CM-T3730: Linux: Getting started

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Revision as of 05:58, 11 June 2012 by Grinberg (talk | contribs) (Starting the CM-T3730)
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Preparation steps

  • Obtain a Linux PC workstation with a serial communication port and a micro SD card reader.
  • Download the Linux package for CM-T3730 from CompuLab website. Unzip the package to a directory on your host workstation.
  • All image files mentioned below can be found in images subdirectory.
  • The micro SD card, supplied with the CM-T3730 Evaluation kit, has already been pre-partitioned as described in CM-T3x: U-Boot: Firmware Overview article.

Image installation

  • Plug the micro SD card, supplied with CM-T3730 Evaluation kit, into the micro SD card reader attached to your desktop workstation.
  • Depending on your desktop system setup, following steps might require super user privileges.
  • The following steps assume that the micro SD card is /dev/sde (this might change depending on the desktop system setup) and the desktop system used does not perform automount.
  • Mount the first (boot) partition of micro SD card:
sudo mkdir -p /media/boot && sudo mount /dev/sde1 /media/boot/
  • Copy the uImage-cm-t3730.bin to the micro SD card first (FAT) partition and name it uImage-cm-t3730:
sudo cp cm-t3730-linux/images/uImage-cm-t3730.bin /media/boot/uImage-cm-t3730
  • Copy the bootscr.img to the micro SD card first (FAT) partition and name it boot.scr:
sudo cp cm-t3730-linux/images/bootscr.img /media/boot/boot.scr
  • Format the third micro SD card partition with EXT4 filesystem:
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sde3
  • Mount the third micro SD card third partition:
sudo mkdir -p /media/rootfs && sudo mount /dev/sde3 /media/rootfs/
  • Extract the content of Angstrom-image-cm-t3730.tar.bz2 onto that partition:
sudo tar -xpjvf cm-t3730-linux/images/Angstrom-image-cm-t3730.tar.bz2 -C /media/rootfs && sync
  • Unmount all micro SD card partitions:
sudo umount /dev/sde1; sudo umount /dev/sde3
  • Remove the micro SD card from the SD card reader and install it in the CM-T3730 micro SD card socket (P5).

Starting the CM-T3730

  • Connect the host PC to the SB-T35 base-board (connector P12) via the serial cable supplied with the evaluation kit.
  • Start terminal emulation software on your PC. Set baud rate to 115200 bps, 8 bit per frame, 1 stop bit, no parity, no flow control.
  • Turn on the CM-T3730 evaluation system. The U-Boot boot-loader will start and load the Linux kernel.
Admolition note.png If you want to get back to U-Boot prompt, hold Ctrl-C during reset.

CM-T3730 will boot Angstrom Linux from the micro SD card.
Note, that the first boot takes a long time because Angstrom Linux performs a lot of one-time initialization tasks.

Admolition important.png When the Angstrom Linux is run for the first time it presents several configuration screens. Make sure to choose "Angstrom" profile in the profile selection.

Troubleshooting

  • CM-T3730 does not load Angstrom Linux:
    • Check that you followed all the above steps closely.
    • Power on the CM-T3730 while holding Ctrl-C.
    • In U-Boot command prompt, restore the default environment:
      CM-T3730 # env default -f
    • Save the environment onto the micro SD card:
      CM-T3730 # saveenv
    • Reset the CM-T3730 (SW2 on SB-T35)

See also