[U-Boot] boot a bios/uefi with x86_64, without grub

[U-Boot] boot a bios/uefi with x86_64, without grub

[Thierry Gayet]

Hi,

I am working with a board called "up board" (
http://www.aaeon.com/en/p/up-board-computer-board-for-professional-makers)
from aaeon.

This card is as tiny as a credit card or a raspberry pi running with a
x86_64 processor.

It buildin an UEFI BIOS and a MMC memory (no sdcard, no ssd, no sata, no
rom).

I know this is not really adapt to an embedded usage but i would like to
let my u-boot bootloader loading my gnu/linux kernel (using the bootefi
command) then my linux rootfs (generated by yocto) :

(UEFI / BIOS) -> (uboot uefi) -> (GNU/Linux kernel) --> (linux rootfs)

I do not want to use grub or grub uefi if possible.

My idea is to make a uefi partition on the eMMC memory.

I am looking for an uboot configuration i can use to compile my bootloader.

I have make tests with the u-boot-app.efi that i have compiled and set into
an efi paritiion ; i am booting into an usb key first. This is not working
and always stop at the uefi shell...

Maybe my u-boot-app.efi need to be signed ?

Is there a documentation that describe all steps required ?

Any help welcome in order to solve my use case. Thanks in advance.

Regards

Thierry

[U-Boot] boot a bios/uefi with x86_64, without grub

[Bin Meng]

Hi Thierry,

On Tue, Jul 31, 2018 at 6:18 PM, Thierry Gayet
<thierry.gayet@klaxoon.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am working with a board called "up board" (
> http://www.aaeon.com/en/p/up-board-computer-board-for-professional-makers)
> from aaeon.
>
> This card is as tiny as a credit card or a raspberry pi running with a
> x86_64 processor.
>
> It buildin an UEFI BIOS and a MMC memory (no sdcard, no ssd, no sata, no
> rom).
>
> I know this is not really adapt to an embedded usage but i would like to
> let my u-boot bootloader loading my gnu/linux kernel (using the bootefi
> command) then my linux rootfs (generated by yocto) :
>
> (UEFI / BIOS) -> (uboot uefi) -> (GNU/Linux kernel) --> (linux rootfs)
>
> I do not want to use grub or grub uefi if possible.
>
> My idea is to make a uefi partition on the eMMC memory.
>
> I am looking for an uboot configuration i can use to compile my bootloader.
>
> I have make tests with the u-boot-app.efi that i have compiled and set into
> an efi paritiion ; i am booting into an usb key first. This is not working
> and always stop at the uefi shell...
>
> Maybe my u-boot-app.efi need to be signed ?

No. Since you mentioned the x86 processor is 64-bit, it's hightly
possible that you have a 64-bit EFI BIOS. That means you cannot use
u-boot-app.efi with this EFI BIOS since u-boot-app.efi is 32-bit.

>
> Is there a documentation that describe all steps required ?
>
> Any help welcome in order to solve my use case. Thanks in advance.
>

You will need try efi-x86_payload64, and boot from there. Note
currently there are issues to boot Linux kernel from the U-Boot
payload.

Regards,
Bin

[U-Boot] boot a bios/uefi with x86_64, without grub

[Bin Meng]

On Wed, Aug 1, 2018 at 2:32 AM, Thierry Gayet <thierry.gayet@klaxoon.com> wrote:
> hi bin,
>
> Thanks for your reply.
>
> Yes, you are totaly right because my uboot efi app didn't start due to my
> architecture x86_64.
>
> Then i have try with a uboot efi payload (x86_64) and it start from efi
> shell.
>
> I have tested with an usbkey using an EFI vfat partition formated as a vfat.
> After that i have copyied my several filles from uboot efi payload x86_64
> and it start manually, not automatically. I don't know how to let it start
> automaticaly ? any idea ?
>

I don't quite understand what you were doing. Please include some details.

> Do you know what kind of issue there is on the uboot efi payload version ?
>
> Thanks in advance of you're reply.
>

Regards,
Bin

[U-Boot] boot a bios/uefi with x86_64, without grub

[Thierry Gayet]

hi,

Well, all i want it to launch my u-boot-efi (payload mode) directly by the
bios/uefi.

For now, for my tests, i have used an usbkey that have a partition with a
"EFI FAT 12/16/32" type. Inside, i have copying my uboot app efi inside
this directory.

This is the way i am using for creating an UEFI bootable usbkey :-) My
u-boot doesn't start automatically but it stop with the efi shell. Inside
this efi shell i can start the uboot efi manually from the cli and it work
fine.

Now that i have an uboot that can start, i am trying how to start it
directly on boot.

Maybe i need to change its name ? or something else like this ?

You was talking about some issues for the payload version ; do you have
more detail about that ?

BR

Thierry

2018-08-01 2:57 GMT+02:00 Bin Meng <bmeng.cn@gmail.com>:

> On Wed, Aug 1, 2018 at 2:32 AM, Thierry Gayet <thierry.gayet@klaxoon.com>
> wrote:
> > hi bin,
> >
> > Thanks for your reply.
> >
> > Yes, you are totaly right because my uboot efi app didn't start due to my
> > architecture x86_64.
> >
> > Then i have try with a uboot efi payload (x86_64) and it start from efi
> > shell.
> >
> > I have tested with an usbkey using an EFI vfat partition formated as a
> vfat.
> > After that i have copyied my several filles from uboot efi payload x86_64
> > and it start manually, not automatically. I don't know how to let it
> start
> > automaticaly ? any idea ?
> >
>
> I don't quite understand what you were doing. Please include some details.
>
> > Do you know what kind of issue there is on the uboot efi payload version
> ?
> >
> > Thanks in advance of you're reply.
> >
>
> Regards,
> Bin
>

[U-Boot] boot a bios/uefi with x86_64, without grub

[Thierry Gayet]

forget my last question 'cos i have found the solution by adding a
Startup.nsh juste beside the efi boot app :

echo -off
if exist .\u-boot-payload.efi then
  goto FOUNDTOOL
endif
if exist fs0:\u-boot-payload.efi then
  fs0:
  goto FOUNDTOOL
endif
if exist fs1:\u-boot-payload.efi then
  fs1:
  goto FOUNDTOOL
endif
if exist fs2:\u-boot-payload.efi then
  fs2:
  goto FOUNDTOOL
endif
echo u-boot-payload.efi.efi not found!
goto END
:FOUNDTOOL
u-boot-payload.efi
if NOT %lasterror% == 0 then
  echo Running u-boot for the upboard : NOK
  goto END
endif
echo Running u-boot for the upboard : OK
:END


2018-08-01 8:43 GMT+02:00 Thierry Gayet <thierry.gayet@klaxoon.com>:

> hi,
>
> Well, all i want it to launch my u-boot-efi (payload mode) directly by the
> bios/uefi.
>
> For now, for my tests, i have used an usbkey that have a partition with a
> "EFI FAT 12/16/32" type. Inside, i have copying my uboot app efi inside
> this directory.
>
> This is the way i am using for creating an UEFI bootable usbkey :-) My
> u-boot doesn't start automatically but it stop with the efi shell. Inside
> this efi shell i can start the uboot efi manually from the cli and it work
> fine.
>
> Now that i have an uboot that can start, i am trying how to start it
> directly on boot.
>
> Maybe i need to change its name ? or something else like this ?
>
> You was talking about some issues for the payload version ; do you have
> more detail about that ?
>
> BR
>
> Thierry
>
> 2018-08-01 2:57 GMT+02:00 Bin Meng <bmeng.cn@gmail.com>:
>
>> On Wed, Aug 1, 2018 at 2:32 AM, Thierry Gayet <thierry.gayet@klaxoon.com>
>> wrote:
>> > hi bin,
>> >
>> > Thanks for your reply.
>> >
>> > Yes, you are totaly right because my uboot efi app didn't start due to
>> my
>> > architecture x86_64.
>> >
>> > Then i have try with a uboot efi payload (x86_64) and it start from efi
>> > shell.
>> >
>> > I have tested with an usbkey using an EFI vfat partition formated as a
>> vfat.
>> > After that i have copyied my several filles from uboot efi payload
>> x86_64
>> > and it start manually, not automatically. I don't know how to let it
>> start
>> > automaticaly ? any idea ?
>> >
>>
>> I don't quite understand what you were doing. Please include some details.
>>
>> > Do you know what kind of issue there is on the uboot efi payload
>> version ?
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance of you're reply.
>> >
>>
>> Regards,
>> Bin
>>
>
>