Beaglebone Installation Guide

Basic Requirements

• ARM Cross Compiler
  • Linaro: https://launchpad.net/linaro-toolchain-binaries
• Bootloader
  • Das U-Boot – the Universal Boot Loader http://www.denx.de/wiki/U-Boot
  • Source – http://git.denx.de/?p=u-boot.git;a=summary
• Linux Kernel
  • Linus's Mainline tree: http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git;a=summary
  • Linux omap tree: http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/tmlind/linux-omap.git
  • Arago Project TI Staging tree: http://arago-project.org/git/projects/?p=linux-am33x.git;a=shortlog;h=refs/heads/v3.2-staging
• ARM based rootfs
  • Debian Squeeze: http://www.debian.org/

ARM Cross Compiler: GCC

This is a pre-built (32bit) version of Linaro GCC that runs on generic linux, so 64bit users need to make sure they have installed the 32bit libraries for their distribution.

Debian based (deb)

extra

pkgs: (sudo apt-get update ; sudo apt-get install xyz)

Ubuntu 12.04

 

ia32-libs

Debian 7 (Wheezy)

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386

libc6:i386 libstdc++6:i386 libncurses5:i386 zlib1g:i386

Ubuntu 12.10 -> 13.10

 

libc6:i386 libstdc++6:i386 libncurses5:i386 zlib1g:i386

Red Hat based (rpm)

extra

pkgs: (yum install xyz)

Red Hat/Centos/Fedora

 

libstdc++.i686 ncurses-devel.i686 zlib.i686

Download/Extract:

~/

wget -c https://launchpad.net/linaro-toolchain-binaries/trunk/2013.07/+download/gcc-linaro-arm-linux-gnueabihf-4.8-2013.07-1_linux.tar.xz

tar xJf gcc-linaro-arm-linux-gnueabihf-4.8-2013.07-1_linux.tar.xz

export CC=`pwd`/gcc-linaro-arm-linux-gnueabihf-4.8-2013.07-1_linux/bin/arm-linux-gnueabihf-

Test:

If this test fails, verify that you have the 32bit libraries installed on your development system.

~/

${CC}gcc --version

arm-linux-gnueabihf-gcc (crosstool-NG linaro-1.13.1-4.8-2013.07-1- Linaro GCC 2013.07)4.8.220130624(prerelease)

Copyright (C) 2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

This is free software; see the sourceforcopying conditions.  There is NO

warranty; not evenforMERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Bootloader: U-Boot

Das U-Boot -- the Universal Boot Loader http://www.denx.de/wiki/U-Boot

Download:

~/

git clone git://git.denx.de/u-boot.git

cd u-boot/

git checkout v2013.07-b tmp

Patches:

~/u-boot

wget -c https://raw.github.com/eewiki/u-boot-patches/master/v2013.07/0001-am335x_evm-uEnv.txt-bootz-n-fixes.patch

 

patch -p1 < 0001-am335x_evm-uEnv.txt-bootz-n-fixes.patch

Configure and Build:

~/u-boot

make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=${CC} distclean

make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=${CC} am335x_evm_config

make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=${CC}

Upgrade distro "device-tree-compiler" package

~/

wget -c https://raw.github.com/RobertCNelson/tools/master/pkgs/dtc.sh

chmod +x dtc.sh

./dtc.sh

Linux Kernel

This script will build the kernel and modules and copy them to the deploy directory.

Old Board File tree

Download:

~/

git clone git://github.com/RobertCNelson/linux-dev.git

cd linux-dev/

For v3.2.x:

~/linux-dev

git checkout origin/am33x-v3.2-b tmp

Build:

~/linux-dev

./build_kernel.sh

Device Tree

Download:

~/

git clone git://github.com/RobertCNelson/linux-dev.git

cd linux-dev/

Checkout v3.8.x branch:

~/linux-dev

git checkout origin/am33x-v3.8-b tmp

Build:

~/linux-dev

./build_kernel.sh

Root File System

Debian 7

User

Password

debian

temppwd

root

root

Download:

~/

wget -c https://rcn-ee.net/deb/minfs/wheezy/debian-7.1-minimal-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

Verify:

~/

md5sum debian-7.1-minimal-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

63e68e96b21cefeae9e4ecbf0568fd26  debian-7.1-minimal-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

Extract:

~/

tar xJf debian-7.1-minimal-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

Ubuntu 13.04

User

Password

ubuntu

temppwd

Download:

~/

wget -c https://rcn-ee.net/deb/minfs/raring/ubuntu-13.04-minimal-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

Verify:

~/

md5sum ubuntu-13.04-minimal-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

4bbf7944d43ba5f4fbb5a86232b57d58  ubuntu-13.04-minimal-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

Extract:

~/

tar xJf ubuntu-13.04-minimal-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

Root File System (small flash)

A Root File System around 64Mb in size, for flash applications.

Debian 7 (small flash)

User

Password

debian

temppwd

root

root

Download: 

~/

wget -c https://rcn-ee.net/deb/barefs/wheezy/debian-7.1-bare-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

Verify: 

~/

md5sum debian-7.1-bare-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

276f2b77c1de379e5923f1f97b1f7853 debian-7.1-bare-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

Extract: 

~/

tar xJf debian-7.1-bare-armhf-2013-08-25.tar.xz

Setup microSD/SD card

For these instruction, we are assuming: DISK=/dev/mmcblk0, "lsblk" is very useful for determining the device id.

export DISK=/dev/mmcblk0

Erase microSD/SD card:

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=${DISK} bs=1M count=16

Create Partition Layout:

sudo sfdisk --in-order --Linux --unit M ${DISK} <<-__EOF__

1,48,0xE,*

,,,-

__EOF__

Format Partitions:

for: DISK=/dev/mmcblk0

sudo mkfs.vfat -F 16 ${DISK}p1 -n boot

sudo mkfs.ext4 ${DISK}p2 -L rootfs

 

for: DISK=/dev/sdX

sudo mkfs.vfat -F 16 ${DISK}1-n boot

sudo mkfs.ext4 ${DISK}2-L rootfs

Mount Partitions:

On some systems, these partitions may be auto-mounted...

sudo mkdir -p /media/boot/

sudo mkdir -p /media/rootfs/

 

for: DISK=/dev/mmcblk0

sudo mount ${DISK}p1 /media/boot/

sudo mount ${DISK}p2 /media/rootfs/

 

for: DISK=/dev/sdX

sudo mount ${DISK}1/media/boot/

sudo mount ${DISK}2/media/rootfs/

Install Bootloader

Copy MLO/u-boot.img to the boot partition

~/

sudo cp -v ./u-boot/MLO /media/boot/

sudo cp -v ./u-boot/u-boot.img /media/boot/

uEnv.txt based bootscript

As v3.2.x/v3.8.x are too vastly different kernels (board file vs device tree) you need to uncomment one of the "uenvcmd" variables shown in the uEnv.txt boot script, otherwise it will not boot the kernel image.

Requires: v2013.04

Create "uEnv.txt" boot script: (nano uEnv.txt)

~/uEnv.txt

#optargs=

#mmcroot=/dev/mmcblk0p2 ro

#mmcrootfstype=ext4 rootwait fixrtc

 

#To boot old v3.2.x based kernel enable: (BeagleBone only)

#uenvcmd=run loaduimage; run mmc_classic_boot

  

#To boot newv3.8.x based device tree:

#uenvcmd=run loaduimage; run loadfdt; run mmcargs; bootz ${loadaddr} - ${fdtaddr}

Copy uEnv.txt to the boot partition:

~/

sudo cp -v ./uEnv.txt /media/boot/

Install Kernel and Root File System

To help new users, since the kernel version can change on a daily basis. The kernel building scripts listed on this page will now give you a hint of what kernel version was built.

-----------------------------

Script Complete

eewiki.net: [user@localhost:~$ export kernel_version=3.X.Y-Z]

-----------------------------

Copy and paste that "export kernel_version=3.X.Y-Z" exactly as shown in your own build/desktop environment and hit enter to create an environment variable to be used later.

export kernel_version=3.X.Y-Z

Copy Root File System

~/

sudo tar xfvp ./*-*-*-arm*-*/arm*-rootfs-*.tar -C /media/rootfs/

Copy Kernel Files

Kernel Image:

~/

sudo cp -v ./linux-dev/deploy/${kernel_version}.zImage /media/boot/zImage

Kernel Device Tree Binaries (v3.8.x branch):

~/

sudo mkdir -p /media/boot/dtbs/

sudo tar xfov ./linux-dev/deploy/${kernel_version}-dtbs.tar.gz -C /media/boot/dtbs/

Kernel Modules:

~/

sudo tar xfv ./linux-dev/deploy/${kernel_version}-modules.tar.gz -C /media/rootfs/

File Systems Table (/etc/fstab)

Edit: /etc/fstab

sudo nano /media/rootfs/etc/fstab

/etc/fstab

/dev/mmcblk0p2   /           auto   errors=remount-ro  0  1

/dev/mmcblk0p1   /boot/uboot auto   defaults           0  2

Networking

Edit: /etc/network/interfaces

sudo nano /media/rootfs/etc/network/interfaces

Add:

/etc/network/interfaces

auto lo

iface lo inet loopback

 

auto eth0

iface eth0 inet dhcp

 

Networking: Using a shared SD card with Multiple BeagleBone 

 To always enable the Ethernet interface as eth0.

Edit: /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules

sudo nano /media/rootfs/etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules

Add:

/etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules

# BeagleBone: net device ()

SUBSYSTEM=="net", ACTION=="add", DRIVERS=="?*", ATTR{dev_id}=="0x0", ATTR{type}=="1", KERNEL=="eth*", NAME="eth0"

 

Serial Login

Debian

Edit: /etc/inittab

sudo nano /media/rootfs/etc/inittab

Add this at the end of: /etc/inittab

/etc/inittab

T0:23:respawn:/sbin/getty -L ttyO0115200vt102

Ubuntu

Create new file: /etc/init/serial.conf

sudo nano /media/rootfs/etc/init/serial.conf

With this content:

/etc/init/serial.conf

start on stopped rc RUNLEVEL=[2345]

stop on runlevel [!2345]

 

respawn

exec /sbin/getty 115200 ttyO0

 Remove microSD/SD card:

sync

sudo umount /media/boot

sudo umount /media/rootfs

FAQ

CircuitCo LCD3 Backlight:

Turn on Backlight:

i2cset -f -y 1 0x24 0x07 0x09

i2cset -f -y 1 0x24 0x08 0x60

CircuitCo LCD3/LCD7 TouchScreen:

Add to /etc/modules:

/etc/modules

fbcon

ti_tscadc