[9front] Booting without sd card (MNT Reform)

[9front] Booting without sd card (MNT Reform)

[alex-ml]

Hello,

I found an article about booting 9front without sd card on the MNT 
Reform in the wiki (http://wiki.9front.org/mnt-reform) and would like to 
try this.

First, it says:
"make sure to run the latest (dated 2023-01-15, at least) kernel."

ext4srv is shown in /bin, so the image I'm using should be new enough, 
but for the latest build I just have to "mk install" in /sys/src/9/imx8, 
or am I wrong?

The last instruction states:
"the switch under the heatsink should be positioned to booting from 
EMMC, this is not the default when the laptop is purchased"

Is this the "XSW" / "SW1" (or in the MNT Documentation it is called 
"User-Defined Switch") Switch? And if so, should it be "ON" to boot from 
NVMe?

Thank you very much in advance!

Best regards,
Alex

Re: [9front] Booting without sd card (MNT Reform)

[alex-ml]

Hello,

I just wanted to try it without toggling the switch, since it reads 
"should be positioned", but in the step before there is "9reform.u" 
mentioned, which I can't find unfortunately (not even via "walk"). It 
also seems that it's not an intermediate when using mk in 
/sys/src/boot/reform. Can anyone help me find / build this file, please?

Thank you very much in advance.

Best regards,
Alex

Am 24.05.2024 08:26 schrieb alex-ml@posteo.de:
> Hello,
> 
> I found an article about booting 9front without sd card on the MNT
> Reform in the wiki (http://wiki.9front.org/mnt-reform) and would like
> to try this.
> 
> First, it says:
> "make sure to run the latest (dated 2023-01-15, at least) kernel."
> 
> ext4srv is shown in /bin, so the image I'm using should be new enough,
> but for the latest build I just have to "mk install" in
> /sys/src/9/imx8, or am I wrong?
> 
> The last instruction states:
> "the switch under the heatsink should be positioned to booting from
> EMMC, this is not the default when the laptop is purchased"
> 
> Is this the "XSW" / "SW1" (or in the MNT Documentation it is called
> "User-Defined Switch") Switch? And if so, should it be "ON" to boot
> from NVMe?
> 
> Thank you very much in advance!
> 
> Best regards,
> Alex

Re: [9front] Booting without sd card (MNT Reform)

[Kurt H Maier]

On Fri, May 24, 2024 at 06:26:50AM +0000, alex-ml@posteo.de wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I found an article about booting 9front without sd card on the MNT Reform in
> the wiki (http://wiki.9front.org/mnt-reform) and would like to try this.
> 
> First, it says:
> "make sure to run the latest (dated 2023-01-15, at least) kernel."
> 
> ext4srv is shown in /bin, so the image I'm using should be new enough, but
> for the latest build I just have to "mk install" in /sys/src/9/imx8, or am I
> wrong?

In /sys/src/9/imx8, run mk and you should wind up with a 9reform.u file
-- this is your kernel plus ipaq put into a format uboot can read.  This
should go in the root folder of the emmc storage, along with your
plan9.ini and boot.scr.  mk install won't do this for you, since there's
more than one way to boot an imx8.

> The last instruction states:
> "the switch under the heatsink should be positioned to booting from EMMC,
> this is not the default when the laptop is purchased"
> 
> Is this the "XSW" / "SW1" (or in the MNT Documentation it is called
> "User-Defined Switch") Switch? And if so, should it be "ON" to boot from
> NVMe?

It's this switch, pictured in the post here:
https://community.mnt.re/t/operating-system-on-nvme-without-sd-card/110/3

this picture specifically:
https://community.mnt.re/uploads/default/original/1X/17e7457e179e68e3c74ab15fb2b47e3ab8f2945d.jpeg

the switch is indeed SW1 and is on the module itself, not the reform
mainboard.  you must remove your heatsink in order to access it.

khm

Re: [9front] Booting without sd card (MNT Reform)

[alex-ml]

Hello khm,

thank you very much, that helps me a lot! :)

Best regards,
Alex

Am 24.05.2024 17:00 schrieb Kurt H Maier:
> On Fri, May 24, 2024 at 06:26:50AM +0000, alex-ml@posteo.de wrote:
>> Hello,
>> 
>> I found an article about booting 9front without sd card on the MNT 
>> Reform in
>> the wiki (http://wiki.9front.org/mnt-reform) and would like to try 
>> this.
>> 
>> First, it says:
>> "make sure to run the latest (dated 2023-01-15, at least) kernel."
>> 
>> ext4srv is shown in /bin, so the image I'm using should be new enough, 
>> but
>> for the latest build I just have to "mk install" in /sys/src/9/imx8, 
>> or am I
>> wrong?
> 
> In /sys/src/9/imx8, run mk and you should wind up with a 9reform.u file
> -- this is your kernel plus ipaq put into a format uboot can read.  
> This
> should go in the root folder of the emmc storage, along with your
> plan9.ini and boot.scr.  mk install won't do this for you, since 
> there's
> more than one way to boot an imx8.
> 
>> The last instruction states:
>> "the switch under the heatsink should be positioned to booting from 
>> EMMC,
>> this is not the default when the laptop is purchased"
>> 
>> Is this the "XSW" / "SW1" (or in the MNT Documentation it is called
>> "User-Defined Switch") Switch? And if so, should it be "ON" to boot 
>> from
>> NVMe?
> 
> It's this switch, pictured in the post here:
> https://community.mnt.re/t/operating-system-on-nvme-without-sd-card/110/3
> 
> this picture specifically:
> https://community.mnt.re/uploads/default/original/1X/17e7457e179e68e3c74ab15fb2b47e3ab8f2945d.jpeg
> 
> the switch is indeed SW1 and is on the module itself, not the reform
> mainboard.  you must remove your heatsink in order to access it.
> 
> khm