unable to boot olimage / boot loop

binutzu · June 05, 2021, 03:04:26 PM

Hello,

i am trying get my Lime2 home server kit set up. SDD connected on SATA and battery disconnected.

The board is A20-OLinuXino-LIME2-s16M Rev.L

The SD card with A20-OLinuXino-buster-minimal-20210513-112230.img is not able to boot to Linux. It loads the u-boot script, kernel, ramdisk, overlays then there is a message "data abort" followed by reboot.
What could be the issue? Am i missing something?

Below is the serial console output.

Code Select

U-Boot SPL 2021.04+olimex-1-20210507.081028 (May 07 2021 - 08:11:19 +0000)   
DRAM: 1024 MiB                                                               
CPU: 912000000Hz, AXI/AHB/APB: 3/2/2                                         
Loading configuration from EEPROM: OK                                        
Verifying data: OK                                                        
Trying to boot from MMC1                                                  
                                                                          
                                                                          
U-Boot 2021.04+olimex-1-20210507.081028 (May 07 2021 - 08:11:19 +0000) Allwinney
                                                                          
CPU:   Allwinner A20 (SUN7I)
ID:    A20-OLinuXino-LIME2-s16M Rev.L
SN:    0001885E
MAC:   30:1F:9A:D0:CE:25                                                        
I2C:   ready                                                                    
DRAM:  1 GiB                                                                    
SF: Detected w25q128 with page size 256 Bytes, erase size 4 KiB, total 16 MiB   
MMC:   mmc@1c0f000: 0                                                           
Loading Environment from EXT4... *** Warning - bad CRC, using default environmet
                                                                                
Loading Environment from FAT... ** No device specified **                       
HDMI connected: Setting up a 1920x1200 dvi console (overscan 0x0)               
In:    serial                                                                   
Out:   vga                                                                      
Err:   vga                                                                      
Allwinner mUSB OTG (Peripheral)                                                 
Net:   eth0: ethernet@1c50000, eth1: usb_ether                                  
starting USB...                                                                 
Bus usb@1c14000: USB EHCI 1.00                                                  
Bus usb@1c14400: USB OHCI 1.0                                                   
Bus usb@1c1c000: USB EHCI 1.00                                                  
Bus usb@1c1c400: USB OHCI 1.0                                                   
scanning bus usb@1c14000 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found                   
scanning bus usb@1c14400 for devices... 2 USB Device(s) found                   
scanning bus usb@1c1c000 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found                   
scanning bus usb@1c1c400 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found                   
       scanning usb for storage devices... 0 Storage Device(s) found            
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0                                                
switch to partitions #0, OK                                                     
mmc0 is current device                                                          
Scanning mmc 0:1...                                                             
Found U-Boot script /boot/boot.scr                                              
2274 bytes read in 4 ms (554.7 KiB/s)                                           
## Executing script at 43100000                                                 
Boot script loaded from mmc                                                     
Checking for /uEnv.txt...                                                       
Checking for /boot/uEnv.txt...                                                  
1156 bytes read in 4 ms (282.2 KiB/s)                                           
Loaded environment from /boot/uEnv.txt                                          
Loading FIT image...                                                            
15523843 bytes read in 860 ms (17.2 MiB/s)                                      
## Loading kernel from FIT Image at 58000000 ...                                
   Using 'config-8946' configuration                                            
   Trying 'kernel-1' kernel subimage                                            
     Description:  Linux kernel 5.10.36-olimex                                  
     Type:         Kernel Image                                                 
     Compression:  uncompressed                                                 
     Data Start:   0x580000d0                                                   
     Data Size:    6414152 Bytes = 6.1 MiB                                      
     Architecture: ARM                                                          
     OS:           Linux                                                        
     Load Address: 0x40080000                                                   
     Entry Point:  0x40080000                                                   
     Hash algo:    crc32                                                        
     Hash value:   a6e6e901                                                     
     Hash algo:    sha1                                                         
     Hash value:   6791058a7c1ed71979ece1d244e3609d23327ecf                     
   Verifying Hash Integrity ... crc32+ sha1+ OK                                 
## Loading ramdisk from FIT Image at 58000000 ...                               
   Using 'config-8946' configuration                                            
   Trying 'ramdisk-1' ramdisk subimage                                          
     Description:  Ramdisk for kernel 5.10.36-olimex                            
     Type:         RAMDisk Image                                                
     Compression:  Unknown Compression                                          
     Data Start:   0x5861e14c                                                   
     Data Size:    8654935 Bytes = 8.3 MiB                                      
     Architecture: ARM                                                          
     OS:           Linux                                                        
     Load Address: 0x4fe00000                                                   
     Entry Point:  0x4fe00000                                                   
     Hash algo:    crc32                                                        
     Hash value:   0f2f8d73                                                     
     Hash algo:    sha1                                                         
     Hash value:   c17389d16b5b92de9f95871a5957f31fe9638137                     
   Verifying Hash Integrity ... crc32+ sha1+ OK                                 
   Loading ramdisk from 0x5861e14c to 0x4fe00000                                
WARNING: 'compression' nodes for ramdisks are deprecated, please fix your .its !
## Loading fdt from FIT Image at 58000000 ...                                   
   Using 'config-8946' configuration                                            
   Trying 'fdt-3' fdt subimage                                                  
     Description:  unavailable                                                  
     Type:         Flat Device Tree                                             
     Compression:  uncompressed                                                 
     Data Start:   0x58e74584                                                   
     Data Size:    43253 Bytes = 42.2 KiB                                       
     Architecture: ARM                                                          
     Load Address: 0x4fa00000                                                   
     Hash algo:    crc32                                                        
     Hash value:   e4f82e0a                                                     
     Hash algo:    sha1                                                         
     Hash value:   bb32d6e6fcd23ba7ec8536766841d0e67abc0e0c                     
   Verifying Hash Integrity ... crc32+ sha1+ OK                                 
   Loading fdt from 0x58e74584 to 0x4fa00000                                    
## Loading fdt from FIT Image at 58000000 ...                                   
   Trying 'overlay-1' fdt subimage                                              
     Description:  unavailable                                                  
     Type:         Flat Device Tree                                             
     Compression:  uncompressed                                                 
     Data Start:   0x58eca9a0                                                   
     Data Size:    1001 Bytes = 1001 Bytes                                      
     Architecture: ARM                                                          
     Load Address: 0x4fa10000                                                   
     Hash algo:    crc32                                                        
     Hash value:   d1d51f29                                                     
     Hash algo:    sha1                                                         
     Hash value:   fa0c14efb55dbe4bdf8aa7241a3e600b486e3ef6                     
   Verifying Hash Integrity ... crc32+ sha1+ OK                                 
   Loading fdt from 0x58eca9a0 to 0x4fa10000                                    
## Loading fdt from FIT Image at 58000000 ...                                   
   Trying 'overlay-2' fdt subimage                                              
     Description:  unavailable                                                  
     Type:         Flat Device Tree                                             
     Compression:  uncompressed                                                 
     Data Start:   0x58ecae6c                                                   
     Data Size:    436 Bytes = 436 Bytes                                        
     Architecture: ARM                                                          
     Load Address: 0x4fa20000                                                   
     Hash algo:    crc32                                                        
     Hash value:   00f3a93c                                                     
     Hash algo:    sha1                                                         
     Hash value:   efa518e1ffcc7c09a7d8010de6a7b363f1345b30                     
   Verifying Hash Integrity ... crc32+ sha1+ OK                                 
   Loading fdt from 0x58ecae6c to 0x4fa20000                                    
   Booting using the fdt blob at 0x4fa00000                                     
data abort                                                                      
pc : [<7ef80ac8>]          lr : [<00000011>]                                    
reloc pc : [<4a015ac8>]    lr : [<cb095011>]                                    
sp : 7af3ebe8  ip : 00000000     fp : 7efdcd4c                                  
r10: 00000020  r9 : 7af4aec0     r8 : 7af87c28                                  
r7 : 6c616972  r6 : 00000010     r5 : e759e5a2  r4 : 7af87c28                   
r3 : 7af87c30  r2 : 7af87c20     r1 : 7af8af18  r0 : 00000019                   
Flags: nzCv  IRQs off  FIQs off  Mode SVC_32 (T)                                
Code: d005 f027 0501 441d (686d) 07ed                                           
Resetting CPU ...                                                               
                                                                                
resetting ...

P.S.

I tried the libreelec image which works ok as well as the "debianon" which is also ok apart from the ethernet interface. I would rather use "olimage" instead of having to deal with u-boot in "debianon" (https://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebianOn/Allwinner#Olimex_A20-OLinuXino-LIME2_rev._K)

Thanks for your support

LubOlimex · June 11, 2021, 01:17:48 PM

Can you try with the focal base instead, the archive is here:

http://images.olimex.com/release/a20/A20-OLinuXino-focal-base-20210513-112230.img.7z

This would help us narrow down if the issue is related to specific build and image or wide spread across all builds.

Avron · June 17, 2021, 06:09:19 PM

I have the same results with A20-OLinuXino-LIME2-e16Gss16M Rev.L and A20-OLinuXino-buster-base-20210513-112230.img.7z.

Following your suggestion, I tried A20-OLinuXino-focal-base-20210513-112230.img.7z, it is the same.

LubOlimex · June 18, 2021, 09:23:03 AM

Can you share some pictures with us? Take pictures of your hardware setup and upload them to an image hosting web-site and post links here so we can understand the setup better. Make sure the pictures show everything connected, as when you try to boot (with power supply applied and all).

Will look into this.

Avron · June 18, 2021, 10:38:34 AM

I can make pictures but the setup is easy to explain. There are the following connections:
- 5V 1.2A power that I purchased with the board
- ethernet to my home network
- HDMI to 1080p HDMI monitor
- USB keyboard
- micro SD card in the board micro SD card slot

Or do you want pictures showing what is visible on the monitor? It would be easier for me to provide logs with a serial console but I don't know how to get that. Any suggestion is welcome.

I will redo it today but what I checked yesterday: all values in the final dump were exactly identical to the initial post except for one register. Beginning and ending on the log were almost 100% identical.

One more thing: I have just put the image on the SD card with dd without any option, let me know if anything else to do.

LubOlimex · June 21, 2021, 08:14:32 AM

Try writing the image with the free version of Balena Etcher software, dd might require additional parameters to wipe the SD card clean.

I want a few pictures of the hardware setup. That shows the board, everything connected to it and the power supply.

smmg-o4s · June 21, 2021, 06:26:43 PM

Hi,
I am facing the same issue on the A20-OLinuXino-MICRO-e16Gs16M, with both A20-OLinuXino-buster-base-20210513-112230.img.7z and A20-OLinuXino-focal-base-20210513-112230.img.7z images.

My setup is as simple as this:

A20-OLinuXino-MICRO-e16Gs16M Rev.L
12V/1.5A bench top power supply
LCD-OLinuXino-7CTS
Logitech K200 USB keyboard
Ethernet connected to my home network
8GB Micro-SD card

The system boots correctly the first time and when I reboot, that's when things go wrong. I have one extra line of text, right before the "data abort" line there is one that says "EHCI failed to shut down host controller.". The rest above is the same or very similar, below it is exactly the same.

I have been trying to find the problem for a few days and don't have a clue of what it could be. After finding and reading this thread I have overwritten the SD card with

Code Select

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=1M conv=fsync
to erase it completely before writing the OS image. No improvement.
I was able to successfully boot some older OS images on this board, repeatedly.

I hope this information helps finding the cause. I am looking forward for a solution too as I am trying to convert a 7 year-old project into the Olimage base.

binutzu · June 21, 2021, 07:45:59 PM

Hi,

thanks for looking into it.

I could not find a way to upload an image here. It seems there is no such option.
So here are pictures of my basic setup. Please note - the battery is not and has never been connected by me.

1. Power cord, usb dongle for keyboard, hdmi cable, ssd connected from bay.

2. Close-up of HDD connection

3. top off

My current setup is based on debianon - which works fine so far: boots from SD and loads the kernel and rest of linux from SSD. I tested today again with the olimage and it fails to boot the SD or disk.

Next thing i will try is balena etcher for linux: i wonder what would be the difference? But one never stops learning.

LubOlimex · June 22, 2021, 08:10:59 AM

I think there is a bug in latest release that stops boot process when you have a keyboard attached. Can you try to remove the keyboard during boot and connect it after 40-50 seconds?

binutzu · June 22, 2021, 08:49:52 PM

I can confirm: if i boot without the USB keyboard it works as expected and I get a login prompt.

Thanks for sorting it out. But where did you find the indication for USB keyboard being the issue? I could not see anything suspect in the serial console log.

LubOlimex · June 23, 2021, 10:11:11 AM

I received an e-mail from another customer and empirically tested it myself. During my tests I also discovered that mouse doesn't affect the boot, and neither the USB flash memory I had here, only keyboard causes it. Also it didn't exist in previous images, so it is clearly a software issue and regression. I've notified the Linux team and they are working on a fix.

smmg-o4s · June 29, 2021, 05:29:30 PM

Hi,
I can confirm the issue also goes away on my A20-OLinuXino-MICRO-e16Gs16M by disconnecting the keyboard.
Thank you.

macpip · July 21, 2021, 07:08:43 PM

Same behavior here. I need to disconnect USB keyboard (Logitech K120, either directly connected or via powered USB hub) in order to exit from the reset loop.
Image is A20-OLinuXino-focal-base-20210707-172415.img
It depends on the image because older raspbian images correctly boot with keyboard connected
It does not depend on the A20 (crossed tests with different images on 2 SD cards on 2 A20 boards)

I'll be glad to be notified about solutions or workarouds