ARM toolkit utilities for Aria G25

November 4, 2013

The development using an ARM device is exciting, but sometimes it’s more time expensive. The ARM toolkit utilities is a collection of scripts published on my GitHub repository.
When you want to try a new Linux kernel version, you must download the new kernel and compile it (or download a ready to use version from the manufacturer) and upload it into the SD card, changing, if required, the bootloader and some other thinks.
To simplify the switch from a kernel version to another, I’ve prepared a shell script that simplify this process.

1. Modify your micro SD card

Connect to your Aria G25 board using ssh as usual and verify you current Linux kernel version:

root@ariag25:~# uname -r
2.6.39+

Well: you have the 2.6.39 version. Mount your first partition of the micro SD card:

root@ariag25:~# mount /dev/mmcblk0p1 /mnt
root@ariag25:~# cd /mnt
root@ariag25:/mnt# mkdir 2.6.39
root@ariag25:/mnt# mkdir 3.11.6

In other words your first partition of the micro SD card must have a directory for every kernel version you want, named as the version, without other chars.

2. Copy kernel related files

Every ARM board needs to boot some files: a bootloader, a kernel image, etc.. Now copy current files (remember that your board now have linux kernel 2.6.39):

root@ariag25:/mnt# cp * 2.6.39/

3. Download new Linux kernel

Now you can download the new 3.11.6 version from the Acme Systems website:

root@ariag25:/mnt# cd 3.11.6/
root@ariag25:/mnt/3.11.6# wget http://www.acmesystems.it/download/microsd/A3/image.bin
root@ariag25:/mnt/3.11.6# wget http://www.acmesystems.it/download/microsd/A3/boot256.bin
root@ariag25:/mnt/3.11.6# mv boot256.bin boot.bin
root@ariag25:/mnt/3.11.6# wget http://www.acmesystems.it/download/microsd/A3/at91-ariag25.dtb

NOTE: you MUST download the boot128.bin file if your board is equipped with 128MB RAM.

Now unmount the previous mounted partition:

root@ariag25:/mnt/3.11.6# cd ~
root@ariag25:~# umount /mnt

4. Download switch script

About to finish:

root@ariag25:~# wget https://raw.github.com/mgesmundo/arm-dev-toolkit/master/kswitch.sh
root@ariag25:~# chmod +x kswitch.sh

Done: now you change your active kernel simply typing:

root@ariag25:~# ./kswitch.sh

and selecting your kernel (see the image below):

arm-dev-toolkit

Good programming!

About Marcello Gesmundo

I'm the founder of Yoovant company. I'm an engineer and an artist: what could be better than combine the technologies with the arts?