Gumstix u-boot 1.2

2007-07-26 by Motoma, tagged as gumstix hacking hyperterminal kermit kernel linux programming serial u-boot update upgrade usb verdex ymodem

I took the plunge and, at the risk of bricking my Verdex, updated u-boot. I can only begin to describe the improvements! The process was not nearly as perilous as I anticipated (though I did hold my breath when I rebooted the first time). Noteworthy improvements are the ability to load the kernel directly into the U-Boot environment, and the inclusion of ymodem file transfers over the serial line. The former reduces my boot time to a breathtaking 23 seconds, while the latter reduces rootfs flash time via serial connection by more than half!

The process was simple enough: after running a make in the buildroot, you are given three files: rootfs_arm_nofpu.jffs2, u-boot.bin, and uImage. These are your root filesystem, u-boot image, and kernel image, respectively.

The first step in the process of the u-boot upgrade is to replace the u-boot image. I used Hyper Terminal to do the transfer using the Kermit protocol:

Then I sent the root filesystem image to the device using the ymodem protocol:

Finally, I installed the kernel image for U-Boot to use. This means that rather than mounting the jffs2 root filesystem then initializing the kernel, U-Boot can start the kernel directly:

Please note: these are the steps that worked for me; in all circumstances you should follow the latest instructions listed on The Gumstix Support Wiki.

Hope this helps,

Motoma