OM2+ getting stuck in boot stage with custom firmware using b255

mrahul

The default build system is not changed. I believe this is a built-in script that we don't make any changes to. The only customization is adding binaries, scripts, and supporting packages required by our FW. Also, the same build works fine on some devices. However, they all brick, eventually, after there is a power cycle.

The same image worked fine with our older batch of devices, in which we used the build system b252 to create the custom image. Since we came across this notice, we upgraded the build system to b255, as suggested and we started to see this error.

crispyoz

@mrahul If you install b258 does that resolve your issue?

mrahul

No build other than b255 are working on these devices. And I don't think trying builds lower than b255 would be sensible on these devices. I tested this with the images downloaded from the Onion FW Repo.

However, as far as the custom build goes, I only created a custom image using the b255 build system.

Lazar Demin

@mrahul What happens when b258 firmware is loaded on the device?

Note that not too much has changed in the OnionIoT/source repo between b255 and b258.
For details see: https://github.com/OnionIoT/source/compare/be7777b369c55c53b3582e868fd268ff4bf31318...928cad900fd7ecbf37af5ab6804e1af161e89430

The most notable difference is the change of the default repo from http://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/18.06-SNAPSHOT to http://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/18.06.1 in package/base-files/image-config.in

If the b255 fw released by Onion works on these devices and the custom image based on the b255 build system does not, this points to an issue introduced in the custom image building process.

Can you share more details about that?

mrahul

@Lazar-Demin, I've compared the commits too, and agree that there aren't many significant changes. Flashing b255 from the Onion Firmware Repo works fine. Talking about the custom image creation process, the issue was observed even when there weren't any changes done to the build system before creating the image.

I cloned the b255 commit from the repo, and did no changes. I created the image using the same cloned build system, AS-IS, and when flashed with the image created, the onion still goes in the loop of the booting process. I'm ok to share more details if you want, please let me know what, and I'll share accordingly.

Thanks.

crispyoz

@mrahul Can I ask how you are updating your devices, are you sysupgrade or flash via u-boot option?

mrahul

I'm using sysupgrade to flash the custom image.

Lazar Demin

@mrahul said in OM2+ getting stuck in boot stage with custom firmware using b255:

I created the image using the same cloned build system, AS-IS, and when flashed with the image created, the onion still goes in the loop of the booting process. I'm ok to share more details if you want, please let me know what, and I'll share accordingly.

Yes please share more on your process of making the image.
Did you use the instructions from the OnionIoT/source readme?

EDIT: actually, the b255 commit of OnionIoT/source shouldn't successfully compile anymore since it points to the OpenWRT 18.06-SNAPSHOT package repos. These package repos have since been deleted.
The error you see when booting now makes sense: Linux expects /etc/hotplug.json to exist, but since the build system couldn't find that package it's not included in the firmware.

You will need to use b257 (and up) to successfully compile firmware. See the b257 commit.

crispyoz

@mrahul try sysupgrade -N so the existing configuration is not preserved. I'm wondering if there is something in your configuration creating the issue.

mrahul

Hi @crispyoz & @Lazar-Demin, thank you so much for your input. I've been working on some immediate deliverables, so I won't be able to share what you asked for at least the next few days. I'll post the logs and observations as soon as I try what you both have suggested. Thanks again!