Building Embedded Debian Linux bootable SD card for SAMA5D3 Xplained

This article illustrates how to build an   Embedded  Debian Linux bootable SD card for SAMA5D3 Xplained  board.

Requirements:

•  Linux PC (tested on Lubuntu 13.10 installed in VirtualBox)
• ARM cross toolchain
• AT91Bootstrap for SC card
• Linux Kernel +  Device Tree
• 4GB+ SD Card and  SAMA5D3 Xplained to test

1. Cross toolchain

You could build cross toolchain using buildroot or simply install:

$sudo apt-get install emdebian-archive-keyring
$sudo apt-get install libc6-armel-cross libc6-dev-armel-cross
$sudo apt-get install binutils-arm-linux-gnueabi
$sudo apt-get install gcc-arm-linux-gnueabi
$sudo apt-get install g++-arm-linux-gnueabi
$sudo apt-get install u-boot-tools
$sudo apt-get install libncurses5-dev


You could also use gnueabihf:

$sudo apt-get install gcc-arm-linux-gnueabihf
$sudo apt-get install g++-arm-linux-gnueabihf


2. AT91Bootstrap

more details

$git clone git://github.com/linux4sam/at91bootstrap.git
$cd at91bootstrap/
$make mrproper
$make sama5d3_xplainedsd_linux_zimage_dt_defconfig
$#make menuconfig #if you want to change something
$make CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabi-
$cd ..


3.Kernel

Get kernel source and compile details

$git clone git://github.com/linux4sam/linux-at91.git
$cd linux-at91/
$ls arch/arm/configs/+(at91|sam)*
$make ARCH=arm sama5d3_xplained_defconfig
$make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabi- zImage
$make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabi- dtbs
$make modules ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabi-
$make modules_install INSTALL_MOD_PATH=./modules ARCH=arm
$cd ..


4.Build an Embedded Debian root filesystem

Install tools:

sudo apt-get install multistrap
sudo apt-get install qemu
sudo apt-get install qemu-user-static
sudo apt-get install binfmt-support
sudo apt-get install dpkg-cross

Then:

$mkdir emdebian
$cd emdebian


Create file multistrap.conf and paste this inside:

---


[General]
arch=armhf
directory=target-rootfs
cleanup=true
noauth=true
unpack=true
debootstrap=Emdebian Net Utils Php Python
aptsources=Emdebian


[Emdebian]
packages=apt
source=http://www.emdebian.org/grip
keyring=emdebian-archive-keyring
suite=wheezy-grip


[Net]
#Basic packages to enable the networking
packages=netbase net-tools ethtool udev iproute iputils-ping ifupdown isc-dhcp-client ssh
source=http://www.emdebian.org/grip


[Utils]
#General purpose utilities
packages=locales adduser nano less wget vim rsyslog dialog sudo
source=http://www.emdebian.org/grip


[Php]
packages=php5-cgi lighttpd
source=http://ftp.debian.org/debian
suite=wheezy


#Python language
[Python]
packages=python python-serial
source=http://www.emdebian.org/grip


---

then run:

$sudo multistrap -f multistrap.conf
$sudo cp /usr/bin/qemu-arm-static target-rootfs/usr/bin
$sudo LC_ALL=C LANGUAGE=C LANG=C chroot target-rootfs dpkg --configure -a

Create file fsupdate.sh

---


#!/bin/sh
TARGET_ROOTFS_DIR="target-rootfs"


#Directories used to mount some SD card partitions
echo "Create mount directories"
mkdir $TARGET_ROOTFS_DIR/media/kernel


#Set the target board hostname
filename=$TARGET_ROOTFS_DIR/etc/hostname
echo Creating $filename
echo SAMA5D3_Xplained > $filename


#Set the default name server
filename=$TARGET_ROOTFS_DIR/etc/resolv.conf
echo Creating $filename
echo nameserver 8.8.4.4 > $filename
echo nameserver 8.8.8.8 >> $filename


#Set the default network interfaces
filename=$TARGET_ROOTFS_DIR/etc/network/interfaces
echo Updating $filename
echo allow-hotplug eth0 >> $filename
echo iface eth0 inet dhcp >> $filename


#Set the eth0 interface MAC address
echo hwaddress ether 12:34:56:78:90:12 >> $filename


#Set a terminal to the debug port
filename=$TARGET_ROOTFS_DIR/etc/inittab
echo Updating $filename
echo T0:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty -L ttyS0 115200 vt100 >> $filename


#Set how to mount the SD partitions
filename=$TARGET_ROOTFS_DIR/etc/fstab
echo Creating $filename
echo /dev/mmcblk0p1 /media/mmc_p1 vfat noatime 0 1 > $filename
echo /dev/mmcblk0p2 / ext4 noatime 0 1 >> $filename
echo proc /proc proc defaults 0 0 >> $filename


#Add the standard Debian repositories.
filename=$TARGET_ROOTFS_DIR/etc/apt/sources.list
echo Creating $filename
echo deb http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian wheezy main > $filename
echo deb http://security.debian.org/ wheezy/updates main >> $filename


---

Then run and enter root password:

$sudo chmod +x fsupdate.sh
$sudo ./fsupdate.sh
$sudo chroot target-rootfs passwd

4. Format SD 

details are here

Run: System -> Administration -> Gparted

• select sd card device /dev/sdb or similar (It is very important to select correct device!!!)
• unmount
• delete
• new partition:
  • New size: 64MB
  • File system: FAT16
  • Label: kernel
• newnev partition:
  • Leave size default
  • File system: EXT4
  • Label: rootfs
• Apply changes
• Close program GParted

Remove SD card from computer, wait 5 seconds and insert again.

SD card should be mounted as:

/media/$USER/KERNEL
/media/$USER/rootfs

where $USER will be replaced with your user name.
Copy Kernel AT91Bootstrap and Device tree file to SD card:

cp at91bootstrap/binaries/sama5d3_xplained-sdcardboot-linux-zimage-dt-3.6.2.bin /media/$USER/kernel/BOOT.BIN
cp linux-at91/arch/arm/boot/at91-sama5d3_xplained.dtb /media/$USER/kernel/
cp linux-at91/arch/arm/boot/zImage /media/$USER/kernel/

Copy root filesystem and kernel modules to SD card:

sudo rsync -axHAX --progress embedian/target-rootfs/ /media/$USER/rootfs/
sudo rsync -avc linux-at91/modules/lib/. /media/$USER/rootfs/lib/.
sync

Unmount SD card and remove from PC and inset into SAMA5D3 Xplained.
There ia also prebuild SD card image.

References:

• http://www.atmel.com
• http://www.at91.com/
• http://www.acmesystems.it/

 

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