1 Topic by linob (edited by linob 2016-11-19 08:30:57)

  • Registered: 2016-05-10
  • Posts: 12

Topic: Verify the u-boot version when booting

Hello,


I want to find out which u-boot version is used when booting.

Comparing the boot screen with the deb package confuses me:
The boot screen with the single penguin shows for a second "2015.04.r1". Is this is the u-boot version?
When looking at the "installed" deb package I see version 2014.10.r8-novena1.

According to the Kosagi wiki [1] and the novena guide [2] will the u-boot-novena bootloader package install itself on /boot when updating the system via apt. AFAI understand do both web sites assume that the Novena runs only from sd card (and not from SATA with the corresponding flag set in novena-eeprom-gui).
Because my Novena board runs from a SATA drive, and because the instructions of [2] can not be used word-by-word when using a hard drive (e. g. to install the kernel you have to write to the mounted the sd card instead to /boot), I am not sure if a new u-boot version is automatically installed when running an update via apt.


How do I find out, which u-boot version is really used at startup?


Many thanks,
linob


[1] https://www.kosagi.com/w/index.php?title=U-boot-novena
[2] http://novena-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

  • Registered: 2015-05-31
  • Posts: 117

Re: Verify the u-boot version when booting

Hello!

If I remember right, part of the debian installation process copies a u-boot.img file onto /boot/. I think that installation assumes that the SD Card is mounted as /boot. If you do not mount your SD Card as /boot, then the u-boot.img copied to SATA Drive /boot folder is there instead.

I would trust that the boot screen is telling you the correct version number.

I hope that helps!

chris4795's Website

  • Registered: 2016-05-10
  • Posts: 12

Re: Verify the u-boot version when booting

Thank you for the explanation chris4795.

The file sizes of u-boot.img and u-boot.spl had different sizes in /boot compared to these files on the sd card.
Copying the files manually to the sd card seems to update u-boot. The boot screen shows now in the first second 2015.04.r1 of Feb 22 2016.

  • Registered: 2015-05-31
  • Posts: 117

Re: Verify the u-boot version when booting

You are welcome!

So you know, there is a specific way of updating the SPL (That is the first stage boot loader for u-boot). I believe the script you need is novena-install-spl. You don't need to copy it over into the SD card.

chris4795's Website