BeagleBoard XM won't boot anything except SD card that came with it

GoogleGroups
1

Hi,

I assume the card you are using in 4G or larger. It’s odd that using dd to copy the contents of your current card didn’t work. Be sure to copy the entire card, not an individual partition.

i.e. to backup:

dd if=/dev/sdX of=sdcard.img

to restore:

dd if=sdcard.img of=/dev/sdX

The “/dev/sdX” part should be, for example, /dev/sde, not /dev/sde1,

There are many different ways of writing an image to the microSD card, so it can be tricky to find the correct instructions for the files you are using. I followed the instructions in that same IBM article over a year ago, and it worked back then. However, it’s been awhile since I tried creating an image through manual partitioning and copying of bootloader files, so I can’t tell you where to find up-to-date instructions.

The following methods are all foolproof, since they involve no manual configuration of the card:

  1. Download one of the .img.gz files from http://downloads.angstrom-distribution.org/demo/beagleboard/ and follow the instructions on the Beaglebone page http://downloads.angstrom-distribution.org/demo/beaglebone/ (unfortunately, the instructions for the .img.gz files aren’t on the Beagleboard page):

zcat filename.img.gz > /dev/sdX

  1. Download the image from CircuitCo http://www.circuitco.com/support/index.php?title=Circuitco_Support_Wiki#BEAGLEBOARD-xM_IMAGE_FILES and follow their instructions for writing the image to the microSD card (which can be done on either a Windows or Linux PC)

  2. If you’re willing to try Ubuntu instead of Angstrom, follow the instructions at http://elinux.org/BeagleBoardUbuntu#Precise_12.04_armhf

Dan.

3

Then your monitor doesn't support the default "1280x720MR-16@60"
resolution. Open up "uEnv.txt" in the boot partition, first
"un-comment" (aka remove the #), from (#vram, #defaultdisplay and
#dvimode variables) and then "edit" the dvimode variable anything that
your monitor actually *supports...

*I'm assuming your using a real "digital" dvi-c/hdmi lcd/monitor and
not one of those fake "analog" only dvi/hdmi monitors that won't work
with out extra hardware..

Once the monitor is working, retest the usb mouse/keyboard, as they
were probally working the whole time, just hard to notice without a
working monitor..

Regards,

4

I installed xubuntu-desktop and it’s still not working. The monitor is a brand new HP monitor. How can I find out if it is the real digital dvi-c/hdmi lcd/monitor?

Ahmet

5

I installed xubuntu-desktop and it's still not working.

Installing packages isn't going to solve it, as it's the kernel that
set's up the display..

The monitor is a
brand new HP monitor. How can I find out if it is the real digital
dvi-c/hdmi lcd/monitor?

Model Number?

Regards,

6

My monitor is an HP 2011x.

Which tools are recommended for cross-comp,l,ng a new kernel or an application?

Ahmet

7

My monitor is an HP 2011x.

Table B-6 2011x/2011s/2011xi Factory Preset Video Input Modes
Preset Resolution Horizontal Frequency (kHz) Vertical Frequency (Hz)
1 640 x 480 31.469 59.94
2 720 x 400 31.469 70.087
3 800 x 600 37.879 60.317
4 1024 x 768 48.363 60.004
5 1280 x 720 45.00 60.00
6 1280 x 1024 63.98 60.02
7 1440 x 900 55.94 59.89
8 1600 x 900 60.00 60.00

So: "1280x720MR-16@60" should have worked.. I'd give 1024x768 a try...

Which tools are recommended for cross-comp,l,ng a new kernel or an
application?

Any of the GCC based cross-compilers from Linaro/Ubuntu/Angstrom/Mentor/etc...

Regards,

8

Thank you, Robert but I am still struggling. The HP display occasionally flashes the messages ‘Check Video Cable’ and 'Monitor going to sleep… Aside from that there is nothing.

This is an Ubuntu 12.04 such that uname --all gives
Linux arm 3.2.28-x14 #1 SMP Tue Aug 21 20:32:53 UTC 2012 armv7l armv7l armv7l Gx

It isn’t clear if the Beagleboard is aware that a display is attached to its DVI port. I got the error message ‘Server is already active for display 0’ and followed the instructions at the xorg wiki. Here is what happened:

Script started on Thu 27 Sep 2012 03:21:45 AM CDT
ubuntu@arm:~$ startx

Fatal server error:
Server is already active for display 0
If this server is no longer running, remove /tmp/.X0-lock
and start again.

Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
at http://wiki.x.org
for help.

ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log
Invalid MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 keyInvalid MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 keyxinit: giving up
xinit: unable to connect to X server: Resource temporarily unavailable
xinit: server error
ubuntu@arm:~$ ps aux | grep cat /tmp/.X0-lock
root e[01;31me[K820e[me[K 2.7 1.9 28452 9372 tty7 Ss+ 03:20 0:02 /usr/bin/X :0 -auth /var/run/lightdm/root/:0 -nolisten tcp vt7 -novtswitch -background none
ubuntu 1393 0.0 0.1 3116 712 pts/0 S+ 03:22 0:00 grep --color=auto e[01;31me[K820e[me[K
ubuntu@arm:~$ rm -rf /tmp/.X0-lock
rm: cannot remove `/tmp/.X0-lock’: Operation not permitted
ubuntu@arm:~$ rm -rf /tmp/.X0-lock e[Ce[Ce[Ce[Ce[Ce[Ce[Ce[Ce[Ce[Ce[Ce[Ce[Ce[Ce[1@se[1@ue[1@de[1@oe[1@
[sudo] password for ubuntu:
ubuntu@arm:~$ sudo startx – :1

X.Org X Server 1.11.3
Release Date: 2011-12-16
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.38-1209-omap4 armv7l Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux arm 3.2.28-x14 #1 SMP Tue Aug 21 20:32:53 UTC 2012 armv7l
Kernel command line: console=ttyO2,115200n8 console=tty0 vram=12M omapfb.mode=dvi:1280x720MR-16@60 omapdss.def_disp=dvi root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 ro rootfstype=ext4 rootwait fixrtc buddy=none buddy2=none
Build Date: 04 August 2012 01:57:56AM
xorg-server 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10.7 (For technical support please see http://www.ubuntu.com/support)
Current version of pixman: 0.24.4
Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (–) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: “/var/log/Xorg.1.log”, Time: Thu Sep 27 03:22:40 2012
(==) Using system config directory “/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d”
^Cxinit: connection to X server lost

waiting for X server to shut down ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log
Server terminated successfully (0). Closing log file.

xinit: unexpected signal 2
ubuntu@arm:~$ exit

Script done on Thu 27 Sep 2012 03:26:03 AM CDT

Any ideas?

Ahmet

25 Eylül 2012 Salı 17:42:46 UTC+3 tarihinde RobertCNelson yazdı:

9

Please give v3.5.x a try.. (it'll backup your current running kernel)

wget http://rcn-ee.net/deb/precise-armhf/v3.5.4-x6/install-me.sh
/bin/bash install-me.sh

Regards,

10

27 Eylül 2012 Perşembe 15:23:49 UTC+3 tarihinde RobertCNelson yazdı:

Thank you, Robert but I am still struggling. The HP display occasionally
flashes the messages ‘Check Video Cable’ and 'Monitor going to sleep… Aside
from that there is nothing.

This is an Ubuntu 12.04 such that uname --all gives
Linux arm 3.2.28-x14 #1 SMP Tue Aug 21 20:32:53 UTC 2012 armv7l armv7l
armv7l Gx

Please give v3.5.x a try… (it’ll backup your current running kernel)

wget http://rcn-ee.net/deb/precise-armhf/v3.5.4-x6/install-me.sh
/bin/bash install-me.sh

Regards,

–
Robert Nelson
http://www.rcn-ee.com/

Thank you Robert. I have installed everything from scratch and updated my kernel as you recommended so that:
uname --all
Linux arm 3.5.4-x6 #1 SMP Thu Sep 27 11:13:38 UTC 2012 armv7l armv7l armv7l GNUx

This time I installed ubuntu-desktop instead of xubuntu-desktop.

startx was met with the error msg “user not authorized to run the X server, aborting” which I fixed by changing allowed users to anybody in /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config (this happened last time, too). And just like last time, startx doesn’t work.

Maybe I don’t know how to launch X windows in a Beagleboard. Should I launch it with startx? Should I edit a configuration file to change run condition to gui logon? I am not sure what to expect. It is possible that I have installed everything but doN’t know how to launch X-windows. What else is there to check?

Ahmet

11

Thank you Robert. I have installed everything from scratch and updated my
kernel as you recommended so that:
uname --all
Linux arm 3.5.4-x6 #1 SMP Thu Sep 27 11:13:38 UTC 2012 armv7l armv7l armv7l
GNUx

This time I installed ubuntu-desktop instead of xubuntu-desktop.

Just to be clear, is the monitor actually working? as in, your using
the usb-keyboard and typing on the lcd? or are you still working thru
the serial terminal on another pc?

startx was met with the error msg "user not authorized to run the X server,
aborting" which I fixed by changing allowed users to anybody in
/etc/X11/Xwrapper.config (this happened last time, too). And just like last
time, startx doesn't work.

sudo startx?

Maybe I don't know how to launch X windows in a Beagleboard. Should I launch
it with startx? Should I edit a configuration file to change run condition
to gui logon? I am not sure what to expect. It is possible that I have
installed everything but doN't know how to launch X-windows. What else is
there to check?

usually i just let gdm do it..

or just run the script that was placed on your boot partition..

/boot/uboot/tools/ubuntu/minimal_lxde_desktop.sh

Which if your monitor is working, would show a login window on the next reboot..

Regards,

12

28 Eylül 2012 Cuma 22:49:00 UTC+3 tarihinde RobertCNelson yazdı:

Thank you Robert. I have installed everything from scratch and updated my
kernel as you recommended so that:
uname --all
Linux arm 3.5.4-x6 #1 SMP Thu Sep 27 11:13:38 UTC 2012 armv7l armv7l armv7l
GNUx

This time I installed ubuntu-desktop instead of xubuntu-desktop.

Just to be clear, is the monitor actually working? as in, your using
the usb-keyboard and typing on the lcd? or are you still working thru
the serial terminal on another pc?

startx was met with the error msg “user not authorized to run the X server,
aborting” which I fixed by changing allowed users to anybody in
/etc/X11/Xwrapper.config (this happened last time, too). And just like last
time, startx doesn’t work.

sudo startx?

Maybe I don’t know how to launch X windows in a Beagleboard. Should I launch
it with startx? Should I edit a configuration file to change run condition
to gui logon? I am not sure what to expect. It is possible that I have
installed everything but doN’t know how to launch X-windows. What else is
there to check?

usually i just let gdm do it…

or just run the script that was placed on your boot partition…

/boot/uboot/tools/ubuntu/minimal_lxde_desktop.sh

Which if your monitor is working, would show a login window on the next reboot…

Regards,

–
Robert Nelson
http://www.rcn-ee.com/

It’s the bloody cable! It’s the bloody cable! I bought my DVI-HDMI cable at the same place I bought a 5V/3A power supply for my Beagleboard. Costing the equivalent of $6.00 it was a bargain, too. After reading what you wrote, I became suspicious of my cable and went to a television dealer to buy an HDMI cable rated at 10.2Gbps (Monster) and an HDM to DVI adapter (Belkin). Now it works fine. These cables are all speed rated. Apparently 10Gbps is enough for this application and my cheap cable was either not fast enough or had the wrong pin layout. Sorry to waste your time over nonsense. Thank you very much for all the help.

Ahmet