Booting Linux from eMMC Print


Use the procedure documented below to install the U-Boot firmware, Linux kernel and filesystem images to the eMMC on the STM32MP1 module. Having completed the installation, the STM32MP1 SOM will boot to Linux from the eMMC on next reset / power on.

Note that the installation procedure requires a bootable SD card that will be used for the initial boot. Refer to Booting Linux from SD Card for information on how to create a bootable SD card. Note also that the procedure will erase all data previously present on the eMMC.

Here is the installation procedure:

  1. Insert a USB Flash into the Linux development host. Download the tarball with the prebuilt bootable Linux images from the Emcraft site, and unpack it into the USB Flash:

    2. $ mkdir -p /media/emcraft/5B4E/mfg_images
    $ tar xvfj images-stm32mp1-<version>.tar.bz2 -C /media/emcraft/5B4E/mfg_images
    emcraft-rootfs-openstlinux-weston-stm32mp1-som.tar.xz
    st-image-bootfs-openstlinux-weston-stm32mp1-som.tar.xz
    st-image-userfs-openstlinux-weston-stm32mp1-som.tar.xz
    st-image-vendorfs-openstlinux-weston-stm32mp1-som.tar.xz
    stm32mp1-som.dtb
    tf-a-stm32mp1-som-trusted.stm32
    u-boot-stm32mp1-som-trusted.stm32
    uImage
    $

  2. Insert the USB Flash into the SOM-BSB carrier board and boot the STM32MP1 SOM. Refer to Booting Linux from SD Card.
  3. If the USB Flash device is not mounted automatically, use the following command:

    4. $ mount /dev/sda1 /media/sda1

  4. In the Linux command prompt, unmount the eMMC (if it is mounted) in order to make sure it is ready for the partitioning:

    5. $ umount -f /dev/mmcblk1*

  5. Erase the previous partition table that might be present if the eMMC has been used earlier:

    6. $ wipefs --all /dev/mmcblk1

  6. Create a new GPT partition table on the eMMC using gdisk as shown below:
    7. root@stm32mp1-som:~# gdisk -l /dev/mmcblk1
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 1.0.3

[  121.572170]  mmcblk1: p1 p2 p3 p4 p5
Partition table scan:
  MBR: protective
  BSD: not present
  APM: not present
  GPT: present

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.
Disk /dev/mmcblk1: 7471104 sectors, 3.6 GiB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512/512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): 0B727674-919F-4603-8853-36FA9D72465F
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
Main partition table begins at sector 2 and ends at sector 33
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 7471070
Partitions will be aligned on 1024-sector boundaries
Total free space is 990 sectors (495.0 KiB)

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
   1            1024            5119   2.0 MiB     0700  ssbl
   2            5120          136191   64.0 MiB    8300  bootfs
   3          136192          168959   16.0 MiB    8300  vendorfs
   4          168960         6460415   3.0 GiB     8300  rootfs
   5         6460416         7471070   493.5 MiB   8300  userfs
root@stm32mp1-som:~#
  7. Install the U-Boot image file (u-boot-stm32mp1-som-trusted.stm32) to the eMMC:

    8. $ dd if=/media/sda1/mfg_images/u-boot-stm32mp1-som-trusted.stm32 of=/dev/mmcblk1p1 bs=1M conv=fdatasync

  8. Install the ARM Trusted Firmware images to the eMMC:

    9. $ echo 0 > /sys/class/block/mmcblk1boot0/force_ro
    $ echo 0 > /sys/class/block/mmcblk1boot1/force_ro
    $ dd if=/media/sda1/mfg_images/tf-a-stm32mp1-som-trusted.stm32 of=/dev/mmcblk1boot0 bs=1M conv=fdatasync
    $ dd if=/media/sda1/mfg_images/tf-a-stm32mp1-som-trusted.stm32 of=/dev/mmcblk1boot1 bs=1M conv=fdatasync

  9. Create the filesystems on the eMMC:

    10. $ mkfs.ext4 -F /dev/mmcblk1p2
    $ mkfs.ext4 -F /dev/mmcblk1p3
    $ mkfs.ext4 -F /dev/mmcblk1p4
    $ mkfs.ext4 -F /dev/mmcblk1p5

  10. Mount the eMMC partitions:

    11. $ mkdir -p /media/mmcblk1p2
    $ mkdir -p /media/mmcblk1p3
    $ mkdir -p /media/mmcblk1p4
    $ mkdir -p /media/mmcblk1p5
    $ mount /dev/mmcblk1p2 /media/mmcblk1p2
    $ mount /dev/mmcblk1p3 /media/mmcblk1p3
    $ mount /dev/mmcblk1p4 /media/mmcblk1p4
    $ mount /dev/mmcblk1p5 /media/mmcblk1p5

  11. Copy the Linux kernel and DTB images to the mmcblk1p2 eMMC partition:

    12. $ cd /media/mmcblk1p2
    $ tar xf /media/sda1/mfg_images/st-image-bootfs-openstlinux-weston-stm32mp1-som.tar.xz
    $ cp /media/sda1/mfg_images/{uImage,*.dtb} .

  12. Install the filesystem images:

    13. $ cd /media/mmcblk1p3
    $ tar xf /media/sda1/mfg_images/st-image-vendorfs-openstlinux-weston-stm32mp1-som.tar.xz
    $ cd /media/mmcblk1p4
    $ tar xf /media/sda1/mfg_images/emcraft-rootfs-openstlinux-weston-stm32mp1-som.tar.xz
    $ cd /media/mmcblk1p5
    $ tar xf /media/sda1/mfg_images/st-image-userfs-openstlinux-weston-stm32mp1-som.tar.xz
    $

  13. Reboot the system and stop at the U-Boot prompt by pressing any key:
    14. $ reboot
    ...
    U-Boot 2018.09-stm32mp-r2-2.8.0 (Feb 14 2019 - 15:13:06 +0000)
...
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0 
STM32MP1-SOM>
  14. Configure the eMMC internal partition table for booting:

    15. STM32MP1-SOM>
    mmc partconf 1 1 2 0
    STM32MP1-SOM> mmc partconf 1
    EXT_CSD[179], PARTITION_CONFIG:
    BOOT_ACK: 0x1
    BOOT_PARTITION_ENABLE: 0x2
    PARTITION_ACCESS: 0x0
    STM32MP1-SOM>

  15. Remove the SD card from the slot, power off the SOM-BSB board, and prepare it for booting from the eMMC by setting the S4 DIP switch boot selection as described in Selecting Boot Device.
  16. Re-apply the power and boot the system to the shell prompt:
    17. U-Boot 2018.09-stm32mp-r2-2.8.0 (Feb 14 2019 - 15:13:06 +0000)

CPU: STM32MP15x.B
Model: Emcraft STM32MP1 SOM Rev 1A, www.emcraft.com
Board: stm32mp1 in trusted mode
       Watchdog enabled
DRAM:  1 GiB
Clocks:
- MPU : 650 MHz
- MCU : 196.608 MHz
- AXI : 266.500 MHz
- PER : 24 MHz
MMC:   STM32 SDMMC2: 0, STM32 SDMMC2: 1
In:    serial
Out:   vidconsole
Err:   vidconsole
Model: Emcraft STM32MP1 SOM Rev 1A, www.emcraft.com
Board: stm32mp1 in trusted mode
Error: 16 bit/pixel mode, but BMP has 24 bit/pixel
Net:   eth0: ethernet@5800a000
Boot over mmc1!
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0 
...
Emcraft STM32MP1-SOM Release Distro (ST OpenSTLinux 2.4-snapshot-20190213) 
stm32mp1-som ttyS3

stm32mp1-som login: root (automatic login)

root@stm32mp1-som:~#