rockpro64 wireless access point

slac-in-the-box · 09-02-2023, 08:58 PM

I built a wireless access point out of a rockpro64, a single microsd card, and an alfa network long-range usb adpater, model AWUS036NHA, that uses the Atheros AR9271 chipset.

I had to rebuild the kernel and modules and enable the ath9k modules for it to pick up the adapter.

I had to intall hostapd from slackbuilds and configure it.

It's a very basic setup with the ethernet getting the internet from the dsl modem over eth0; and hostapd creating the hot spot on wlan0; and iptables providing firewall with NAT; and bind providing cache only nameserver; and dhcpd assigning ip addresses to wireless clients.

The only caveat at the moment, is that upon startup or reboot, it always ends up at a u-boot prompt, where I type reset, and then on the second boot, it finds the microSD and the menu with 1 for installer and 2 for slackware OS, with OS being the default.

I live remotely, and power outages happen, especially in winter. It is plugged in to a UPS, but the battery only lasts about an hour. It will inevitably power cycle, and I was hoping to make it headless to not need to keep a keyboard and hdmi screen attached to it just to type reset at the u-boot prompt.

Are there any suggestions on ways to make it boot all the way to the menu configured by extlinux.conf every time?

mralk3 · 09-02-2023, 10:50 PM

Is there any error output in uboot, before typing reset? Maybe the sd card can't initialize in time? Any strange output from the usb port of the wlan nic?

slac-in-the-box · 09-03-2023, 07:52 PM

Hello mralk3: thanks for responding.

Here is what I see on the very small HDMI screen, leading up to the u-boot prompt:

Code:

Retrieving file: pxelinux.cfg/default-arm-rk3399-rockpro64_rk3399
Speed: 1000, full duplex
*** ERROR: `serverip' not set
Retrieving file: pxelinux.cfg/default-arm-rk3399
Speed: 1000, full duplex
*** ERROR: `serverip' not set
Retrieving file: pxelinux.cfg/default-arm
Speed: 1000, full duplex
*** ERROR: `serverip' not set
Retrieving file: pxelinux.cfg/default
Speed: 1000, full duplex
*** ERROR: `serverip' not set
Config file not found
rockchip_pcie pcie@f8000000: failed to find ep_gpios property
Speed: 1000, full duplex
BOOTP broadcast 1
DHCP client bound to address 192.168.1.2 (17ms)
*** ERROR: `serverip' not set
Cannot autoload with TFTPGET
SF: Detected gd25q128 with page size 256 Bytes, erase size 4KiB, total 16MiB
device 0 offset 0xffe000, size 0x2000
SF: 8192 bytes @ 0xffee000 Read: OK
## Executing script at 005000000
Wrong image format for "source command
SCRIPT FAILED: continuing...
=>

As far as the USB port output, I don't have the serial out; but I have ordered the woodpecker USB serial dongle, but it hasn't arrived yet. I reckon that will help with many of these sbc projects. But I do figure it probably is what you suggest about the sdcard not initializing in time. I am obtaining the ethernet's IP with DHCP, and the cable is connected to the dsl modem/router. Though I and am not concerned about it already having IP during u-boot, perhaps if I set the serverip environmental variable in u-boot, it won't waste time on those errors and have more time for the sdcard initialization. Hmm... I guess I'll try that.

slac-in-the-box · 09-03-2023, 08:59 PM

Setting the serverip environmental variable with setenv, and then saveenv, made it take way longer trying every tftpboot target systematically, but still ended up at the u-boot prompt. So I changed it back to undefined.

If I try run bootcmd_mmc it has a voltage detect error... so I think that means it did not find mmc1. But after reset, it still finds it.

I am using the microsd instead of a nvme drive, because this is just an access point for now, and I don't need heaps of storage--so that is one deviation from official documentation.

Code:

=> printenv bootcmd
bootcmd=run distro_bootcmd
=> printenv distro_bootcmd
distro_bootcmd=setenv nvme_need_init; for target in $(boot_targets}; do run bootcmd_$(target); done
=> printenv boot_targets
boot_targets=mmc1 mmc0 nvme0 usb0 pxe dhcp sf0
=>

Is there any way, in u-boot, to adjust the bootcmd environmental variable (or another variable) to cause a delay long enough to allow the mmc1 to be detected, similar to rootdelay= in a kernel append line?

Oh... yes there is, it has bootdelay; but changing it from 2 seconds to 8 seconds was ineffective, because the bootdelay started its countdown after the scanning for devices occured.

drmozes · 09-04-2023, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slac-in-the-box

I built a wireless access point out of a rockpro64, a single microsd card, and an alfa network long-range usb adpater, model AWUS036NHA, that uses the Atheros AR9271 chipset.

Thanks, these will be in the next Kernel package.

glorsplitz · 09-05-2023, 07:06 PM

@slac-in-the-box

Quote:

Tue Sep 05 08:08:09 UTC 2023
a/kernel_armv8-6.1.51-aarch64-1.txz: Upgraded.
Kernel configuration changes:
Added modules for Wireless PCI cards sporting the Atheros
AR9xxx chipset. Thanks to slac-in-the-box on LQ for the suggestion.

let us know what this did for you

slac-in-the-box · 09-07-2023, 08:17 PM

Thankyou @drmozes and @glorsplitz: updating slackware has never been easier!

After a "slackpkg update" and a "slackpkg upgrade-all" the new kernel (6.1.51) was there. I just reboot and it works. The atheros based usb wifi adapter was detected, so that really makes staying up-to-date a breeze. I guess the days of building kernels, initrds, creating symbolic links, etc. are over. I'm gonna have to use a risc-v sbc to have fun now

glorsplitz · 09-08-2023, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slac-in-the-box

I guess the days of building kernels, initrds, creating symbolic links, etc. are over. I'm gonna have to use a risc-v sbc to have fun now

It's the Platform Architect & Developer's kind attention to working with us with what we run into.

slac-in-the-box · 09-09-2023, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glorsplitz

It's the Platform Architect & Developer's kind attention to working with us with what we run into.

I am grateful, and hat is off to drmozes.. his benevolence is following in the footsteps of PV... and mara's is following in footsteps of drmozes... and I'm like a tracker sorting out all these trails... my ethernet bridge was a guruplug with slackware-arm, but it has given up the ghost. I support linux because I like the foss sentiment, and now that there is fosh, foss-on-fosh appeals to the same sentiment. Tinkering with riscv will be because of this sentiment and because star64 sbc happens to have two ethernet ports and is suitable to be a bridge. If it wasn't for trailing all you legends, I wouldn't be up to it. Of all the linux communities, slackware remains the least tainted by the corporacracy, and I am happy to be here. I've put in enough time to really appreciate how much has gone in to this aarch64 port to make the updating so effortless. That felt like I was making a toast, and I am. Cheers to you all.