Does CB only boot off NAND & SD, or can it boot off USB stick

[mark inkley]

Hi

Just got my CubieBoard - I don't have micro SD handy so was wondering if I could build bootable image on USB stick

From most of the threads it llooks like it's either Nand or SD but nothing else.

Thanks in advance.

Mark

[Simos Xenitellis]

On Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 11:25 AM, mark inkley <min...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi
> Just got my CubieBoard - I don't have micro SD handy so was wondering if I
> could build bootable image on USB stick
>
> From most of the threads it llooks like it's either Nand or SD but nothing
> else.
>

Hi Mark,

According to http://linux-sunxi.org/BROM the USB device will be picked
up if all other options do not work.
Considering that the NAND of the Cubieboard contains a valid booting
device, you will not be able to bypass the NAND and boot from USB.

Having said that, you can use LiveSuit or PhoenixCard and change the
operating system in the NAND memory.
I would suggest to first try out the Android image, found at
http://cubieboard.org/download/

Good luck with your Cubieboard; I expect to receive mine shortly.

Simos

[Lawrence Sheed]

If you hold down the button next to the HDMI, it should boot off of USB on boot.
Most of the newer gen chips I've seen all use a boot-sel boot line for boot selection, including the A10.


On the CubieBoard:

W8 UBOOT_SEL pull-up will probably be hooked up to the button.
I just checked the schematic, and it is, so… I should be right.

http://dl.cubieboard.org/hardware/cubieboard_schematic_2012-08-08.pdf




Lawrence Sheed

COMPUTER SOLUTIONS
Room 401-402 Han Wen Xuan Building 2
No.14, 955 Yan An Middle Road
Shanghai China 200040

Tel: +86 400 820 0919
Fax: +86 21 62890700
Mobile: +86 13901 802 269
Skype: computersolutions.cn
Web: www.computersolutions.cn
E-mail: sup...@computersolutions.cn

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cubieboard" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cubieboard+...@googlegroups.com.
> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cubieboard?hl=en.
>
>

[Roman Mamedov]

On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:47:54 +0200
Simos Xenitellis <simos...@googlemail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 11:25 AM, mark inkley <min...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hi
> > Just got my CubieBoard - I don't have micro SD handy so was wondering if I
> > could build bootable image on USB stick
> >
> > From most of the threads it llooks like it's either Nand or SD but nothing
> > else.
> >
>
> Hi Mark,
>
> According to http://linux-sunxi.org/BROM the USB device will be picked
> up if all other options do not work.
> Considering that the NAND of the Cubieboard contains a valid booting
> device, you will not be able to bypass the NAND and boot from USB.
>
> Having said that, you can use LiveSuit or PhoenixCard and change the
> operating system in the NAND memory.

That's interesting, I wonder if erasing (zeroing) contents of /dev/nanda will
be enough to make any A10 device try USB storage when no SD card inserted. I
know some people would love to be able to directly boot from an USB HDD or even
an USB flash stick.

--
With respect,
Roman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Stallman had a printer,
with code he could not see.
So he began to tinker,
and set the software free."

[Floris Bos]

On 01/21/2013 12:47 PM, Simos Xenitellis wrote:
> According to http://linux-sunxi.org/BROM the USB device will be picked
> up if all other options do not work.

Don't think it will boot from USB storage directly.
Think that with "USB" they mean the special FEL mode instead, were you
hook up the USB OTG port of the device to a normal computer, and let it
start a program to flash the NAND.


--

Yours sincerely,

Floris Bos

[mark inkley]

Hi 

Wow - lots of useful info for me to take a look at.   Thank you.

I was having some issues booting with HDMI, USB kbd/mouse, thumb & ethernet plugged in,  which I think was clouding my understanding of the boot process a little.

It turns out I had a USB AC plug source which was completely under powered (doh!)   Anyway fixed that and it is working great.

I will play with the boot a little, when I get a chance.  Took a look at the u-boot code and I got the impression that the new CB u-boot version comes with possibly with reduced features, perhaps a light version is installed on new CB's.  

thanks again, much appreciated.

rgds

Mark

[John Elder]

I am curious about the OS installed to the SD, so can I use the nand, or how can I install OS to nand?

2013/1/22 mark inkley <min...@gmail.com>

[Mark Inkley]

Hi John,

My development environment is an iMac27 - I have a ubuntu x86_64 server VM running under Virtualbox.

I have managed to compile Android and cubieboard-tv-sdk but the one thing standing in my way is the USB behaviour on the VM.  For some reason virtualbox vm cannot see the SD card - nor can I get Livesuite USB driver to install on the Ubuntu VM.

So I have yet to flash my cubieboard's NAND.    If you have a bootable OS on an SD card, the Cubieboard will boot it so theoretically, it's possible to flash the Nand from a SD card boot.

I still have a lot to do in this regard.

rgds

mark