uImage) from the Emcraft software distribution is described in Building Linux.

To install the sample Linux image (rootfs.uImage) from the Emcraft software distribution just follow the instructions:

1. Make sure that SD Card is formatted.
2. Remove SD Card from the NXP i.MX RT1170 EVK board, and plug it into PC.
3. Find out a /dev/sdX device the system has assigned to your SD Card:

$ dmesg | tail
sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] 31116288 512-byte logical blocks: (15.9GB/14.8 GiB)
sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Cache data unavailable
sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Cache data unavailable
sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
sdb: sdb1

4. Mount the first partition of the SD Card, and copy rootfs.uImage file:

$ sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
$ cp rootfs.uImage /mnt



5. Umount, and safely remove the SD Card:

$ sudo umount /mnt
$ sync

6. Insert the SD Card back to the SD Card holder on the NXP i.MX RT1170 EVK board. Power on the EVK board. Connect to the serial console, and make sure that Linux boot up to console:

U-Boot SPL 2023.04 (Sep 01 2023 - 17:34:47 +0000)
Trying to boot from MMC1


U-Boot 2023.04 (Sep 01 2023 - 17:34:47 +0000)

Model: NXP imxrt1170-evk board
DRAM:  960 KiB (effective 64.9 MiB)
Core:  72 devices, 15 uclasses, devicetree: separate
MMC:   FSL_SDHC: 0
Loading Environment from MMC... OK
In:    serial@4007c000
Out:   serial@4007c000
Err:   serial@4007c000
Net:   eth0: ethernet@40424000
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
8489874 bytes read in 756 ms (10.7 MiB/s)
## Booting kernel from Legacy Image at 80007fc0 ...
   Image Name:   Linux-6.1.22
   Image Type:   ARM Linux Multi-File Image (uncompressed)
   Data Size:    8489810 Bytes = 8.1 MiB
   Load Address: 80008000
   Entry Point:  80008001
   Contents:
      Image 0: 8480224 Bytes = 8.1 MiB
      Image 1: 9574 Bytes = 9.3 KiB
   Verifying Checksum ... OK
## Flattened Device Tree from multi component Image at 80007FC0
   Booting using the fdt at 0x8081e5ec
Working FDT set to 8081e5ec
   Loading Multi-File Image
   Loading Device Tree to 2032a000, end 2032f565 ... OK
Working FDT set to 2032a000

Starting kernel ...

Booting Linux on physical CPU 0x0
Linux version 6.1.22 (sasha@workbench.emcraft.com)
(arm-none-eabi-gcc (GNU Arm Embedded Toolchain 10.3-2021.10) 
10.3.1 20210824 (release), GNU ld (GNU Arm Embedded Toolchain 
10.3-2021.10) 2.36.1.20210621) #2 Fri Sep  1 14:20:49 UTC 2023
CPU: ARMv7-M [411fc272] revision 2 (ARMv7M), cr=00000000
CPU: PIPT / VIPT nonaliasing data cache, PIPT instruction cache
OF: fdt: Machine model: NXP IMXRT1170 EVK board 
.....
Run /init as init process
[72] Jan 01 00:00:01 Running in background
/ # mmc0: host does not support reading read-only switch, assuming 
write-enable
mmc0: new high speed SDHC card at address 59b4
mmcblk0: mmc0:59b4 USD   7.39 GiB
 mmcblk0: p1
Micrel KSZ8081 or KSZ8091 40424000.ethernet-1:02: attached PHY driver 
(mii_bus:phy_addr=40424000.ethernet-1:02, irq=POLL)
fec 40424000.ethernet eth0: Link is Up - 100Mbps/Full - flow 
control off 
/ # ls
bin       hello.ko  lib       proc      sys       var
dev       httpd     linuxrc   root      tmp
etc       init      mnt       sbin      usr
/ #