Re: Debian Wheezy or Jessie install on Cubox-i4pro? -- Works!

[Rick Thomas <rbthomas@pobox.com>]

On Apr 7, 2015, at 6:17 AM, Nigel Sollars <nsollars@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> Could you outline the steps for this install?.
> 
> Sorry for not responding sooner,  Life got in the way a bit ;).
> 
> Regards

Hi Nigel,

Here’s what I did:

    Create a microSD (“uSD”) card with the installer on it —
    On a Debian Linux x86 box, plug a blank SD card into an appropriate
    slot on the x86 box; look at

	ls -l /dev/disk/by-id

    and find the uSD card — on my box it showed up as “usb-Generic_Storage_Device…”
    Suppose that the link for that device is ../../sdZ

	cd /tmp
	wget http://d-i.debian.org/daily-images/armhf/daily/netboot/SD-card-images/firmware.MX6_Cubox-i.img.gz
	wget http://d-i.debian.org/daily-images/armhf/daily/netboot/SD-card-images/partition.img.gz
	zcat firmware.MX6_Cubox-i.img.gz partition.img.gz > /dev/sdZ
	sync

Karsten explains that this procedure

“results in an SD card that contains both u-boot and the
netboot installer, which loads everything else it needs over the network. 

"During the installation, you can simply repartition the SD card
and delete/overwrite any existing filesystem on it; i.e. you
simply replace the installer by the final installation.  Once the
installer has started, it does not need anything from the SD card
anymore.”

    Now remove the uSD card from the x86 box and insert it in the Cubox uSD slot.
    Do not plug in the Cubox power cord yet.
    Hook up your micro-USB cable between the Cubox and the x86 box, so
    you can talk to the installer’s serial console.  Also connect the ethernet so that
    the Cubox will have access to the Internet for downloading installation files.

    In a terminal window, with 80 columns by 24 rows, on the x86 box run the command

	cu -s 115200 -l /dev/ttyUSB0

    If you’re not familiar with the UNIX cu(1) command, read the manual.
    Now plug in the Cubox power cord.  You should see the usual uboot stuff in
    console window that you set up on the x86 box.  This will be followed by the
    Debian installer.  It’s a more or less normal install so just do what comes natural.

    When the install completes and the Cubox reboots,
    it will hang at “Starting Kernel”.

    Reset the Cubox by unplugging and replugging the power cord.
    When u-boot prints the “Hit any key to stop auto boot” message,
    press the return key.

    Then issue the following command at the u-boot prompt:

	setenv bootargs "console=ttymxc0,115200"; run bootcmd

    Your Debian system should now boot normally.  Assuming it does,
    you can make this setting permanent by running

	setenv bootargs “console=ttymxc0,115200"; saveenv
	reset

    at the u-boot prompt.

    Assuming you let the Cubox install get its IP address from DHCP —
    notice that the cu command is still running in the console window.
    You should see a login prompt, so you can login to the cubox and run

	/sbin/ifconfig

   to find out the IP address it got from DHCP.  You should now be able
   to use ssh to connect to that address via the ethernet.

   If that is successful, you can unplug the micro-USB cable and close
   the terminal window on the x86 box.


Hope it helps!

Rick