[SOLVED] Trouble booting sarpi2 installer on my rpi2b

dodoLQ · 12-30-2023, 04:44 AM

Hey Exaga, i've a similar pb with the sarpi2 installer this time! i'm sorry /o\

Exaga · 12-30-2023, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dodoLQ

Hey Exaga, i've a similar pb with the sarpi2 installer this time! i'm sorry /o\

Don't worry dodoLQ, it's probably something I have done. I'll look into it and get back to you.

[EDIT]

Just an idea, remove everything in your /boot/config.txt file and just have these lines in it:

Code:

arm_64bit=0
kernel=kernel7.img

Then try to boot and see if it's successful. I'm just thinking the new boot-firmware might be causing it. If not then sorry to waste your time, mon ami.

Exaga · 12-30-2023, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dodoLQ

Hey Exaga, i've a similar pb with the sarpi2 installer this time! i'm sorry /o\

Try the new SARPi installer(s) I've uploaded today. These have been tested and work fine for me. Let me know if you have any further issues.

https://sarpi.penthux.net/index.php?p=downloads

dodoLQ · 12-31-2023, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exaga

Try the new SARPi installer(s) I've uploaded today. These have been tested and work fine for me. Let me know if you have any further issues.

Hi Exaga, still have a pb

I tested with another µSDcard, same result! Maybe my rpi2 is HS? Don't think so..

Exaga · 12-31-2023, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dodoLQ

Hi Exaga, still have a pb

I tested with another µSDcard, same result! Maybe my rpi2 is HS? Don't think so..

Hi dodoLQ. Thanks for letting me know. I think I know what might be causing any problems and will do some extensive testing to verify it.

It's probably certainly not your RPi2.

Give me a few hours and I'll get back to you.

[EDIT] While I'm doing this... try to save your config.txt file in Windows (CR LF) format and see if that solves any issues. I'll do a rework of this file at my end with line feed and carriage return ASCII character line endings. I think that's what is messing things up here.

Exaga · 12-31-2023, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dodoLQ

Hi Exaga, still have a pb

I tested with another µSDcard, same result! Maybe my rpi2 is HS? Don't think so..

OK dodoLQ the issue should be solved once and for all.

During the SARPi build process, for whatever reason it happened, the /boot/config.txt file was created and becoming corrupted. This was missed by me because I always edit my config.txt and cmdline.txt files before installing - so after saving them any rogue line endings were resolved. However, if none of these files are edited before booting then that's when the issue manifested itself.

Really sorry to have missed this problem initially. Due to my lazy methods of testing, I usually install remotely and instantly experienced the same problem as you when I did not edit any files and booted the system. It's really a head-scratcher because the same code has ran and generated these files for years and never changed, until today.

Anyway, the SARPi installers are now working for me as expected and I hope it's now working for you too.

dodoLQ · 12-31-2023, 11:02 AM

I think this has nothing to do with a CR/LF format of config.txt (file report simply ASCII Plain text NOT Dos: i checked with the config.txt of the sarpi5 installer). The pb is initrd.gz and MUST not be compressed ! On the web i found that:

Code:

[pi2]
initramfs initrd.img-3.18.7-v7+ followkernel
[all]

No .gz

Here's my config.txt:

Code:

# For more options and information see:
# https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/configuration.html
# NB: Some settings may impact device functionality and performance!
#
# @SARPIURL@ - 30 December 2023 - Raspberry Pi 2 config.txt

# Specify the 32-bit kernel for [non-64-bit] operations
arm_64bit=0

# Uncomment to set the amount of GPU video RAM (MB)
#gpu_mem=128

# Uncomment to set CPU clock speed (MHz) for overclocking, etc.
#arm_freq=1200
#arm_freq_min=600

# Uncomment to disable Device Tree (DT)
#device_tree=

# Uncomment to load a specific kernel
#kernel=kernel8.img
#kernel=kernel7l.img 
kernel=kernel7.img
#kernel=kernel.img

# Uncomment if you get no picture on HDMI for a default "safe" mode
#hdmi_safe=1

# Uncomment this if your display has a black border of unused pixels visible
# and your display can output without overscan
disable_overscan=1

# Uncomment the following to adjust overscan. Use positive numbers if console
# goes off screen, and negative if there is too much border
#overscan_left=16
#overscan_right=16
#overscan_top=16
#overscan_bottom=16

# Uncomment to force a console size. By default it will be display's size 
# minus overscan.
#framebuffer_width=1280
#framebuffer_height=720

# Uncomment if hdmi display is not detected and composite is being output
#hdmi_force_hotplug=1

# Uncomment to force a specific HDMI mode (this will force VGA)
#hdmi_group=1
#hdmi_mode=1

# Uncomment to force a HDMI mode rather than DVI. This can make audio work
# in DMT (computer monitor) modes
#hdmi_drive=2

# Uncomment to increase signal to HDMI, if you have interference, blanking, 
# or no display
#config_hdmi_boost=4

# Uncomment to enable ttyS0 mini UART (UART1)
enable_uart=1

# Uncomment to enable autoprobing of Bluetooth driver
#dtparam=krnbt=on

# Uncomment to switch Bluetooth to use mini UART [PL011 (UART0) as primary]
# See: https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/configuration/uart.md
#dtoverlay=miniuart-bt

# Uncomment to disable on-board Bluetooth
#dtoverlay=disable-bt

# Uncomment to disable on-board wireless
#dtoverlay=disable-wifi

# Uncomment to set VPU core clock to a fixed frequency [* for BT mini-UART]
# See: https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/configuration/uart.md
#force_turbo=1
#core_freq=250

# Uncomment some or all of these to enable the optional hardware interfaces
#dtparam=i2c_arm=on
#dtparam=i2s=on
#dtparam=spi=on

# Uncomment to enable the lirc-rpi module
#dtoverlay=lirc-rpi

# Uncomment to enable [I2C] DS3231 real time clock [RTC]
#dtoverlay=i2c-rtc,ds3231 

# Uncomment to enable [SPI] DS3234 real time clock [RTC]
#dtoverlay=spi-rtc,ds3234

# Uncomment to give the PWR LED a 'heartbeat' pulse
#dtparam=pwr_led_trigger=heartbeat

# Uncomment to give the ACT LED a 'heartbeat' pulse
#dtparam=act_led_trigger=heartbeat

# Uncomment this to enable infrared communication.
#dtoverlay=gpio-ir,gpio_pin=17
#dtoverlay=gpio-ir-tx,gpio_pin=18

# Enable audio (loads snd_bcm2835)
dtparam=audio=on

# Uncomment to automatically load overlays for detected DSI displays
#display_auto_detect=1

# Run as fast as firmware / board allows
arm_boost=1

[pi4]
# Enable DRM VC4 V3D driver on top of the dispmanx display stack
#dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d
#max_framebuffers=2

# Additional overlays and parameters are documented in /boot/overlays/README

[pi2]
# load the initramfs (SARPi2 installer)
initramfs initrd followkernel
[all]

And now the installer is lanching

The install is waiting me..

Exaga · 12-31-2023, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dodoLQ

I think this has nothing to do with a CR/LF format of config.txt (file report simply ASCII Plain text NOT Dos: i checked with the config.txt of the sarpi5 installer). The pb is initrd.gz and MUST not be compressed ! On the web i found that:

Code:

[pi2]
initramfs initrd.img-3.18.7-v7+ followkernel
[all]

And now the installer is lanching

The install is waiting me..

You can basically name the initramfs file however you choose. Currently there are two ways to do it depending on if you're using traditional Slackware standards or new fangled Raspberry Pi firmware approach. The /boot/config.txt entries would be something like this:

Code:

#Familiar Slackware initrd.gz - 
initramfs initrd.gz followkernel

#Raspberry Pi firmware way -
auto_initramfs=1

Obviously the kernel and initramfs need to be named appropriately (or otherwise specified in the /boot/config.txt file) in order to be found and loaded when doing it by the Raspberry Pi firmware procedure. Doing it the Slackware way means the initrd.gz must be called correctly in any event.

I can assure you this problem was due to a corrupt config.txt file. No doubt about it. I used the former SARPi batch with a clean config.txt file that I wrote myself and it booted and worked as expected. This is how I discovered what the problem was. I'm still not sure what caused it in the first place though.

Glad everything is working for you now.