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NixOS on ARM/PINE A64-LTS: Difference between revisions

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{|class="table"
{|class="table"
!colspan="2" class="title"|PINE A64-LTS
!colspan="2" class="title"|PINE A64-LTS
|-
|colspan="2"|[[File:Pine-a64-lts.jpg|frameless|256px|A PINE A64-LTS with eMMC.]]
|-
|-
!Manufacturer
!Manufacturer
Line 11: Line 13:
|-
|-
!Bootloader
!Bootloader
|Upstream u-boot<ref>https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/32553#issuecomment-373915787</ref>
|Upstream U-Boot<ref>https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/32553#issuecomment-373915787</ref>
|-
!Boot order
|SD, eMMC, SPI NOR Flash
|-
|-
!Maintainer
!Maintainer
|[[User:samueldr|samueldr]]
|
|}
|}
</div>
</div>
{{note|While made by the same manufacturer and using an Allwinner SOC, the <em>[[NixOS on ARM/PINE A64|PINE A64]]</em> (non LTS) does not use the same bootloader.}}


The PINE A64-LTS is an affordable "Long Time Supply" single board computer built around the Allwinner R18 SOC.
The PINE A64-LTS is an affordable "Long Time Supply" single board computer built around the Allwinner R18 SOC.


It can boot from SD or from an eMMC.
It can boot from SD or from an eMMC.
The SOPINE board from the same manufacturer, using the Baseboard "Model A" should be 100% compatible with the A64-LTS; the A64-LTS support is built using the device tree of the Baseboard "Model A". Though untested, this should mean that the Baseboard "Model A" will work with NixOS<sup>[testing needed]</sup>.


== Status ==
== Status ==


Upstream NixOS AArch64 image will boot on the PINE A64-LTS, using the proper upstream u-boot.
Upstream NixOS AArch64 image boots on the PINE A64-LTS, using the proper upstream U-Boot.


U-boot support [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/32553#issuecomment-373915787 has been added 2018-03-18]. The bootloader with SPL can be downloaded from this location:
U-boot support [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/32553#issuecomment-373915787 has been added 2018-03-18]. The bootloader with SPL can be downloaded from this location:


{{note|The location will be updated once it has been built through the usual automation by Dezgeg.}}
* [https://hydra.nixos.org/job/nixpkgs/trunk/ubootPine64LTS.aarch64-linux Nixpkgs unstable builds on hydra.]


* [http://cs.helsinki.fi/u/tmtynkky/sopine-u-boot-sunxi-with-spl.bin <code>sopine-u-boot-sunxi-with-spl.bin</code> built by Dezgeg.]
== Installation instructions ==


== Board-specific installation notes ==
{{ARM/installation allwinner|variant=aarch64}}


First follow the [[NixOS_on_ARM#Installation|generic installation steps]] to get the installer image on an SD card or the eMMC. A compatible eMMC to SD may be required to flash the eMMC. If you do not have one available, it is possible to boot another operating system on the A64-LTS and from there <code>dd</code> to the eMMC.
Flashing U-Boot to the SD card can be skipped if it is installed to the [[#SPI_NOR_flash|SPI NOR flash]]


U-Boot needs to be copied to specific sectors on the microSD card with <code>dd</code>. Download u-boot for the board (<code>sopine-u-boot-sunxi-with-spl.bin</code>), and copy it to the correct location with (again, replace <code>/dev/sdX</code> with the correct path to the SD card device):
These instructions can also be followed for installation on the eMMC module. A compatible eMMC writer may be required to flash the eMMC. If you do not have one available, it is possible to boot another operating system on the A64-LTS and from there <code>dd</code> to the eMMC.


<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">sudo dd if=sopine-u-boot-sunxi-with-spl.bin of=/dev/sdX bs=1024 seek=8</syntaxhighlight>
Then, continue installation using the [[NixOS_on_ARM#NixOS_installation_.26_configuration|installation and configuration steps]].


Then, install using the [[NixOS_on_ARM#NixOS_installation_.26_configuration|installation and configuration steps]].
== Serial console==


== Serial console==
Follows a simplified drawing of the edge of the Pine A64-LTS, with two locations to tap for serial.<ref>http://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/PINE_A64-LTS/SOPine_Main_Page#PINE_A64-LTS_Board_Features</ref><ref>http://files.pine64.org/doc/Pine%20A64%20Schematic/Pine%20A64%20Pin%20Assignment%20160119.pdf</ref>
 
[[File:Pine-A64-LTS_partial-pinout.png|frameless|860px]]


{{expansion|This needs to be documented and tested.}}
{| class="table"
|-
!colspan="2" style="background: var(--color-inverted)"| EXP Connector
|-
! Pin
! Function
|-
| 7
| UART0_TX
|-
| 8
| UART0_RX
|-
| 9
| GND
|-
!colspan="2" style="background: var(--color-inverted)"| Euler "e" Connector
|-
! Pin
! Function
|-
| 29
| UART0_TX
|-
| 30
| UART0_RX
|-
| 33
| GND
|}


== Compatibility notes ==
== Compatibility notes ==


* Using the upstream kernel at 4.15, neither ethernet seems to have troubles. The interface is detected but seems to not work right.
{| class="table arm-compatibility"
* HDMI support is untested.
!colspan="2" style="background: var(--color-inverted)"| Mainline kernel
|-
! Ethernet
|
* Up to and including 4.19, ethernet seems to have troubles. The interface is detected but does not work right.
* Verified only starting with 4.20 (rc4 tested), ethernet seems to work sometimes. It may fail with <code>dmesg</code> messages like <code>dwmac-sun8i 1c30000.ethernet eth0: Could not attach to PHY</code> and <code>dwmac-sun8i 1c30000.ethernet eth0: stmmac_open: Cannot attach to PHY (error: -19)</code>.
|-
! HDMI
|
* Starting with 4.20 (rc4 tested), HDMI output works.
* Up to and including 4.19, HDMI output does not work.
|}
 
=== Downstream kernel ===
 
Using a kernel based on the downstream patches, it is possible to get both Ethernet and HDMI working.
 
* [https://github.com/CallMeFoxie/linux/tree/v4.14-pine64 CallMeFoxie/linux@v4.14-pine64]
* [https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=4931 Pine64 Forum post by CallMeFoxie]
 
{{note|Keep in mind that using non-upstream forks of the kernel always incurs some risk as far as security goes.}}
 
Follows an example derivation and overlay to build the known working fork.
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
# linux-pine64.nix
{ fetchFromGitHub, buildLinux, ... } @ args:
buildLinux (args // rec {
  version = "4.14.23";
  modDirVersion = "4.14.23";
  extraMeta.branch = "4.14";
  src = fetchFromGitHub {
    owner = "CallMeFoxie";
    repo = "linux";
    rev = "f0899693d21e15ce32df4d4702f236dfe3e0eba7";
    sha256 = "043q7v7c5w84dnbgsmz117q712ljqrgay5707pz4vnvxl53czk4h";
  };
  extraMeta.platforms = [ "aarch64-linux" ];
  structuredExtraConfig = {
    # Options for HDMI.
    # Fixes this:
    #  sun4i-drm display-engine: master bind failed: -517
    SUN8I_DE2_CCU = "y";
  };
} // (args.argsOverride or {}))
</syntaxhighlight>
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
# overlay.nix
self: super:
 
let
  inherit (super) callPackage kernelPatches;
in
{
  linux_pine64_4_14 = callPackage ./linux-pine64.nix {
    kernelPatches = [
      kernelPatches.bridge_stp_helper
      kernelPatches.modinst_arg_list_too_long
    ];
  };
  linuxPackages_pine64_4_14 = self.linuxPackagesFor self.linux_pine64_4_14;
}
</syntaxhighlight>
 
=== Clusterboard Ethernet ===
It appears that Ethernet with the [https://www.pine64.org/clusterboard/ pine64 clusterboard] requires [https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=10432 a slightly modified device tree to work].  There's some conflicting information about exactly what is needed to get Ethernet working but currently, mainline linux (5.4.58 at the time of testing) plus a modified device tree is sufficient to get a full speed 1gbps connection.
 
First create the device tree overlay.
<pre>
/* sopine-baseboard-ethernet.dts */
 
/dts-v1/;
/ {
model = "SoPine with baseboard";
compatible = "pine64,sopine-baseboard\0pine64,sopine\0allwinner,sun50i-a64";
fragment@0 {
target-path = "/soc/ethernet@1c30000";
__overlay__ {
allwinner,tx-delay-ps = <500>;
};
};
};
</pre>
 
Create the device tree binary from that.
<pre>
dtc -O dtb -o sopine-baseboard-ethernet.dtbo -b 0 sopine-baseboard-ethernet.dts
</pre>
 
And add it to your configuration.nix
<pre>
...
  hardware.deviceTree.enable = true;
  hardware.deviceTree.overlays = [
    "${/path/to/sopine-baseboard-ethernet.dtbo}"
  ];
...
</pre>
 
== SPI NOR flash ==
 
The Pine A64-LTS is equipe with a 4MB SPI NOR flash chip. The CPU will read the bootloader from it, after trying the SD card and the eMMC.
 
Flashing U-Boot to the SPI NOR flash will allow booting the <code>sd-image-aarch64.img</code> based images without further manipulating the image or the boot device (e.g. without embedding U-Boot to the usb drive). It may also allow booting UEFI compliant AArch64 images, though this is unverified.
 
The author did not find ways to flash the NOR flash from a running Linux system using the mainline kernel.
 
=== Flashing from FEL ===
 
The easiest method to trigger [http://linux-sunxi.org/FEL FEL mode] is to not have previously flashed the SPI NOR flash with a valid bootloader, and to remove all storage devices used to boot. The Pine A64-LTS will fallback to FEL mode.
 
To connect the Pine A64-LTS to the computer in FEL mode, you will need a USB A-to-A (male to male) cable, and plug to the upper USB port<ref>http://linux-sunxi.org/Pine64#FEL_mode</ref>.
 
Once started in FEL mode, the computer should see the following device.
 
<pre>
Bus ___ Device ___: ID 1f3a:efe8 Onda (unverified) V972 tablet in flashing mode
</pre>
 
It is, then, possible to use <code>sunxi-fel</code> from <code>sunxi-tools</code> to flash the a bootloader to the SPI NOR flash.
 
{{note|As of 2018-11-24, the <code>sunxi-tools</code> package is not up-to-date enough, and does not have the required <code>spiflash-write</code> sub-command. See {{pull|51007}}.}}
 
<pre>
$ nix-shell -p sunxi-tools
[nix-shell:~]$ sudo sunxi-fel -l
USB device ___:___  Allwinner A64    ________:________:________:________
[nix-shell:~]$ sudo sunxi-fel -p spiflash-write 0 u-boot-sunxi-with-spl.bin
100% [================================================]  575 kB,  96.9 kB/s
</pre>
 
Once complete, unplug the power from the Pine A64-LTS, unplug the Pine A64-LTS from the host computer, and try booting without storage devices, but either serial or HDMI. When successful, U-Boot will start, and eventually try to network boot.
 
{{note|Once a valid bootloader is on the SPI NOR flash, FEL mode will not be entered automatically. [http://linux-sunxi.org/FEL Follow instructions of the FEL page of the linux-sunxi wiki] for alternative ways to enter FEL mode.}}
 
=== Flashing from U-Boot ===
 
{{outdated|Mainline U-Boot can now be used, since the <tt>sf</tt> command and support for the SPI NOR flash has been added}}
 
It is possible, through using a U-Boot bootloader built from the u-boot-sunxi tree, to write to the SPI NOR flash. The [https://github.com/ayufan-pine64/bootloader-build ayufan-pine64/bootloader-build] has such a build. Using the released <code>.img</code> files, it is possible to write their custom build or erase their custom build. From their custom build, it is possible to write to the SPI NOR flash using the <code>sf</code> command<ref>https://github.com/ayufan-pine64/bootloader-build/blob/d7e891cbee8a559ea50cf25ee18aa9d7b4ea9d58/blobs/flash-spi.cmd#L11-L13</ref>.
 
<pre>
# Detect the SPI NOR flash
=> sf probe
SF: Detected w25q128bv with page size 256 Bytes, erase size 4 KiB, total 16 MiB
# Sanity checks
=> ls mmc 0:1
  558296  u-boot.bin
1 file(s), 0 dir(s)
# Loading the bootloader from an SD card
=> load mmc 0:1 ${kernel_addr_r} /u-boot.bin
reading /u-boot.bin
558296 bytes read in 79 ms (6.7 MiB/s)
# Erasing the SPI NOR flash
=> sf erase 0 3e8000
SF: 4096000 bytes @ 0x0 Erased: OK
# Writing to the SPI NOR flash
=> sf write ${kernel_addr_r} 0 3e8000
device 0 offset 0x0, size 0x3e8000
SF: 4096000 bytes @ 0x0 Written: OK
</pre>


== Resources ==
== Resources ==


* [https://www.pine64.org/?page_id=46823 Official product page]
* [https://www.pine64.org/?page_id=46823 Official product page]
* [https://linux-sunxi.org/Xunlong_Orange_Pi_PC linux-sunxi wiki page]
Retrieved from "https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/NixOS_on_ARM/PINE_A64-LTS"