--- Begin Message ---
Package: flash-kernel
Version: 3.35+deb8u2
Severity: critical
Justification: causes serious data loss
Control: block 806926 with -1
Hello,
when flash-kernel writes a kernel/initrd to NAND flash it uses plain
write(2) to /dev/mtdX (flash-kernel < 3.52) or flashcp
(flash-kernel >= 3.52). If the device being written to has bad blocks
these are tried to be erased and written by both approaches.
This results in a non-booting system at best. In general writing to bad
blocks can also affect other (otherwise good) blocks and so result in
loss of unrelated data. I never saw this in practise, but the
manufacturers of NAND flash say so.
I didn't check which machines are affected, but Netgear ReadyNAS 102/104
(which isn't in flash-kernel's database yet, but see below for the
obvious entry to add support for them and #806926) is affected and flash
kernel managed to break a ReadyNAS 102 already (non-permanently by good
fortune as far as I can tell up to now).
I guess there are several other machines affected though.
The right fix is to use nandwrite to write to NAND flash and only use
flashcp for NOR.
Something like
test -f /sys/class/mtd/mtdX/oobsize
could be used to detect if the device is NAND or NOR. But there might be
more reliable ways I'm not aware of.
I will debug/test a bit more with the broken rn102 (and its owner :-) to
maybe come up with a patch, but if someone beats me that's very welcome,
too.
Best regards
Uwe
-- System Information:
Debian Release: 8.2
APT prefers stable
APT policy: (990, 'stable'), (500, 'unstable'), (500, 'testing'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: armhf (armv7l)
Kernel: Linux 3.16.0-4-armmp (SMP w/1 CPU core)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
Versions of packages flash-kernel depends on:
ii debconf [debconf-2.0] 1.5.56
ii devio 1.2-1
ii initramfs-tools 0.120
ii linux-base 3.5
ii ucf 3.0030
Versions of packages flash-kernel recommends:
ii u-boot-tools 2014.10+dfsg1-5
flash-kernel suggests no packages.
-- Configuration Files:
/etc/flash-kernel/db changed:
Machine: NETGEAR ReadyNAS 104
DTB-Id: armada-370-netgear-rn104.dtb
DTB-Append: yes
Mtd-Kernel: uImage
Mtd-Initrd: minirootfs
U-Boot-Kernel-Address: 0x04000000
U-Boot-Initrd-Address: 0x05000000
Required-Packages: u-boot-tools
-- debconf information:
flash-kernel/linux_cmdline: quiet
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Source: flash-kernel
Source-Version: 3.59
We believe that the bug you reported is fixed in the latest version of
flash-kernel, which is due to be installed in the Debian FTP archive.
A summary of the changes between this version and the previous one is
attached.
Thank you for reporting the bug, which will now be closed. If you
have further comments please address them to 813995@bugs.debian.org,
and the maintainer will reopen the bug report if appropriate.
Debian distribution maintenance software
pp.
Christian Perrier <bubulle@debian.org> (supplier of updated flash-kernel package)
(This message was generated automatically at their request; if you
believe that there is a problem with it please contact the archive
administrators by mailing ftpmaster@ftp-master.debian.org)
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA256
Format: 1.8
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2016 18:52:43 +0100
Source: flash-kernel
Binary: flash-kernel flash-kernel-installer
Architecture: source
Version: 3.59
Distribution: unstable
Urgency: medium
Maintainer: Debian Install System Team <debian-boot@lists.debian.org>
Changed-By: Christian Perrier <bubulle@debian.org>
Description:
flash-kernel - utility to make certain embedded devices bootable
flash-kernel-installer - Make the system bootable (udeb)
Closes: 807708 813995
Changes:
flash-kernel (3.59) unstable; urgency=medium
.
[ Uwe Kleine-König ]
* use nandwrite when writing to nand flash. (Closes: #813995)
.
[ Martin Michlmayr ]
* Require --force when invoked by hand with a specific version which is not
the latest. (Closes: 807708)
.
[ Ian Campbell ]
* Support $LINUX_KERNEL_CMDLINE_DEFAULTS via /etc/defaults/flash-kernel. This
will be prepended to the ${bootargs} and can therefore be overridden by the
firmware configuration. Suggested as part of #813023.
* Fix debug logging intended to help with #781742.
.
[ Vagrant Cascadian ]
* Update db entry for Firefly-RK3288 to allow armmp-lpae.
Checksums-Sha1:
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8fb1cbf63ecf63b229ed9d522f73971574ecfa60 65664 flash-kernel_3.59.tar.xz
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Files:
fa838a494720eb63849a13e9790ffa88 1859 utils optional flash-kernel_3.59.dsc
c44e3714387de4a7fa5aba54d8ed944e 65664 utils optional flash-kernel_3.59.tar.xz
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--- End Message ---