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beacon-buildroot/README.md
2026-03-04 16:39:35 +01:00

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# Beacon CM4 — Buildroot + RAUC
Buildroot BR2_EXTERNAL for a Raspberry Pi CM4 with A/B OTA updates via [RAUC](https://rauc.io/).
## Partition layout
| # | Label | Size | Content |
|---|-------|------|---------|
| p1 | boot_a | 64 MiB | FAT32 — firmware + U-Boot (slot A) |
| p2 | boot_b | 64 MiB | FAT32 — firmware + U-Boot (slot B) |
| p3 | data | 256 MiB | ext4 — persistent data (`/data`) |
| p4 | (extended) | — | — |
| p5 | rootfs0 | 250 MiB | ext4 — rootfs slot A |
| p6 | rootfs1 | 250 MiB | ext4 — rootfs slot B |
| p7 | upload | 256 MiB | ext4 — staging area for bundles (`/upload`) |
U-Boot reads `BOOT_ORDER`/`BOOT_x_LEFT` env vars from eMMC and selects the active slot before loading the kernel. RAUC uses `boot-mbr-switch` to toggle between slots.
---
## One-time setup
### 1. Generate RAUC signing certificates
Run **once** from the `beacon-buildroot/` directory:
```bash
cd ~/repos/buildroot-beacon/beacon-buildroot
./openssl-ca.sh "Beacon" "Beacon RAUC CA"
```
This creates `openssl-ca/dev/` with:
```
openssl-ca/dev/
ca.cert.pem ← keyring installed into target /etc/rauc/keyring.pem
development-1.cert.pem ← signing cert (build host)
private/
development-1.key.pem ← signing key (build host, keep secret)
```
> **Do not regenerate** the CA once devices are flashed — bundles signed with
> a new CA will be rejected by devices that have the old keyring.
### 2. Initial full build
```bash
cd ~/repos/buildroot-beacon
make -C rpi-buildroot-fork \
O=$(pwd)/output \
BR2_EXTERNAL=$(pwd)/beacon-buildroot \
beacon_cm4_rauc_defconfig
make -C rpi-buildroot-fork \
O=$(pwd)/output \
BR2_EXTERNAL=$(pwd)/beacon-buildroot \
-j$(nproc)
```
Output artifacts in `output/images/`:
| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `sdcard.img.xz` | Full eMMC image for initial flash |
| `sdcard.img.bmap` | Block map for fast flash with bmaptool |
| `rootfs.raucb` | **OTA bundle** — rootfs only |
| `update.raucb` | OTA bundle — bootfs + rootfs (full system) |
### 3. Initial flash (EMMC_DISABLE jumper bridged)
```bash
./beacon-buildroot/scripts/flash-cm4.sh
```
Remove the jumper and power-cycle after the script completes.
---
## Creating an OTA update
### What triggers a new bundle
Any source change that results in a different `rootfs.ext4` or `boot.vfat` will produce a new bundle on the next build. Typical triggers:
- Package version bump / new package in defconfig
- File added/changed under `rootfs-overlay/`
- `post-build.sh` changes
- Kernel or U-Boot update
### Build the update
Incremental build — only changed packages and the rootfs/image stage are rebuilt:
```bash
cd ~/repos/buildroot-beacon
# Optional: set a human-readable version string
export VERSION="1.2.0"
make -C rpi-buildroot-fork \
O=$(pwd)/output \
BR2_EXTERNAL=$(pwd)/beacon-buildroot \
-j$(nproc)
```
`post-image.sh` runs automatically at the end and:
1. Builds `boot.vfat` from U-Boot + firmware blobs
2. Creates `rootfs.raucb` (rootfs-only bundle)
3. Creates `update.raucb` (full bootfs+rootfs bundle)
4. Signs both bundles with `development-1.key.pem`
5. Assembles `sdcard.img.xz` + `.bmap`
### Bundle contents
`rootfs.raucb` manifest (`format=verity`):
```ini
[update]
compatible=beacon-cm4
version=<VERSION>
[bundle]
format=verity
[image.rootfs]
filename=rootfs.ext4
```
`update.raucb` additionally contains `[image.bootloader]``boot.vfat`.
### Signing details
Signing is done by the host `rauc` binary during `post-image.sh`:
```bash
rauc bundle \
--cert openssl-ca/dev/development-1.cert.pem \
--key openssl-ca/dev/private/development-1.key.pem \
--keyring openssl-ca/dev/ca.cert.pem \
<bundle-dir>/ <output>.raucb
```
The target verifies the bundle signature against `/etc/rauc/keyring.pem`
(= `ca.cert.pem` installed during build by `post-build.sh`).
To inspect a bundle without installing it:
```bash
output/host/bin/rauc \
--keyring beacon-buildroot/openssl-ca/dev/ca.cert.pem \
info output/images/rootfs.raucb
```
---
## Deploying the update to the CM4
### Find the CM4's IP
The CM4 gets a DHCP address on eth0 (changes on each reboot):
```bash
# By MAC address:
ip neigh show dev enp0s31f6 | grep e4:5f:01:e9:13:96
```
### Transfer the bundle
Dropbear has no sftp-server — standard `scp` does **not** work.
Use stdin pipe instead:
```bash
CM4=10.11.0.xx # replace with actual IP
sshpass -p beacon ssh user@$CM4 \
'sudo tee /upload/rootfs.raucb > /dev/null' \
< output/images/rootfs.raucb
```
~51 MiB transfers in ~5 s on LAN.
### Install
```bash
sshpass -p beacon ssh user@$CM4 'rauc install /upload/rootfs.raucb'
```
Expected output:
```
0% Installing
20% Checking bundle done.
40% Determining target install group done.
46% Checking slot rootfs.1 done.
99% Copying image to rootfs.1 done.
100% Installing done.
Installing `/upload/rootfs.raucb` succeeded
```
RAUC automatically selects the **inactive** slot as the target.
### Reboot into the new slot
```bash
sshpass -p beacon ssh user@$CM4 'rauc status && sudo reboot'
```
`rauc status` should show `Activated: rootfs.1 (B)` before the reboot.
### Confirm and mark-good
After reboot the system boots into the new slot in **trial mode**
(U-Boot decrements `BOOT_x_LEFT`). You must mark it good or it will
roll back on the next reboot.
```bash
# Find new IP (DHCP address changes):
CM4_NEW=$(ip neigh show dev enp0s31f6 | awk '/e4:5f:01:e9:13:96/{print $1}')
sshpass -p beacon ssh user@$CM4_NEW 'rauc status mark-good && rauc status'
```
Expected final `rauc status`:
```
Booted from: rootfs.1 (B)
Activated: rootfs.1 (B)
x [rootfs.1] boot status: good ← currently running, committed
o [rootfs.0] boot status: good ← fallback
```
---
## Rollback behaviour
If `mark-good` is **not** called after a reboot, U-Boot decrements
`BOOT_x_LEFT`. After 3 failed attempts it switches back to the previous
slot automatically — no manual intervention needed.
To force an immediate rollback:
```bash
# On the CM4:
sudo fw_setenv BOOT_ORDER "A B" # or "B A" depending on current slot
sudo reboot
```
---
## Rescue partition
Short **GPIO4** (pin 7) to **GND** (pin 9) on the 40-pin header during
power-on. U-Boot detects this and boots the read-only rescue rootfs from
`/dev/mmcblk0p2`.
---
## Reference
| Path | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `configs/beacon_cm4_rauc_defconfig` | Buildroot defconfig |
| `board/beacon-cm4/genimage.cfg` | Partition layout |
| `board/beacon-cm4/post-image.sh` | Bundle creation + signing |
| `board/beacon-cm4/post-build.sh` | Target rootfs customisation |
| `board/beacon-cm4/rootfs-overlay/etc/rauc/system.conf` | RAUC slot config |
| `openssl-ca/dev/` | Signing certificates (generated once) |
| `scripts/flash-cm4.sh` | Automated initial flash script |