Devices and Target Audience[]
This guide assumes you have used a Sheeva/Guru/Dream Plug before, and that you are comfortable with accessing it via the serial console. The SheevaPlug has a build in USB serial console. Guru and Dream Plugs require an external JTAG module to access the serial console.
Network Booting[]
This guide is based on network booting *Plug devices via DHCP, TFTP and NFS (root file system will be on NFS). The configuration explained here is based on the one used on the Marvell Kirkwood based devices in the RedSleeve build farm. This guide assumes an EL6-like distribution for the required servers (DHCP, TFTP, NFS).
Download RSEL6 rootfs Tarball[]
Get the generic RSEL6 rootfs tar ball from here: http://ftp.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.redsleeve.org/pub/yum/os/rsel6-rootfs-gui-20130927-1.tar.xz
Download a Suitable Kernel[]
Download a suitable kernel for your Plug: http://www.xilka.com/sheeva/2.6/2.6.39/2.6.39.4/
sheeva-2.6.39.4-uImage: For SheevaPlug and GuruPlug dream-2.6.39.4-uImage: For DreamPlug
Put the kernel on your DHCP/TFTP server in the /tftpboot/ directory (that is where your tftp server is rooted by default, change accordingly if it isn't).
Also download the sheeva-2.6.39.4-Modules.tar.gz file, and extract it into /var/lib/ on your rootfs (wherever you extracted the RSEL6 rootfs tar ball downloaded earlier).
Prepare the DHCP Server[]
If you don't have a DHCP server configured on your network, you should configure it first. Once you have done so, add the following to your subnet block in /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf:
host dream1
{
hardware ethernet aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff;
fixed-address 10.11.12.13;
}
This assumes your Sheeva/Guru/Dream Plug's MAC address is aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff and you want it to have IP addres 10.11.12.13. Adjust accordingly for the real MAC address and IP. You can get the MAC address from the uboot serial console. On the DreamPlug it is in the ethaddr variable.
Prepare the NFS Server[]
Add something the following to your NFS server's /etc/exports file:
/nfsroot/sheeva1 10.11.12.13/16(fsid=50,rw,async,no_root_squash,insecure)
You need to extract the rootfs tarball you acquired above into the /nfsroot/sheeva1 directory on your NFS server.
Configure the Plug to TFTP Boot[]
Log in via the serial console and set the relevant uboot variables:
setenv bootargs_console console=ttyS0,115200 selinux=0 elevator=deadline setenv bootcmd setenv bootargs \$(bootargs_console) \$(bootargs_root)\; run bootcmd_tftp\; bootm 0x6400000 setenv bootcmd_tftp dhcp\; set serverip 10.10.1.2\; tftpboot 0x6400000 sheeva-2.6.39.4-uImage setenv bootargs_root rw root=/dev/nfs nfsroot=10.10.1.3:/nfsroot/sheeva1,proto=tcp ip=dhcp saveenv
The example above assumes your TFTP server has IP address 10.10.1.2 and your NFS server has IP 10.10.1.3. Change accordingly for your network.
Issue the "reset" command to your Plug (or just power cycle it or press the reset button), and it should boot up into RedSleeve.