Add Fastboot Support

This page guides you to integrate an external fastboot executable in SBL. The steps described are also applicable to any MultiBoot format executables.

Fastboot protocol allows communication between host and device bootloader via USB or Ethernet. Fastboot image can be loaded as a boot option configured in SBL. Typically fastboot is used to provision OS images to eMMC with fastboot utility or similar GUI-based tools (E.g. Intel® Platform Flash Tool Lite).

Load from USB

The following steps provide an example to enable fastboot feature from USB key for UP2 board.

Step 1: Download fastboot executable from here

Step 2: Download and install open source IAS tool from here

Step 3: Package fastboot.elf into IAS image format

Run:

iasimage create -o iasimage.bin -d <private_key> -i 0x40000 cmdline.txt fastboot.elf


<private_key>: BootloaderCorePkg/Tools/Keys/TestSigningPrivateKey.pem
cmdline.txt  : Not required for fastboot to work. Create an empty file for it

Step 4: Copy IAS image iasimage.bin into the first FAT partition on USB flash drive

Step 5: Build, stitch and flash SBL to UP2

Follow UP2 Board to build a flashable image and prepare UP2 for booting.

Step 6: Boot and switch SBL into fastboot mode from shell interface

  1. Upon reset, press any key to enter SBL shell prompt

  2. Type boot to swap boot option index between last and first

  3. Type exit to boot into fastboot mode

Expected serial output:

Starting MB Kernel ...

...
Group    =000000FF
Command  =0000000C
IsRespone=00000001
Result   =00000000
RequestedActions   =00000000
USB for fastboot transport layer selected

Step 7: Test fastboot connections between host and UP2

Run:

fastboot devices

Load from SPI

You can also add fastboot into SBL image and program it into SPI flash.

Step 1: Once you created iasimage.bin, copy it into SBL directory:

cp iasimage.bin Platform/ApollolakeBoardPkg/SpiIasBin/iasimage1.bin

Step 2: Build, stitch and flash SBL to UP2

Step 3: Boot and switch SBL into fastboot mode from shell interface

  1. Upon reset, press any key to enter SBL shell prompt

  2. Type boot to swap boot option index between last and first

  3. Type exit to boot into fastboot mode

Expected serial output:

Starting MB Kernel ...

...
Group    =000000FF
Command  =0000000C
IsRespone=00000001
Result   =00000000
RequestedActions   =00000000
USB for fastboot transport layer selected

Step 4: Install and test fastboot connections between host and UP2

Connect USB cable between host and UP2 OTG port.

Run:

sudo apt-get install fastboot

fastboot devices

Note

Provisioning complete Linux OS image requires GPT table, kernel image and root file system. The procedure depends Linux distro release package format. This guide only provides the initial mechanism to enable fastboot protocol.