One good uniform way to install a guru/sheeva wanted

[KidE]

All,

Like most of you i've been struggeling with my guruplug for quite some time now and out off frustration i left the damm thing lying in the corner of my room.
It is running but with an ancient version of UBOOT and a kernel that has a big pile of dust on it.

There are about 1000 different ways to get this nice thing working but all have the problem that intercooperation between "ways" is more than problematic.

For instrance i tried to get my plug booting the kernel from my SD-card and i got a zillion different  versions of uboot which just not all work.

Would it be an idea to combine the knowledge you guruś have and make 1 (or 2)  different instructions that cover the whole flow from uboot till upgrading the kernel.

It would help me and i knwo it will help a whole bunch of other people out there.

Hoping for your responds.

Ernst

[ppmt]

This is the best site I found to update your guruplug

http://oinkzwurgl.org/guruplug

[Zortrium]

I've deployed about 15 Sheeva/GuruPlugs so far, so I've messed around with my share of bootloaders.  As far as booting from SD cards is concerned (which, generally speaking, is the best approach):

For the SheevaPlug, use uboot 3.4.27 with Pingtoo's patch (linked here from the forums). This version is rock-solid for booting from SD cards and has worked flawlessly for me. The uboot version command should output this:

U-Boot 1.1.4 (Dec 27 2009 - 22:03:21) Marvell version: 3.4.27 - pingtoo patch.01

For the GuruPlug, use the custom uboot linked from the previous post.  I am currently using this version to boot from a MicroSDHC card, plugged into my GuruPlug via a USB adapter.  The uboot version command should output this:

U-Boot 2010.09-02612-g27fb783-dirty (Nov 11 2010 - 22:51:37)
Marvell-GuruPlug (-: flipflip's version 20101111 :-)

Both these bootloaders are capable of booting ext2/ext3 partitions.  I can provide any further details if you require.

[KidE]

Thnx guys, both options look very good and i'll start with the 1st post.

[ppmt]

Actually I would like to rebound on this

I advised the link above and it works great for updating the uboot but over the last few days I have been
trying to finally get my plug to boot form an 8G microSD I have and I just don't get anywhere.

I reach a point where I am totally confused and don't know what to do anymore so for sure some extra doc for dummy like
me would be great

It is really a shame that Marvell and Globalscale are not more proactive in terms of documentation or updating software

[Zortrium]

Are you using the built-in SD slot on the GuruPlug Server Plus or a USB adapter on a standard GuruPlug?  The latter is what I'm most familiar with.  If that's what you're doing, is your card recognized by u-boot?  Run 'usb start' in u-boot and see if the device is recognized at all -- I've found that u-boot can be finicky about what devices it recognizes, and have had both readers and cards that worked fine in my computer but could not be read by u-boot.

[ppmt]

Hi,

I use the SD reader on the side of the guruplug.

I think I am not too far just confused.

Here where I am at:

I have the ubout from the site I mentioned earlier. I installed on my SD card the latest Debian from this web site:
http://bzed.de/posts/2010/05/installing_debian_on_the_guruplug_server_plus/

I changed the printenv to boot from the card and I can see it load uImage and start
 

Code:

scanning bus for devices... 3 USB Device(s) found                               
       scanning bus for storage devices... Device NOT ready                     
   Request Sense returned 02 3A 00                                             
2 Storage Device(s) found                                                       
Loading file "/uImage" from usb device 1:1 (usbdb1)
 1431936 bytes read                                                             
## Booting kernel from Legacy Image at 06400000 ...                             
   Image Name:   Debian kernel                                                 
   Image Type:   ARM Linux Kernel Image (uncompressed)                         
   Data Size:    1431872 Bytes = 1.4 MiB                                       
   Load Address: 00008000                                                       
   Entry Point:  00008000                                                       
   Verifying Checksum ... OK                                                   
   Loading Kernel Image ... OK                                                 
OK                                           

and then it stops at

Code:

Uncompressing Linux... done, booting the kernel.

also before it used to go further than that but ended in a Kernel Panic. Don't know why it stops there now
Told you I am confused!

So I think that the SD card is recognized but somehow I must be missing something.

I will redo once more the Debian Installation in case

[KidE]

This is the best site I found to update your guruplug

http://oinkzwurgl.org/guruplug

So it looked fine ant the beginning but this is what i call a classic case of BAD documentation 

I started to update my plug wuth the flipflip version of u-boot and after flashing it tot NAND total darkness. Plug wont go back or forth anymore.

Is it really that difficult to make a simpel work instruction howto update? or at least supply the steps and the expected outcome.   More hours puzzeling here

[ppmt]

Hum!

I thought that this part of updating the uboot is rather well done actually.

Where I got it wrong (if I did!) in my case is more during the installation of Debian on the SD card

[KidE]

I thought that this part of updating the uboot is rather well done actually

Than please explain me what you did because i just have it running follwoing the (creappy) description but i have totally no enviroment settings and i even dont see The version of uboot "flipflip"displayed. As i'm proceeding i'm writing a detailed step-by-step howto usable for beginner and pro

[KidE]

Hum!

I thought that this part of updating the uboot is rather well done actually.

Where I got it wrong (if I did!) in my case is more during the installation of Debian on the SD card

Could you please explain how you flashed the NAND with the correct u-boot version?

If i follow the instruction and flash it via openocd the plug dies and nothings happes after that.

If i flash it via tftp/rarp i must use the .kwb image because the .bin doesnt do anything.
After writing it in NAND and resetting i mis the 1st part of u-boot which says : Marvel blabla date bl;abla flipflip

[ppmt]

Hi

I will look into writing a clearer explanation but regarding the kwb uboot and the missing beginning...I have the same but it works

interrupt the boot and once in the uboot prompt type version

you will see that which uboot you use. It will be flipflip's one!

[KidE]

true... it's working for me also but that is what i mean with lackings docs. you miss stuff but you dont know what and that is when people start wondering

[ppmt]

Agreed I struggle a lot as well but then I learn a lot eventually

I had so much "problems" that now I am no longer afraid of bricking my plug. I am fairly certain I can recover it now

flipflip is a familiar of this forum so i would say the best is to contact and expose the issue you had.

but ultimately no one is paying him to help anyone 

[KidE]

I did yesterday so iḿ hoping for a reply.

So iḿ at the point of installing Debian to the internal SD. I followed the page: http://bzed.de/posts/2010/05/installing_debian_on_the_guruplug_server_plus/

This worked flawlessly in the passed but now the installer stops @

Code:

Starting kernel ...

Uncompressing Linux... done, booting the kernel.

Any ideas?