APPLIED: UBUNTU: [Config] Armada 37x/38x/XP based boards support (e.g. Globalscale Mirabox)

[Tim Gardner]

On 07/16/2014 07:57 AM, Paolo Pisati wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 15, 2014 at 08:02:49AM -0400, Tim Gardner wrote:
>>
>> We must have _some_ core components built-in that are of little use on
>> armhf. I'd consider turning them off in order to save some RAM on these
>> small footprint systems. Also, I'd love to be able to use my Mirabox
>> with a stock kernel.
> 
> ok, it seems some of the latest patches slightly reduced the kernel size
> (~5.7MB in U/master-next), so if you cut a release now you will get a working
> kernel even withot the -Os patch: to trigger the bug i usually compile in some
> network device support, so we might be good for a bit.
> 
>> I wonder if you could chain from the 1.1 u-boot loader to a newer u-boot
>> that could actually load a large kernel ? The alternative is to post a
>> u-boot repository with the size corrections, but that requires a
>> somewhat harrowing u-boot upgrade (plus its a giant pain in the ass to
>> build). If you botch the upgrade then you own a brick.
> 
> unfortunately support for the mirabox is not present in upstream u-boot since it
> requires some proprietary blob for the ddr initiliazation - coincidentally,
> after i sent the config changes to enable the board, i got a message back from
> Globalscale tech support asking what this bug was about, and i sent them all
> the details so, cross your finger, and we might get a fixed bootloader soon.
> 

Paolo - I took a quick pass at this yesterday using
git://kernel.ubunt.com/rtg/mirabox.git and booting from TFTP. The kernel
was about 5.6 MB but I didn't ever get a console. Could you have a look
to see if Utopic master still works for you ?

rtg

-- 
Tim Gardner tim.gardner at canonical.com