U-Boot (Universal Boot Loader)

What actually is u-boot?

U-Boot Das U-Boot is an open-source bootloader that can be used on various platforms such as ARM, X86, MIPS, RISC-V and many more. It is the Universal Boot Loader project and is actually used to boot the Linux kernel in your Vicharak board.

Note

More information on u-boot can be found on U-Boot Wikipedia.

Getting U-Boot from APT Source

This section explains how to obtain U-Boot from APT sources and the additional features supported exclusively in these package builds.

Features Exclusive to APT U-Boot Packages

  • HDMI Console & Bootmenu Support: Users can access U-Boot logs, the console, and the bootmenu on a display connected with HDMI TX0.

  • Keyboard Shortcuts:

    • To enter the U-Boot console, start pressing Ctrl + C continuously as soon as the vicharak logo appears on the screen. This will allow you to configure the boot process.

  • UART Console: Users can also access U-Boot logs via the UART interface. Refer to this guide for instructions on setting up UART.

Installation

If you need to obtain U-Boot using the APT package manager, you can do so by running:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install u-boot-rk3588-axon

Potential Issues & Troubleshooting

  1. Keyboard Disconnected During U-Boot

    • Hot-plugging is not supported in U-boot. If the keyboard is removed while inside U-Boot it will not reconnect automatically. A system reboot is required to detect the keyboard again.

    • If the keyboard does not respond properly, it might be due to an unsupported keyboard. This issue is known and will be addressed in a future update.

  2. Boot console not appearing

    • Ensure the correct key combination (Ctrl + C) is used during boot.

    • If the system boots too quickly, try pressing the key earlier.