DART-MX8M - Debian Setup TFTP/NFS

Running Debian rootfs on Variscite board using TFTP & NFS

On the Host

Prepare the rootfs folder:

$ cd ~/var_mx8m_dart_debian
$ mkdir -p ~/rootfs_debian_nfs
$ cd ~/rootfs_debian_nfs
$ sudo tar xvf ~/var_mx8m_dart_debian/output/rootfs.tar.gz -C .

Make sure the NFS server is installed:

$ sudo apt-get install nfs-kernel-server

Edit /etc/exports. E.g.

$ sudo gedit /etc/exports

...and add the following line to it (replace <uname> with the actual username):

/home/<uname>/rootfs_debian_nfs    *(rw,sync,no_root_squash,no_all_squash,no_subtree_check)

Restart the NFS server:

$ sudo /etc/init.d/nfs-kernel-server restart

Make sure the TFTP server is installed:

$ sudo apt-get install xinetd tftpd tftp

Verify the following:

$ ls /usr/sbin/in.tftpd
$ sudo gedit /etc/xinetd.d/tftp
service tftp
{
	protocol = udp
	port = 69
	socket_type = dgram
	wait = yes
	user = nobody
	server = /usr/sbin/in.tftpd
	server_args = /tftpboot
	disable = no
}

and run:

$ sudo mkdir /tftpboot
$ sudo chmod -R 777 /tftpboot
$ sudo /etc/init.d/xinetd restart
$ cd ~/var_mx8m_dart_debian

$ sudo cp -a ~/rootfs_debian_nfs/boot/*.dtb /tftpboot
$ sudo cp ~/rootfs_debian_nfs/boot/zImage /tftpboot

The default kernel configuration should be modified to compile Ethernet driver into kernel image instead compiling it as a loadable module.

Follow our kernel compilation guide Build kernel from source code
Run "make menuconfig", go to "Device Drivers → Network device support → Ethernet driver support → Freescale devices → FEC ethernet controller" and press y. Follow this same process to also change the following drivers to built-in:
CONFIG_AT803X_PHY=y
CONFIG_ADIN_PHY=y

Compile the kernel and copy arch/arm64/boot/zImage to /tftpboot

Make adjustments to the rootfs:

When using NetworkManager on the target, configure NetworkManager not to manage the interface used for the NFS boot by adding the following to ~/rootfs_debian_nfs/etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf:

[keyfile]
unmanaged-devices=interface-name:eth0

Enable DNS:

$ sudo ln -fs /proc/net/pnp ~/rootfs_debian_nfs/etc/resolv.conf

On the Target

Make sure you have a serial connection to the target.

Boot the board and hit any key to stop the autoboot and get to the U-Boot command line.

=> setenv serverip <HOST_IP_ADDRESS> (replace <HOST_IP_ADDRESS> with the actual IP address of your host - run 'ifconfig' on the host to get it)
=> setenv nfsroot /home/<uname>/rootfs_debian_nfs (replace <uname> with the actual username)
=> setenv bootcmd run netboot
=> saveenv

You are all set. Connect the target board to the same network as the host using an Ethernet cable, power cycle it and it should boot over NFS.