Re: Pinebook Pro: Unable to boot latest -current

[Andrew Gillham <gillham%gmail.com@localhost>]

On Fri, Jan 31, 2020 at 2:21 AM Martin Husemann <martin%duskware.de@localhost> wrote:
>
> On Fri, Jan 31, 2020 at 09:15:03AM +0100, Alejandro Sánchez Marín wrote:
> > On the first partition (fat32 boot partition) copy
> > dtb/rockchip/rk3399-pinebook-pro.dtb to the root of the boot fat32 partition
> > Insert SD in PineBook Pro (if not using the builtin Linux to 'dd' etc)
> > Power on.
>
> (Maybe) stupid question: why is that dtb copy needed?
> I only have an older pinebook, but that finds the dtb just fine in the
> subdirectory with default environment settings.

The default u-boot that comes with the PineBook Pro from the factory
can't boot the NetBSD kernel off the SD using the NetBSD built image.
I think Jared said the kernel gets a bad dtb and can't boot.  I
discovered that copying the dtb to the root allows the factory u-boot
to successful boot a NetBSD kernel off the SD card.  This allows you
to boot NetBSD without opening up the PineBook Pro and disabling the
eMMC.  Also you don't have to do any monkey business with throwing the
enable switch on the eMMC at the right point during the boot so the
NetBSD kernel probes it.
It "just works" at lets you replace Linux on the eMMC if you like.
Unfortunately the current state of the NetBSD u-boot seems that it
can't load from the SD anymore so it is a bit dangerous to use if you
don't want to be opening up the machine and flipping switches on
certain timings.

It sounds like the Manjaro ARM team is using an updated u-boot also
that can boot SD and USB now too.  Hopefully all those features get
merged and available to all.

Coreboot has RK3399 support via the Google 'gru' board, maybe we can
get coreboot + UEFI on this thing instead of this blind u-boot action.
:)

-Andrew