Run Debian on ix4-200d

• U-Boot 2022.07
• Debian 11 Bullseye

Everything here comes essentially from:

• https://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,22623
• https://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,12096
• https://github.com/1000001101000/ix4-200d-research
• https://download.lenovo.com/lenovoemc/na/en/app/cust_alp/p/1031%2c1087/c/73.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/20130730091033/https://www.marvell.com/embedded-processors/kirkwood/assets/FS_88F6180_9x_6281_OpenSource.pdf

DISCLAIMER NOTICE

• I'm not responsible for bricked devices, dead SD cards, thermonuclear war, or you getting fired because the alarm app failed (like it did for me...).
• YOU are choosing to make these modifications, and if you point the finger at me for messing up your device, I will laugh at you.
• Your warranty will be void if you tamper with any part of your device / software. 😘

Serial boot

Serial: 115200 baud 3.3v:

CN4
--------------
|  9 8 6 4 2 |
| 10 7 5 3 1 |
-------------- PIN 1 Mark (fat line)


1 = RXD <--> TXD of USB Adapter
4 = TXD <--> RXD of USB Adapter
6 = GND <--> GND of USB Adapter
10 = 3.3v (do not connect)

Open TTY with screen:

screen -L /dev/ttyUSB0 115200

Hint: press ctrl + a then type :quit to quit.

Start your device and press any key until Hit any key to stop autoboot is displayed. You should see u-boot prompt:

Marvell>>

First, keep current u-boot parameters:

printenv

Keep the content of printenv output. This will be a useful reference if you want to restore any u-boot parameters.

Test new U-Boot with Serial port

# You may need to build latest kwboot
sudo apt-get install u-boot-tools

kwboot -p -t -B 115200 /dev/ttyUSB0 -b ix4-200d-u-boot-2022.04.kwb

Hint: press ctrl + \ then type c to quit.

If you got the following error, you need to use the latest version of kwboot, build it from u-boot sources:

Sending boot message. Please reboot the target...-
Sending boot image...
0 % [+xmodem: Protocol error

Boot debian from usb

Automatic boot with uEnv.txt

On USB key with debian, edit /uEnv.txt:

x_bootargs=console=ttyS0,115200 mtdparts=orion_nand:896k(uboot),128k(env),-(rootfs) initramfs.runsize=32M usb-storage.delay_use=0 rootdelay=1 usbcore.autosuspend=-1 fsck.repair=preen
x_bootargs_root=root=/dev/disk/by-path/platform-f1050000.ehci-usb-0:1.2:1.0-scsi-0:0:0:0-part1 rw rootfstype=ext2
x_bootcmd_kernel=ext4load usb 0:1 ${loadaddr} /boot/uImage

From u-boot prompt:

boot

Detailed commands

# Load from USB uEnv.txt file
usb start; ext4load usb 0:1 ${loadaddr} uEnv.txt; env import -t ${loadaddr} ${filesize}

# OR set mannually environments
setenv x_bootargs console=ttyS0,115200 mtdparts=orion_nand:896k(uboot),128k(env),-(rootfs) initramfs.runsize=32M usb-storage.delay_use=0 rootdelay=1 usbcore.autosuspend=-1 fsck.repair=preen
setenv x_bootargs_root root=/dev/disk/by-path/platform-f1050000.ehci-usb-0:1.2:1.0-scsi-0:0:0:0-part1 rw rootfstype=ext4

# Load uImage from USB
ext4load usb 0:1 ${loadaddr} /boot/uImage

# Then set kernel args and boot
setenv bootargs ${x_bootargs} ${x_bootargs_root}; bootm ${loadaddr}

Persist new u-boot

If everything is OK, load u-boot.kwb from USB key:

usb start
ext4load usb 0:1 0x1000000 /u-boot.kwb

or from TFTP server (plug on Ethernet port 2):

# setenv gatewayip 192.168.1.254
setenv ipaddr 192.168.1.250
tftpboot 0x1000000 192.168.1.48:u-boot.kwb

Then write it to nand:

nand erase 0x000000 0xe0000
nand write 0x1000000 0x000000 0xe0000

Set environments variables:

env default -a
# print default parameters:
printenv

setenv ethaddr 00:26:2d:06:ab:ac
setenv eth1addr 00:26:2d:06:ab:ad
env save

Reboot:

reset

Keep the content of printenv output. This will be a useful reference if you want to restore any u-boot parameters.

Build U-Boot

docker compose build --pull
docker compose run uboot

Debugging/testing

docker compose run uboot bash
./build_uboot.sh

Deboostrap debian

docker compose build --pull
docker compose run deboot

For Debugging/Testing:

docker compose run deboot bash
./deboot.sh armel buster http://ftp.fr.debian.org/debian/ openssh-server

TFTP server

sudo apt install tftpd-hpa
sudo chmod a+rw /srv/tftp

From u-boot:

# To set active ethernet port to the second one
# setenv ethact ethernet-controller@76000

setenv ethaddr 00:26:2d:06:ab:ac
setenv eth1addr 00:26:2d:06:ab:ad

setenv ipaddr 192.168.1.250
setenv serverip 192.168.1.48

ping ${serverip}
tftpboot 0x0a00000 uImage

Hardware control

sudo -s

# Autopower on
i2cset -y 0 0x20 1 0xff
# Autopower off
i2cset -y 0 0x20 1 0xfe

# Poweroff (autopower needs to be off)
echo 14 >/sys/class/gpio/export
echo 1 > /sys/class/gpio14/gpio/value

# Fan control
echo 0 > /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon0/pwm1
echo 255 > /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon0/pwm1

# LCD Brightness
echo 0 > /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon0/pwm3
echo 255 > /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon0/pwm3

Similar works

• ix4-200d: https://github.com/1000001101000/ix4-200d-research
• Blackarmor NAS 400: https://github.com/hn/seagate-blackarmor-nas
• ix4-300d: https://github.com/benoitm974/ix4-300d
• ix4-300d: https://github.com/5p0ng3b0b/ix4-300d

Known issues

https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=216094