Re: Mirabox kernel help needed
Hi Dale,
On 2018-02-01 06:50, amon wrote:
I've been mostly a listener for about the last 5 years, and now
finally have a project that is moving forward that is using a
Mirabox as the prototype hardware.
The problem is, as anyone who knows this piece of kit has seen,
is that it uses a desperately pared down kernel and all sorts
of special tricks/software to upgrade.
Well, it's not that bad.
What I really want is to just build some drivers for it,
specifically the usbserial and the firewalling related ones.
The ideal would be if I knew how to just compile those against
the kernel that is on board so that I do not have to even touch
the NVRAM and what from my readings so far looks like a room
full of twisty turny passages, all the same... and mostly with
dragons at the other end.
Everything's like that until you know what you are doing.
Are there folks here who have mastered this beast at the
ko file level or if necessary at the uboot and kernel build
level? I seriously need to find someone who can answer stupid
obvious questions that then aim me in the correct direction
to make the next mistake on my way up the learning curve.
There's no such thing as a stupid question, as they say...
It looks vertical from where I sit right now...
I am working with units using the 3.2.36 kernels, although I
do also have some older ones which may have an older kernel
and which have a wifi chip that is too primitive for my
prototype project and so could be used where bricking is a
risk.
Actually, the situation (for the kernel at least) for the Mirabox
is pretty good. I use a pretty stock Linux kernel on my Mirabox:
root@mirabox:~# cat /proc/version
Linux version 4.14.15+ (leigh@dish) (gcc version 6.4.0 (crosstool-NG
crosstool-ng-1.23.0-152-g73e8b0b2)) #5 Thu Feb 1 09:36:51 GMT 2018
root@mirabox:~# cat /etc/debian_version
9.3
I use the provided u-boot, however, as I couldn't get the mainline
u-boot to work. However, it's good enough for me. I boot from the
SD card for ease (although it's slightly slower).
If you have a cross-compiler then it's pretty easy to build a kernel
that works. I guess compiling on the Mirabox itself is possible but
you'd need external storage and it would be very slow.
My kernel config:
https://www.solinno.co.uk/public/mirabox/config-mirabox-4.14.15
A tiny patch to avoid an issue with Bluetooth:
https://www.solinno.co.uk/public/mirabox/mirabox-sdio.patch
If you need any more assistance, let me know.
Regards,
Leigh.
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