Does bootcode.bin only boot still work ?

[PeterO]

I've just tried to use the "bootcode.bin only" method to boot a 2B V1.1 board, but it doesn't work.
I have a known working root file system on a USB drive, and I can boot the board from an other sdcard that has a fully populated /boot partition.

But with just bootcode.bin on an sdcard all that happens is that the red and green LEDs come on .... then nothing.....

Are the instructions on this page https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentati ... bootmodes/ out of date ?

PeterO

[ShiftPlusOne]

Does the USB drive have the standard fat32 partition with all the boot files? Has it previously worked for you?

[PeterO]

Does the USB drive have the standard fat32 partition with all the boot files? Has it previously worked for you?

Yes, the USB drive is bootable by itself on a 3B.
As I said, previously I've been booting the 2B with an sdcard with a fully populated /boot partition (and that still works). I just wanted to make it as close as
possible to the setups I have on my 3Bs and 3B+ which all USB boot.

PeterO

[ShiftPlusOne]

Can confirm that bootcode.bin isn't behaving properly for me either.

[ShiftPlusOne]

Downloaded an older one from here and it worked:
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware ... otcode.bin

[mikerr]

Confirmed for lack of netbooting too
- newest bootcode.bin from raspbian 2018-03-13 doesn't powerup ethernet lights on my pi2

and older bootcode.bin works ok.

Bah, its working now - maybe my flaky pi2

[ShiftPlusOne]

Okay the newest bootcode.bin is working for me now.

No idea what changed. Probably nothing and I just didn't have the right usb stick in when testing previously.

[ShiftPlusOne]

What's the md5sum of bootcode.bin you're using? I see ethernet come on.

[PeterO]

Thanks for checking...

md5sum bootcode.bin
17efaf1c1ef89289168d71cdc8194982 bootcode.bin


What about the OTP bit ? Does that need to be set because I didn't seem to be able to set it. Is the 2B V1.1 too old ?

PeterO

[ShiftPlusOne]

That md5sum matches what I have.

No idea, I was testing with a random Pi 2 Model B Rev 1.2 on my desk. You shouldn't need to do anything with the OTP when using a separate bootcode.bin.

[PeterO]

I just hooked up the same SD card and USB drive on a 2B V1.2, and it worked fine, but back on the 2B V1.1 nothing is happening.
But SD card with fully populated boot partition still works with the USB drive.

Never mind, I can live with having the boot partition on the SD card.

PeterO