[U-Boot] u-boot boot process is broken, how do i recover?

[Albert ARIBAUD]

Hi JPT,

On Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:13:02 +0200, JPT <j-p-t at gmx.net> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I've got a readynas and successfully installed a recent kernel into ROM 
> and Debian onto hard-drive.
> But when I tried to modify the uboot-env from uboot-console I had 
> trouble with the ; in the vars. And did not know how to escape.
> So I tried to access uboot-env from linux.
> 
> I applied something like this (well, not that straight forward)
> 
> /etc/fw_env.config
> # device    offset   size      Flash sector size   Number of sectors
> /dev/mtd1   0x0      0x20000   0x20000             1
> 
> Maybe there is something wrong in my config?

Not in /etc/fw_env.config as far as I can tell, but maybe your
Netgear-made u-boot is special.

> apt-get install uboot-envtools
> fw_printenv bootcmd

No result there? There should be.

> fw_setenv bootcmd.bak 'nand read.e 0x1200000 0x200000 0x600000;nand 
> read.e 0x2000000 0x800000 0x1000000;bootm 0x1200000 0x2000000'
> 
> fw_setenv bootcmd 'nand read.e 0x1200000 0x200000 0x600000;bootm 0x1200000'
> 
> fw_printenv bootcmd.bak bootcmd
> fw_printenv bootargs
> fw_setenv bootargs.bak 'console=ttyS0,115200 reason=normal 
> mtdparts=nand_mtd:0x180000 at 0(u-boot),0x20000 at 0x180000(u-boot-env),0x600000 at 0x200000(uImage),0x1000000 at 0x800000(minirootfs),0x6800000 at 0x1800000(jffs2)'
> 
> fw_setenv bootargs 'console=ttyS0,115200 root=/dev/sda3 
> mtdparts=nand_mtd:0x180000 at 0(u-boot),0x20000 at 0x180000(u-boot-env),0x600000 at 0x200000(uImage),0x1000000 at 0x800000(minirootfs),0x6800000 at 0x1800000(jffs2)'
> 
> fw_printenv bootargs.bak bootargs
> 
> 
> btw, kernel said:
> Creating 5 MTD partitions on "nand_mtd":
> 0x000000000000-0x000000180000 : "u-boot"
> 0x000000180000-0x0000001a0000 : "u-boot-env"
> 0x000000200000-0x000000800000 : "uImage"
> 0x000000800000-0x000001800000 : "minirootfs"
> 0x000001800000-0x000008000000 : "jffs2"
> 
> Now the boot process is broken. I don't understand why.
> It stops right after the network (see below). Usually the boot countdown 
> should appear afterwards.
> Is there anything I can do except unsoldering the ROM?

Yes: get control through JTAG.

> If I have to remove the chip and burn it using an external writer...
> Is there any way to buy similar chip which can be mounted on a socket?
> 
> It's a H27U1G8F2BTR-BC (newer version of HY27UF081G2B-TCB)
> which is NAND flash, 2,7-3,6V, 1Gbitx8 (128 MiB), SLC Single Die + Large 
> Block, TSOP 48 pin. There is also a FBGA 63 PIN available. are there any 
> sockets for FBGA I can solder to TSOP?
> Or do other manufacturers offer compatible chips which can be applied to 
> a socket?

Don't consider unsoldering / resoldering, all the more if sockets are
involved, as long as you board has JTAG, either as a header or at least
as contact points. A dumb JTAG probe and OpenOCD will cost you little
and go a long way.

> thanks for any help!
> 
> Jan

Amicalement,
-- 
Albert.