Debian Build U-Boot TI

From Variscite Wiki
Yocto Build U-Boot from source code

Introduction

This guide walks through the process for manually building and installing the U-Boot images from source. It is derived from TI's Build U-Boot guide

Installing required packages

Install the required packages for building U-Boot using Ubuntu 22.04: 

$ sudo apt install git xz-utils build-essential autoconf flex bison libssl-dev bc libncurses-dev \
python3 python3-setuptools python3-dev python3-yaml python3-jsonschema python3-pyelftools \
swig yamllint

Note: Building U-boot requires Python 3.10 or newer, which is shipped with Ubuntu 22.04.

Fetch source code and install dependencies

This section describes the one time process to install the toolchains and fetch the necessary source code for building U-Boot.

Install Toolchains to home directory

$ cd ~
$ wget https://developer.arm.com/-/media/Files/downloads/gnu/11.3.rel1/binrel/arm-gnu-toolchain-11.3.rel1-x86_64-arm-none-linux-gnueabihf.tar.xz && \
   tar -Jxvf arm-gnu-toolchain-11.3.rel1-x86_64-arm-none-linux-gnueabihf.tar.xz -C $HOME && \
   wget https://developer.arm.com/-/media/Files/downloads/gnu/11.3.rel1/binrel/arm-gnu-toolchain-11.3.rel1-x86_64-aarch64-none-linux-gnu.tar.xz && \
   tar -Jxvf arm-gnu-toolchain-11.3.rel1-x86_64-aarch64-none-linux-gnu.tar.xz -C $HOME

Fetch Source Code

Setup a working directory 

$ export WORKDIR=~/am62x-var-som-u-boot
$ mkdir $WORKDIR

Fetch the U-Boot source: 

$ cd $WORKDIR
$ git clone https://github.com/varigit/ti-u-boot -b ti-u-boot-2023.04_09.02.01.10_var01 ti-u-boot

Fetch ti-linux-firmware: 

$ cd $WORKDIR
$ git clone https://git.ti.com/cgit/processor-firmware/ti-linux-firmware -b ti-linux-firmware ti-linux-firmware
$ cd ti-linux-firmware && \
  git checkout 3987d170fc522565c5e4a9293aba1db75951b8c0 && \
  cd ../

Fetch arm-trusted-firmware: 

$ cd $WORKDIR
$ git clone https://git.trustedfirmware.org/TF-A/trusted-firmware-a -b master trusted-firmware-a
$ cd trusted-firmware-a && \
  git checkout 00f1ec6b8740ccd403e641131e294aabacf2a48b && \
  cd ../

Fetch optee-os: 

$ cd $WORKDIR
$ git clone https://github.com/OP-TEE/optee_os -b master optee_os
$ cd optee_os && \
  git checkout 012cdca49db398693903e05c42a254a3a0c0d8f2 && \
  cd ../

Build U-Boot out of Yocto tree

After fetching the source code and installing dependencies, you may return to $WORKDIR anytime and follow these steps to build U-Boot:

Setup the environment

Export the working directory 

$ export WORKDIR=~/am62x-var-som-u-boot

Export variables for building U-Boot 

$ export PATH=$HOME/arm-gnu-toolchain-11.3.rel1-x86_64-arm-none-linux-gnueabihf/bin:$PATH &&
  export PATH=$HOME/arm-gnu-toolchain-11.3.rel1-x86_64-aarch64-none-linux-gnu/bin:$PATH &&  
  export TI_LINUX_FW_DIR=$WORKDIR/ti-linux-firmware &&
  export UBOOT_DIR=$WORKDIR/ti-u-boot && 
  export TFA_DIR=$WORKDIR/trusted-firmware-a && 
  export OPTEE_DIR=$WORKDIR/optee_os

Build Images

ATF 

$ cd $TFA_DIR
$ make -j$(nproc) ARCH=aarch64 CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-none-linux-gnu- PLAT=k3 TARGET_BOARD=lite SPD=opteed

OP-TEE 

$ cd $OPTEE_DIR
$ make -j$(nproc) CROSS_COMPILE64=aarch64-none-linux-gnu- CROSS_COMPILE32=arm-none-linux-gnueabihf- PLATFORM=k3-am62x CFG_ARM64_core=y CFG_TEE_CORE_LOG_LEVEL=1

U-Boot R5 Images

Optional - Modify am62x_var_som_r5_defconfig: 

$ cd $WORKDIR/ti-u-boot
$ make -j$(nproc) ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-none-linux-gnueabihf- am62x_var_som_r5_defconfig O=$UBOOT_DIR/out/r5
$ make -j$(nproc) ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-none-linux-gnueabihf- O=$UBOOT_DIR/out/r5 menuconfig
... make and save some changes ... 
$ make -j$(nproc) ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-none-linux-gnueabihf- O=$UBOOT_DIR/out/r5 savedefconfig
$ cp out/r5/defconfig configs/am62x_var_som_r5_defconfig

Build u-boot-spl.bin for tiboot3.bin. Saved in $UBOOT_DIR/out/r5: 

$ cd $WORKDIR/ti-u-boot
$ make -j$(nproc) ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-none-linux-gnueabihf- am62x_var_som_r5_defconfig O=$UBOOT_DIR/out/r5
$ make -j$(nproc) ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-none-linux-gnueabihf- O=$UBOOT_DIR/out/r5 BINMAN_INDIRS=$TI_LINUX_FW_DIR


Note:

The AM62 SOC has multiple variants (GP, HS-FS, HS-SE). For more information, see: Device types Early Variscite VAR-SOM-AM62 samples were shipped with the GP variant.

U-Boot A53 Images

Optional - Modify am62x_var_som_a53_defconfig: 

$ cd $WORKDIR/ti-u-boot
$ make -j$(nproc) ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-none-linux-gnu- am62x_var_som_a53_defconfig O=$UBOOT_DIR/out/a53
$ make -j$(nproc) ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-none-linux-gnu- O=$UBOOT_DIR/out/a53 menuconfig
 ... make and save some changes ... 
$ make -j$(nproc) ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-none-linux-gnu- O=$UBOOT_DIR/out/a53 savedefconfig
$ cp out/a53/defconfig configs/am62x_var_som_a53_defconfig

Build tispl.bin and u-boot.img. Saved in $UBOOT_DIR/out/a53. Requires bl31.bin, tee-pager_v2.bin, and ipc_echo_testb_mcu1_0_release_strip.xer5f. 

$ cd $WORKDIR/ti-u-boot
$ make -j$(nproc) ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-none-linux-gnu- am62x_var_som_a53_defconfig O=$UBOOT_DIR/out/a53
$ make -j$(nproc) ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-none-linux-gnu- \
     BL31=$TFA_DIR/build/k3/lite/release/bl31.bin \
     TEE=$OPTEE_DIR/out/arm-plat-k3/core/tee-pager_v2.bin \
     O=$UBOOT_DIR/out/a53 BINMAN_INDIRS=$TI_LINUX_FW_DIR

Update U-Boot on running system

To update U-Boot on an existing system, the following SPL and U-Boot images need to be installed to the boot partition of the boot media (eMMC or SD): 

$UBOOT_DIR/out/r5/tiboot3.bin
$UBOOT_DIR/out/a53/tispl.bin
$UBOOT_DIR/out/a53/u-boot.img

After updating the boot media, boot U-Boot and verify the commit ids of the R5 SPL, A53 SPL, and A53 U-Boot match the output of git rev-parse HEAD. For example: 

$ cd $UBOOT_DIR && git rev-parse HEAD
e8b424ab7754be09d56168cd504f29bd430839cb

Verify this matches the versions printed by U-Boot: 

U-Boot SPL 2023.04-g (Mar 23 2023 - 22:04:15 +0000)    <--- R5
U-Boot SPL 2023.04-g (Mar 23 2023 - 22:04:15 +0000)    <--- A53
U-Boot 2023.04-g (Mar 24 2023 - 16:25:35 -0500)        <--- A53

Update U-Boot on an SD Card

To update U-Boot on an SD Card, copy the files to the sd card.

  • Mount the SD card boot partition on your host computer and verify the previous U-Boot files are installed:
$ mkdir ~/.sdcard
$ sudo mount /dev/sdX ~/.sdcard
$ ls ~/.sdcard
tiboot3.bin  tispl.bin  u-boot.img  uEnv.txt
  • Copy the new files and umount the SD card:
$ sudo cp $UBOOT_DIR/out/r5/tiboot3.bin $UBOOT_DIR/out/a53/tispl.bin $UBOOT_DIR/out/a53/u-boot.img ~/.sdcard
$ sudo umount ~/.sdcard && sync
  • Boot the SD card and verify the R5 SPL, A53 SPL, and A53 U-Boot match the output of git rev-parse HEAD

Update U-Boot using UMS

U-Boot can be updated by using the USB Mass Storage gadget to mount the eMMC or SD card on your host computer.

  • Connect the USB OTG port to host computer.
  • Start the VAR-SOM-AM62 and interrupt U-Boot
  • Start UMS on eMMC:
u-boot> ums 0 mmc 1
  • Or...start UMS on SD card:
u-boot> ums 0 mmc 2
  • Or...start UMS on the current boot device:
u-boot> ums 0 mmc $mmcdev
  • Mount the SD card boot partition and verify the previous U-Boot files are installed:
$ mkdir ~/.sdcard
$ sudo mount /dev/sdX ~/.sdcard
$ ls ~/.sdcard
tiboot3.bin  tispl.bin  u-boot.img  uEnv.txt
  • Copy the new files and umount the SD card:
$ sudo cp $UBOOT_DIR/out/r5/tiboot3.bin $UBOOT_DIR/out/a53/tispl.bin $UBOOT_DIR/out/a53/u-boot.img ~/.sdcard
$ sudo umount ~/.sdcard && sync
  • Boot the SD card and verify the R5 SPL, A53 SPL, and A53 U-Boot match the output of git rev-parse HEAD

Update U-Boot using Ethernet

U-Boot can be updated on a running system by using scp to transfer the files:

  • Mount the eMMC boot partition and verify the previous U-Boot files are installed:
# mount /dev/mmcblk0p1 /mnt/
# ls /mnt
tiboot3.bin  tispl.bin  u-boot.img  uEnv.txt
  • Transfer the new files:
$ scp $UBOOT_DIR/out/r5/tiboot3.bin $UBOOT_DIR/out/a53/tispl.bin $UBOOT_DIR/out/a53/u-boot.img root@<ip address>:/mnt/
  • Reboot the VAR-SOM-AM62 and verify the R5 SPL, A53 SPL, and A53 U-Boot match the output of git rev-parse HEAD
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This page was last edited on 26 June 2025, at 20:53.

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